Collioure is truly a walker’s paradise.  You can stroll along the old streets or along the wide walkways along the Mediterranean.  It is easy to circle the Royal Palace to get from one side of the town to the other.  Walking here is pleasant at any time of day – early in the morning when it is peaceful, during the busy time of the afternoon or in the evening when the beautiful buildings scattered throughout the town are lit with soft yellow lights.

People who want to challenge themselves a little more can wander up into the hills.  There are easy walking trails progressing to far more challenging hikes when you start to move up into the Pyrenees.  Many people walk up behind the Dominican Convent that is now the Art Museum and check out the views from the windmill – Moulin de la Cortina.

The windmill is driven by three different winds.  Le mistral wind is a dry cold wind that comes from the north, La Tramontane is the dominant wind of the Languedoc region and blows from the northwest and finally the Sirocco winds that come across from North Africa.

Starting at the Art Museum you wind your way through cactus, native flowers and olive groves that have been planted on terraces.  After walking for approximately ten minutes you come upon the stone structure.  This unique building dates back to the 1300’s and is one of the oldest windmills in the Roussillon region.  Originally used for producing flour, it has recently been fully restored and is now a mill that is used for crushing and grinding olives from the local groves to make a wonderful olive oil.

You can visit the inside on specific days and see how the windmill works.  However the best thing about this area is the scenery.  You can take in the entire town of Collioure with an unobstructed view from this vantage point.  Be sure to take this walk and enjoy the history lesson, the exercise session and be sure to appreciate the lovely landscape that surrounds you.

Additional information regarding the Collioure windmill at:http://pyreneescatalanes.free.fr/Thematiques/Batiments/Histoire/MoulinDeCollioure.php

For another interesting article about windmills in France, check out this link: http://pocketcultures.com/2012/04/07/windmills-in-france/      

While we have found many great restaurants in the neighbourhood of our apartment, we always seem to make our way back to the Hotel des Templiers.  Known as the “Open Window of Collioure”, this charming restaurant and bar is located on Quai de l'Amirauté.  It is a short walk from our place and it seems to be a favourite for both locals and tourists.  No matter the time of day, there are always people sitting both inside and on the covered patio beside the Douy Stream. Folks stroll back and forth between the patio and bar, drink in hand, greeting passersby and catching up with their neighbours.

Perhaps it is the history of the restaurant that draws people there.  It is one of the oldest establishments in Collioure, opened in 1895 by Madame Pous originally as a watering hole for fisherman called Café des Sports.  As Collioure became popular with artists of the time, famous names such as Matisse, Dali, Picasso and Duffy frequented this restaurant and bar.  It is suggested that the artists would spend much of their summer evenings there and enjoy the area’s renowned Banyuls with classical Catalan dishes of bouillabaisse or capon, many times paying for their drinks with works of art.

The inside of the restaurant tops many art galleries. The original owner’s son, Rene Pous, was an avid art collector (amassing more than 2000 pieces) of both contemporary and modern styles.  He passed on this collection to his son Jojo and the family’s passion has been kept very much alive. Every wall and surface is covered with pieces of art, many of their more famous originals are now in storage, but it is quite the sight to see.  The bar is curved like the hull of a boat and ends with a wooden sculpture of a mermaid.  Unique doesn’t even begin to describe this spot!

We have dined here twice and each time the meals have been very good.  Don’t expect to have an English-speaking waiter since this is a traditional place.  However they do have English versions of the menu so if you don’t speak French you can still get by with pointing and gestures.  My favourite dish is the carpaccio served drizzled with olive oil and fresh parmesan cheese shavings. Denis has enjoyed an overflowing plate of lightly fried, tiny fish and the other time a tasty, seasoned white fish. Local wine is reasonably priced and the ambiance on the patio is fun no matter the season.

Whether you enjoy great food or love inspiring art, or perhaps both, Les Templiers is a wonderful, authentic place to visit.  See their website at:
http://www.hotel-templiers.com

No matter where someone sits in the village, they can look towards the Mediterranean Sea and see the incredible sight of the Notre Dame des Anges tower.  It is certainly hard to miss with its lovely pink dome looming above the church and is also the source of many interesting comments and conversation about its unusual shape….

The tower’s foundation is built into the sea which is quite the feat considering it was constructed in the Middle Ages.  Originally it was built as a lighthouse with actual fires being lit at the top and functioned as a warning tower.  Later as the fishing trade grew, it was a point, used by fisherman on their boats to guide them home into the village.  The tower later became a jail and then eventually it was converted into the bell tower when the church was added in 1684.  Its unique pink copper dome that makes it so well known was added in 1810.

This structure is the most recognizable sight within Collioure.  It is in every tourist’s photographs and is one of the most painted locations in France (right up there with Moulin Rouge and Monet’s lilies).

The beautiful masonry work and different coloured stones are stunning and it truly is a piece of art.  We are still taken each morning as we walk out our front door and see the peaceful church and magnificent tower, always there, ready to welcome us each day. 

We now understand why this tower is beloved by every resident and artist around.  The bells that chime on the half hour and play a beautiful song when calling those to services, continue to ring in your heart, beckoning you to stay in the beautiful village of Collioure.

For more information on sights to see in the village of Collioure, check out the Tourism Board's website at www.collioure.com

During our trip to Collioure last week we took a half a day for a trip into the country.  With so many sightseeing options in the area, we settled on visiting one of the Cathar castles above the small village of Cucugnan.  Setting out mid morning, we wove our way through numerous vineyards.  As far as the eye could see, were the vines stripped down to only the stalks after the harvest of this past Fall.

For approximately 1 ½ hours, we wound up and around the mountains and eventually on the final approach were creeping up incredibly narrow roads with sheer drops down into the valley.  This is not a drive for the faint of heart!   I was so glad Denis was driving as Chateau de Quéribus came into our view.

Once parked, we paid our admission of 5.50€ and started the trek (about 10 mins) up to the top of the hill upon which the castle ruins sit.  It is hard to believe that in the 10th century people were able to bring materials up these hills and build a magnificent structure upon the top of a rock that has withstood the elements even until now.

This castle is one of the “Five Sons of Carcassonne” that were created as defensive points against the crusade of the Albigensians.  It really is like walking into an imaginary time since it is so well preserved.   You can see how life was conducted during that era while wandering through the Gothic style halls and up the narrow circular staircases. 

The terrace at the top of the tower, reaching 728 metres, gives you an unbelievable view of the Pyrenees and the village of Cucugnan below.  The mountains stretch for miles around and you can also see one of the other castles Peyrepertuse, sitting tall, strategically positioned amongst the hills.  It was just awesome!

After marveling at the incredible structure, relics and views, we came back down and visited the charming village of Cucugnan.  This pretty town has a working windmill (Le Moulin d’Omer), ancient fortifications and walking tours that invite you to visit the buildings of the picturesque village.  This is a lovely spot to visit. See this link to the village's website: http://www.cucugnan.fr/fr/queribus-cucugnan/accueil

On our way back home we talked about the wonders of this incredible area and happened upon a sign that showed symbols of the region being known for castles, grapes and wine.  Loosely translated it means "It's all about the wine." Oh, what more could you want from life?