Around Perpignan

We have mentioned Alain a few times in our blog entries: he was the Parisian fellow I met at the airport in Perpignan while we were waiting for the arrival of our lease vehicle. Sadly, today was our last visit together as he and his two daughters, Eloise and Angeline, were returning home. Alain was renting a small place in Rasigueres; we passed by it everytime we headed anywhere. Many times it warranted a stop for “coffee” – Alain always offered us either coffee or wine, but only ever served us the wine! It was great to have a ‘friend’ in the area, someone who shared a little bit of French culture. The drive through Rasigueres has been a little lacking since.

Not only did we have to deal with the departure of Alain, but we also had to deal with being abandoned by Kevin and Michelle. The Pyrenees beckoned – what can you do? They left Friday morning.

Before that, we drove down a windy, coastal road (windy roads are a favourite of ours; we can’t seem to get enough of feeling carsick) to Banyuls because it is near the site of a small snorkeling route. Andrew thought it was cool to see so many fish and to be able to breathe while under water. We smiled and nodded, not daring to mention how the fish lacked colour and variety when compared to what Glenn and I saw when we went snorkeling in Thailand. We didn’t say anything not because we didn’t want to ruin Andrew’s moment, but because we didn’t want him to make us feel guilty for leaving him at home for two weeks while we enjoyed being childless in Thailand. And it worked because my son decided to freely offer me what spas will charge too much for – hot rock therapy. Right down to the spaces in between my toes.

The night ended with a crepe dinner in Perpignan , and a chance for us to listen to some live music. Perpignan creates pedestrian friendly streets every Thursday night, so people can be comfortable downtown while they stroll the streets or sit at cafes, taking in the warmth of the evening and listening to the various musical acts. It was a good way for us to burn off the calories of dinner: crepes stuffed with potatoes, lardons (a type of bacon) and a brie type cheese, or Roquefort and walnut paste, or curried chicken, raisins, and pineapples. You’d think a child would love having crepes for dinner. Sure, when they are filled with ice cream and whipped cream and chocolate, not cheese and egg and ham, Sam I Am.