Collioure, Languedoc (article) by Annie Le Voguer on AuthorsDen

An overview of a colourful seaside town in the Languedoc region of France. Fancy walking the route of the wild beast? That or watch the dance of the sardine with music from a load of coblas. It’s all possible in a small harbour town that was once the European entry gate to pirates and smugglers. Collioure is in a less developed French Mediterranean region than that of the sophisticated Cannes or St Tropez, tucked away below the eastern tip of the Pyrenees, the last pocket of Catalan France before you reach the Spanish border. Its 17 miles (27km) from Perpignan, its nearest airport and only 15 miles (25km) from Spain. Its lack of Riviera razzmatazz hasn’t stopped it from gaining its place in history – and for more than one reason, pirates not included. Few could be unimpressed, and it certainly wowed me, seeing Chateau Royal, a magnificent structure of architectural brilliance that rises from the sea bed itself. It was built by the Knights Templar in the 13th-century and the Kings of Mallorca called it home for a further two centuries until it was fortified and fought over by Aragon, Spain and France before finally France took control in 1659. Nowadays it offers more tranquil pleasures as a museum and art gallery, sheltering three pebble beaches that are used for many water sports including kayaking and diving, the surrounding waters being declared Nature Reserves thus preserving the fragile reef and fish population of the Mediterranean at least in this region. I walked around its battlements in the warm sunshine, enjoying the wonderful views whilst listening to the water lap gently at my feet. Below its steep walls I purchased a wonderful wooden handmade carving of a boat with the Chateau behind it which now has pride of place in the lounge. At the entrance to the Bay on the far corner of the quay I discovered an ancient Church that contains five immense wall scenes from the Bible that seem three dimensional. I learnt that they are called Baroque altarpieces, created by Catalan masters from the 17th century. Notre Dame des Anges carries out daily services for worshippers, though I was happy to just gaze at the wonderful stained glass windows for a few minutes. It’s second claim to fame are the vineyards, less than 1000 acres but with a myriad of grapes such as Grenache Noir, Carignan and Mourvedre just to name three, the flavour of the wine has made this corner of France a Mecca for connoisseurs. There are dozens of ‘caves’ to visit and wine tours are part of the attraction to this region. A rosé drinker myself, I found the bottle of my dreams here. Sadly just the one bottle, but maybe not so sadly, I have a good excuse to return. Collioure’s third claim involves the wild beasts, developed through its veritable beauty and charm, with the richness of colours enhanced by gaily fronted buildings. Matisse was so inspired by the town he created what became known as ‘Fauvism’ in 1905. ‘The Wild Beasts’ describes the crazy use of colour and drew in many more artists such as Dufy, Derain, and even Picasso. Today the ‘Fauvism footpath’ can be taken, with reproductions of some of the more famous paintings displayed on spots where they were originally painted. Without taking this walk you cannot avoid the impression these artists made on the town. Throughout the maze of tiny winding streets that meander up the side of the mountain that is Collioure I found art galleries by the dozen. Many offer the standard tourism style Catalan scene that may have been created in a studio far away and reproduced 1,000 times, but there are many that continue to pay homage to the masters of colour. I was so inspired by the beauty of the town that I picked up my oil paints for the first time in over 20 years and forced myself to find time to reproduce a photo. I found myself warming to the vivid colours of the buildings with a backdrop of a mountainside - part vine, part forest, and I plan to paint a collection of images from the area. Who knows, I may even exhibit them! Of course, there is plenty more to Collioure than history, art and wine. We had walked 20 minutes uphill from our campsite to the top of the town, slowly making our way down a set of steps that took us past a delightful collection of private houses and gardens and brought us out in the middle of a square that was holding the Wednesday market, stopping to catch our breath and admire the stunning view. Wonderful smells of fresh vegetables and spices enticed me over and we spent the next two hours wondering around looking at the local cheeses, meats, fish, vegetables and herbs along with olive oils, olive wood, local pottery and a wealth of other locally made products. The market spanned down the road, through another square and branched out onto one of the quays welcoming many traders including a very pronounced African element (the harbour town of Port Vendres next door is the main gateway to Morocco and Tangiers from France). Paintings again could be found in abundance, many with the artists happily talking to visitors about their work. I was sad we were unable to pick up any fish for tea, as we were spending a full day in town with the walk back up later. It meant we’d be walking around with the fish getting warmer by the minute in the August heat, I doubt we’d have been welcomed in any establishment with smelly fish! I did pick up some herbs, spices and a locally produced mustard pot for the table back home. Our mobile home was shored up at Les Criques de Porteils, a site perched on the other side of the mountain overlooking the Med and with its own steps down to pebbly bays where the brave could try a spot of bathing. My husband and daughter went snorkelling (though there were no fish to be had there) whilst I looked on from the beach. Well, someone had to keep an eye on the towels. Bruno, a local guide, offered daily walks to the historic sites of which there are many in varying degrees of condition dating from the 13th century to the last World War. In the heat of the summer the two hour circuit is quite a climb but worth it. Plenty of water and a camera are the two recommendations I’d make. Camping is the main form of overnight stay along the whole of the Vermillion Coast but there are hotels in Collioure. Les Relais des Trois Mas has stunning views across the bay to the Chateau Royal and for a little under £100 you get a swimming pool on site. £50 will provide you with an adequate room at Les Caranques. Collioure isn’t the hub of all nightlife but it is an ideal spot for romantics with the Chateau floodlit at night and el fresco eating in the still warm evening. Le Neptune offers a Michelin starred eaterie and Les Templiers has a fish menu inspired totally by the Catalan flavours, the walls of which are covered with over 2000 paintings. Oh – and the sardine dance with coblas? The dance of the ‘sardana’ is the Catalan Folk dance performed by a Catalan band known as ‘coblas’. They perform throughout the year but especially during July and August, throughout the Catalan province. The whole Vermillion coast is a place I would return to as often as I could. Maybe if the exhibition works I could use the excuse to keep up my creative inspiration.

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