In my last post, I made the controversial statement that I was not a “Prague Guy”. Some folks were upset that it seemed like I was not impressed by one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. Not exactly the point that I meant to convey…. While I don’t like fancy, busy, expensive cities, I really think my comments came from the fact that we were getting a little burned out by touring beautiful European old towns and cities. We have had 7 weeks of zooming through the Baltics and Poland and in retrospect… it might have been a little too fast. While in Prague, we kept thinking of our next few destinations, and most of those don’t have many tourist sites that you just “have to see”. We knew we were going to feel a little overwhelmed after so visiting so many European capitals so we planned some beach time on the Med!
Our first weeks in Europe this year were a little bit cooler than we preferred even though we flew here on July 31st. During our time in Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, it was usually around 65-70 degrees. Some days it got up to high 70’s but some days it was in the low 60’s. That is a bit cool for someone who travels with no jeans, and mostly t-shirts and shorts. We then flew from Prague to Barcelona and arrived to 90 degrees! That is just what we needed!
We spent 1 night at a hotel near the Barcelona airport and then took a train to the South of France. Arriving in the small town of Port-Vendres we realized we didn’t have much to do this week. 5 nights at beach town of 4000 people would mean that there weren’t any museums to see. We didn’t need to learn about history on a “free walking tour”. There were no palaces, churches, or old town squares that we needed to explore. We had nothing we had to do. That is just what we needed!
After several weeks of Central European meat and potatoes we were ready for something new. Yes, we really enjoy schnitzels, kielbasa, and potatoes but it can get a bit heavy. We now have seafood from the Med! Catalan tapas! and most importantly – FRENCH FOOD! Including croissants, baguettes, and CHEESE (ok, also a little heavy, but so yum!) That is just what we needed.
We have had a string of hotels and Airbnb’s right on the edge of the old town’s in historic cities. Many of these places were cramped spaces without any outside space. In Port-Vendres, we have a nice airbnb with a full kitchen, a bedroom with a door, a washing machine, a comfortable couch, a dining room and a private patio. The apartment came with it own turtle named Albert that had the run of the backyard! Yes, turtle watching isn’t that exciting but we sure did a lot of it. That is just what we needed.
We came to this part of the world 19 years ago. We spent a couple of nights in 2007 in the town of Collioure and absolutely fell in live with this part of France. It is a bit embarrassing that we it took us 19 years to return to the Catalan area of Southern France. Collioure has changed a bit over time. We remember a really quiet tourist town with a large waterfront castle and clock tower. We remember wandering the alley’s by ourself looking at the art galleries and small boutiques. We walked the 2km from Port-Vendres to Collioure to experience this town again. It has changed. There were 10 times as many tourists and 10 times as many galleries and stores. It was still wonderful and still beautiful, but we were glad we stayed in the quieter town of Port-Vendres.
The other day we did was a short bus ride for lunch in the town of Banyuls Sur Mer. It was a nice wide sandy beach that looks like the tourists haven’t fully discovered it. There were a few alleys of cute shops and several waterfront restaurants but it didn’t feel as crowded as 2027 Coullioure. We like Port Vendres, but it doesn’t have the beachfront cafes that we were looking forward to on the Med. Our next stay in French Catalan might be in Banyuls Sur Mer!
Port-Vendres itself is more of a port town. It has a working container ship port as well as a small fishing fleet. The fisherman would return every morning and sell their super fresh fish from rusty metal shacks on the beach. Port Vendres does have a couple of stretches of seafood restaurants along the wharfs that we were sure to try out. We were excited to see some local music most nights that was meant for locals…. not tourists. Just some town musicians having fun. Port Vendres does have some pretty cool coves and private beaches but you need to do a bit of hiking. I had some fantastic walks most mornings and of course took a ton of pictures.
The first time in France in 2007, I felt out of place. It is a bit difficult to get to understand this country. We now feel much more comfortable here. We are both upset that only are spending a few days here in 2026. We are now planning 2027 and France is probably going to be a part of it. We are now headed to more Catalan country but on the Spanish side of the border. Next stop is Figueres, Spain!!