Located in and capital of Département 66 of the Pyrénées-Orientales region of Southern France, the city of Perpignan is definitely a forgotten gem. Located about 1 hours bus ride from the Mediterranean and close to the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains, Perpignan has everything; great food, culture, you can swim in summer and your can ski in winter and of course you benefit from that wonderful French lifestyle, with a twist of Catalan influence thrown in for good measure.
Perpignan's roots and influence go way back in history and indeed during the 13th and 14th Centuries Perpignan was the capital of the former province and county of Rousillion, at which time it was the continental capital of the Kingdom of Mallorca. I have to preface this Blog by saying that my recent visit to this normally sunny part of the world resulted in 4 days of rain! However, living in the Desert as we do, experiencing some weather is actually quite fun and refreshing and means that rather than concentrating purely on eating and drinking, we made full use of the cultural facilities.
For me the real centre of Perpignan is the Grand Cafe De La Poste.This is my favorite breakfast haunt and is very centrally located in the Place De Verdun next to the famous Castillet.
Each morning I make sure I arrive by 8.00 a.m. so that I can bask in the aroma of freshly baked croissant, which simply melts in your mouth, accompanied by a noisette, (a short expresso like coffee) which gives you that essential fortifying "jolt" to help you start the day.
Service is brisk and friendly and incredibly you only have to be served by the head waiter once, for him to remember your order when you return the next day. A true professional with a cheeky smile!
Cafe de la Poste has a real sense of permanence and community and is always vibrant with the local Perpignan crowd, whether at breakfast, lunch or dinner and especially when the Catalan Dragons Rugby Team (local to Perpignan) are playing at home, when it is standing room only.
With the rain coming down horizontally and resembling a scene from our U.K. home town of Plymouth, where it normally rains 400 days a year, our first stop is a visit to the Musée Hyacinthe-Rigaud, located in the centre of town at 21 Rue Mailly.
The Artiste Hyacinthe-Rigaud originated from Perpignan and it was only from visiting the Museum that I realized that Hyacinthe was a man and not a women. Oops, rookie error when pretending to know about the Perpignan art scene! Nevertheless the staff are super friendly, they provide a very interesting guide booklet in English and the whole atmosphere of the Musée is of creativity and tranquility.
It was a pity that they did not have small bar as a chilled glass of the local sweet Muscat wine would have completed the experience. Then again, we might not have proceeded past the bar so perhaps it was a good omission on the part of the Musée!
It is very difficult to record and accurately reflect the beauty of the contents, which comprises both Baroque and Modern Art Collections, but I have put together a small sample of what is on offer.
Then a short walk to the Cathedral Saint-Jean Baptiste, located in Rue De L'Horloge. This magnificent cathedral is built in the Catalan Gothic style. Construction began in 1324 by King Sanch of Mallorca and finally finished in the 15th Century. It is beautifully decorated and still fully functional. A place of reflection, sanctuary and no doubt refuge. It certainly was for us as by this time the rain had reached biblical proportions. Quite apt really!
Next stop a bracing 15 minute walk "uptown" to the Palace of the Kings of Mallorca. Again a good pair of walking shoes is first order of the day. Thank goodness the rain had paused as we reached the highest point in town as the Fuji and the 27 mm are not weather sealed. Come to think of it neither am I !
It doesn't take long to walk around the castle but as you move from room to room you get a sense of the splender and luxury in which the Royals of days gone by must have lived.
The climax of the tour is a climb to the top of the main tower (not for the feint of heart or those afraid of heights) and once at the top you are rewarded by some spectacular vistas of Perpignan and its environs.
Brimming with culture and new found knowledge of Perpignan the tastebuds were pining for a spot of lunch. So, best place to head for is Cafe Moka in the Place de La Republique. A Simple Gallopin (small beer) is always the best way to start, as you can have two or three of those and not feel too guilty, accompanied by a healthy Salade Du Maison with Iberico Pork..... yes I confess and frites, which were hot, salty and delicious!
Having finished lunch and suitably repleat, we stepped back in to Place de La Republique to spend time in the Saturday Market. I absolutely love this. All sorts of produce combined with the locals doing their usual batering. A photographer's dream.
Next stop the Hotel Pams. This is a mansion in the old quarter of Perpignan that was built between 1852 and 1872 by Pierre Bardou one of the founders of the JOB Cigarette paper company. The building was later transformed in to an elegant mansion by his son-in -law, Jules Pams, who was an amateur art lover. His tastes are clearly reflected in the elegant decor.
Today the Hôtel Pams is owned by the City of Perpignan. Its well worth a visit and perhaps gives the visitor a sense of what it was like, back in the day, if you were wealthy and lived in Perpignan.
At last the rain had stopped and we were able to have a relaxing walk along the waterway which runs through the heart of Perpignan.
Final visit for the afternoon is afternoon coffee on the terrace of the Galleries Lafayette. Actually it was extremely windy and yes, once again the rain was doing its best to soak me and the Fuji. However, "needs must when the devil drives" and it is a great spot to take the signature shot of the Castillet and the Cathedral de Saint-Jean Baptiste, with the tower of the Palace of the Kings of Mallorca just visible in the distance.
What a fantastic way to spend a day. How to finish things off? Well first of all Team Chivers headed to a cheeky little wine bar in the old town. A couple of glasses of that delicious local Muscat and all was exceedingly well with the world.
This was followed by dinner at Gallinette, a Michelin starred restaurant located just a stones throw from our hotel. A six course tasting menu ensued which was simply sublime and after a bottle of the local "Collioure" red I retired to our hotel a very happy man. Regrettably I once again had a focussing problem with the Fuji and so did not record dinner. Or was it a focussing problem with me........?
So there you have it, there is definitely more to this beautiful sleepy town in the South of France than meets the eye. I hope I have inspired you to book those flights and sample the delights of Perpignan for yourself. ;-)