Nº 60 Free / Gratuit
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2018 1 Summer P-O Life Life in the Pyrénées-Orientales Nº 60 FREE / GRATUIT www.anglophone-direct.com © Les Pritchard’s FOOD & OUT for WALK the TEST your DRINK THE DAY REGION FRENCH Where to Eat Culture & Fun in Les Balcons this Summer the Vallespir de Laroque AMÉLIOREZ votre ANGLAIS 2we create relaxing, outside space for you 3 EDITO:-) rickets a-chirping, frogs a-croaking, C emerald vines whispering gently to laden fruit trees and unruly wild flowers. And the smells! Rosemary and thyme growing wild in the garrigue, lavender mingling with suntan oil and barbecue wafting in on a light breeze of heat... DREAMING OF A Welcome to summer in the P-O! Wine tastings, beer festivals, absolute CONSERVATORY? ‘must’ outdoor meals with street dancing, live music, sardanes, castellers, corre- PERGOLAS · CONSERVATORIES · PORCHES focs, gégants...are all part of your Catalan summer. So no dieting this summer please. Life’s too short. We have some great restaurants for you to enjoy, along with days out and For quality and reliability I Made in France I Established 35 years walks from Chris and Tim to burn off the calories. We have music and dance • Let our professional, English-speaking consultants bring Have you signed up festivals, local wine reviews and your project to life. for our free weekly recommendations from Tony, a cheeky • You could extend your home by up to 4Om2 newsletter full of all the joke or two, airport news from Robbie, without planning permission.* stuff that we couldn’t cram palm tree pests from Lesley, language in here? Or dropped in on exercises...Well that should keep you • Call 04 68 55 05 05 now our Facebook Pages where going for now. to get a free, no-obligation you can chat, recommend, Happy summer! quote or simply scan here: ask questions, buy and sell your bits The name you can trust. and bobs…. Kate IT’S A CONSTANT STRUGGLE FUNDING THE PRINTING AND DESIGN COSTS Chemin de la Fauceille, 66000 Perpignan - 04 68 55 05 05 G TO KEEP P-O LIFE FREE AND MADE OUT OF PAPER. PLEASE SUPPORT Next to “Le Clos des Lys” restaurant and the car dealerships OUR ADVERTISERS. WITHOUT THEM WE WOULD NOT EXIST. *Depending on the current amount of living space in your property Magazine gratuit. Tout Droits réservés, Reproduction interdite 4 Agence des Cerisiers 5 Open Mon-Sat: 08.30 am to 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm to 7.30 pm ! Sundays and bank holidays by appointment INDEX P-O Life The FESTIVALS Pong Buster Espadrilles 20 WALK & TRADITIONS French Firefighters 76 REGION Correfocs, Castellers, Gegants.... 12 Emergency Numbers 88 Les Balcons de Laroque 6 The Sardane 14 AIRPORT NEWS 64 Pablo Casals Festival 16 English Speaking Services 89 Villelongue & Amélie 19 WINE club ART Life NEAR CÉRET CENTRE: Prestigious architect’s villa approx 237m² NEAR CÉRET CENTRE: Charming, renovated, bright village house Thank You for the Mùsic 50 living space. Spacious living area with chimney and lounge, 5 bedrooms, on 3 levels. Includes fitted kitchen/dining room looking out onto Trace & Breath 52 3 shower rooms, 4 WCs. Garage. Pool inc wave machine. Splendid courtyard and second, summer kitchen leading to terrace with open views on top floor. 2 bedrooms + attic room. Garage. Quality fixtures & for An Eternal Love Story 62 views over Céret and Canigou! RARE PRODUCT – DON’T DELAY! fittings. THE CHARM OF OLD STONE. OUT PRICE : 650,000 € • REF: 5985 Dpe C PRICE : 249 000 € • REF: 3959 Dpe N/A THE DAY Tried & Tasted 40 Laroque-Des-Albères 10 Wine Tasting with Roots66 46 Santa Pau 38 Summer in the Vallespir 48 Castelnou Castle 74 P-O NATURALLY Palm Tree Pests 54 FOOD&DRINK P-O TAILLET: Spacious villa on landscaped, fenced plot approx 11,809 m2 CERET CENTRE: SOLE AGENT: Spacious, semi-detached, private LANGUAGES with pool and magnificent views. 5 bedrooms, open kitchen leading into villa – approx 135m² living space. 3 bedrooms, one with balcony and Readers’ Restaurant Reviews 22 Test your French 78 lounge with chimney. Approx 175m² living space. Lots of charm. Quiet en-suite shower room & WC, large lounge with chimney, separate fitted Ideas for Eating Out 26 - 37 Améliorez votre anglais 82 area, great for walking. LET YOURSELF BE TEMPTED! kitchen, garage, adjacent garden. Quality fittings. Open mountain views. DON’T DELAY ! PRICE : 415 000 € • REF: 6056 Dpe B PRICE : 270 000 € • REF: 6117 Dpe C Love the front cover? See more of Les Pritchard’s CONTACT US at La Capelleta in Céret throughout August. ADVERTISE WITH US Impression: To find out more about how your business can benefit from adverti- ROTIMPRES (Girona): 13.000 ex. Ne pas jeter sur la voie publique - sing in P-O Life. Anglophone-direct accepts no responsibility Contact Fiona on 06 89 25 88 01 or email: [email protected] for the competency of people and services EDITORIAL advertising in P-O Life. For editorial queries & comment Concepteur et rédacteur: Kate email: [email protected] - 06 79 61 96 46 (editorial only) Maquette & Création: LE BOULOU: Bungalow in quiet area close to shops. Spacious AMÉLIE-LES-BAINS: Superb, modern villa on one level with pool, entrance leading to lounge/living area, separate kitchen, balcony/terra- totally private in quiet, upmarket area. Nearly 150m² living space. Large, ce. 2 bedrooms. South-facing, traditional build, double glazing, garage. covered terrace. 3 bedrooms each with own walk-in wardrobe. High Room for pool. NOT OVERLOOKED. quality fixtures & fittings. DON’T MISS THIS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY! PRICE : 235 400 € • REF: 6005 Dpe C PRICE : 365 000 € • REF: 5739 Dpe N/A Agence de Développement Touristique 2 bd Simon-Battle • Résidence Tins’simo • 66400 CERET • 04 68 21 21 00 2, bd des Pyrénées - `CS 80540 - 66005 Perpignan Cedex www.century21-cerisiers-ceret.com • [email protected] Tél : +33 (0)4 68 51 52 53 - [email protected] 6 The with Tim and 7 WALK Chris Parker After 30-40 minutes the broad track narrows to the right and rises to the wide bend of sandy REGION piste. Ignore the signs for Walk 1 and continue up the piste to a hairpin bend. On this bend take a path on the right leading up a IDENTIFIYNG MARKERS rocky gulley. Many walks and rides in the region have After a short steep climb of 5 minutes reach a been marked out with different coloured piste and cross directly opposite to continue the paint strokes to represent varying difficulty ascent. Emerge on second more grassy piste. or activities. Turn left and very quickly take path on right to climb to high point of the walk. (If you have had WALKING enough of climbing you can make the left turn and Yellow paint stroke - continue along this piste all the way to the head of short walk (petite ran- donnée) the valley at the fountain mentioned below). This is the longest stretch of ascent and the views Red and yellow paint stroke - of the coastal plain are lovely as Laroque Cross country (Tour de Pays) becomes a dot on the landscape below. Pass Red and white paint stroke - steep cliffs; path continues beside then behind long walks (grande randonnée) them. HORSE-RIDING Emerge at cross road of paths and turn left. Les Balcons (The path straight on is a route to Pic d’Oreilla Orange circle [499m]. The path to the right descends to Font MOUNTAIN BIKING dels Simiots) Two yellow circles and a triangle to de LAROQUE indicate direction. ACCESS THE WALK map IGN 1:25000 Banyuls, Col de Perthus, Cote Vermeille 2549OT P Turn left and follow the road, continuing straight on after the end of the housing estate. A 3hrs - 3hrs.30 circular walk up GETTING THERE There is now just the occasional house and road aroque is signed off the D618 road (Argelès quality deteriorates. the hills with 450 metres of ascent, to Le Boulou). Take D50 into the Village L Pass the ruins of Chapelle de Roca Vella. which is all in the first half of centre and park opposite the Mairie. Do make the walk. Well signed route with time to explore this fascinating village before or yellow waymarks. after your walk. START OF WALK: P Cross the narrow main street and continue straight on past le Cafe des Artistes. Turn right This path contours through the woods and into Rue du chateau and walk below town eventually descends past a picnic bench to meet ramparts. the piste which was crossed earlier (alternative At rear of ramparts descend to a bridge across route). river and walk through allotments (Chemin de la Florentine) to emerge beside house at Place Sebastian. 8 The with Tim and 9 WALK Chris Parker WHERE TO EAT REGION AND DRINK IN LAROQUE... Turn right along the piste; pass Font de la Vernosa and reach the head of the valley, Cave Le Carignan where the river Roca de Vella forms a pretty pool. 04 68 568301 Wine and tapas bar. (1h 40-50mins to this point) Delicious home-made tapas, washed down with your favourite tipple. Les Enfants Terribles 04 68 89 40 51 Spacious restaurant with shady terrace and innovative cuisine. Café des Artistes 04 88 89 76 53 Morning coffee, lunch dinner, drinks.... Continue to follow the piste ignoring all paths until after approx. 10 minutes you reach a path going down on left signed Laroque. Soon find sign to the very large ice well on the right. This is only a few yards off the path. It was Contour round the hillsides, gradually descending Soon reach a left bend in piste: built end 16th/beginning 17th century to hold and crossing tributaries to the main river below.