2017-10-01 Perpignan, France to Hotel Carlemany, Girona, Spain
This morning we checked out of the NYX Hotel….left the car in their car park and set off on foot to explore the sights of Perpignan before leaving townWe come across the peaceful Place de la République…….apparently on Saturdays it is a very busy market area……..a day to late!!!A couple of store holders today have fresh fruit and vegetables for sale in the squareNearby is a shop where you can choose from a huge range of fabulous French cheeses and condimentsPoultry also is available nearby…..heads an all!!
Cathedrale St-Jean is one of the main attractions in the townThe magnificent interior of the Cathedral
We head towards the Castillet which was nearbyThe Castillet is a gateway tower and was built in 1368 by John of Aragon and now houses the Casa Pairal museum of local history & cultureA popular shopping street of PerpignanOne of River Tetes tributaries, the canal like River Basse, runs through the city center of PerpignanOn the way to the Palace we pass the old 14th Century Carmelite ChurchNext we visit Le Palais des Rois de Majorque
The construction of the palace was first started by the first King of Mallorca in 1274 and completed at the collapse of the Kingdom in 1344We take the stairs up to the roof top to see the amazing views over the townLooking towards the mountains…..and cemetery
Looking down to the great courtyard, the chapel and deep loggias on either sideThe magnificent entrance to the chapelLeaving Perpignan we head west on highway N116 looking towards the Pyrenees MountainsWe decide to go and see the amazing Orgues of Ille-sur-Tet before leaving FranceAfter arriving in the car park, paying the entrance fees and walking 2 km on a path through bush land we are confronted by this amazing natural siteMillions of years of erosion have caused these unusual shapesThe orgues or organs in English, do remind one of organ pipes!!!!
Once we departed the amazing orgues we drove to the nearby town of Ille-sur-TeteIlle-sur-Tete is a commune near the Tete River with a steady population of about 6000 inhabitants who are called IlloisSt Etienne Church towers over the narrow streets of the townIt is time for us to keep driving, as we plan to have a few nights in the Spanish town of GironaHow can we leave France without a coffee and a French tart…or two!!
With 115 kms to drive to Girona we head south towards the Spanish borderAfter 1.25 hrs of travelling we arrive in the north eastern Catalonian city of Girona in SpainAs we drove through the city there were thousands of people in the streets as today there was a Catalonian independence referendum held in SpainOn our way to Girona we made a booking for 3 nights at the Hotel CarlemanyOnce freshened up we head off to go to the restaurant we had booked for dinner
The massive Girona Cathedral close to the restaurant we had bookedWe arrive at Mimolet at 8.45 pmMost patrons arrive for dinner around 9.30 pm so we were early tonight!!A delightful refreshing drink arrives for us when we were seatedWe decide to have the chefs choice small tapas menu to share
Lots of amazing beautifully presented and tasting small courses……..we give Mimolet 5 out of 5!!!! River Onyar is like a mirror this evening…….quite stunningWhat a lovely city at night….It has been a long day……………I think we will enjoy Girona
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