Off-season visitors enjoy the sun on terraces fronting one of the four beaches in the ancient Catalan fishing village of Collioure. The medieval village of Colliore sits on a blue bay on the coastal road leading from Perpignan to Spain. The village of Castelnou, 30 minutes southwest of Perpignan by car in the foothills of the Pyrenees, surrounds the ruins of its 13th-century fortress. The narrow lanes of old town Collioure are lined with restored townhouses in bright pastels.
The town is south of Perpignan on the coastal road to Spain. A stroll from the numerous sidewalk cafes of the old town of Perpignan to the banks of the Basse River promenade takes the visitor through the archway of Le Castillet, the symbol of Perpignan and only remaining gate through the original medieval city wall.
I own a house in Florida near the beach, but the idea of fading in among blue-haired neighbors and driving across town in search of blue-plate specials makes me, well, blue. I want the fabulous food and wine, excellent public transportation and romantic bits of history Europe has to offer.
My future lies hidden among one of these rocky European shores. I just have to decide which one. And so I am on a mission to sample them, one by one, one month at a time. I signed up for French classes. And as a bonus, I registered for an online dating site.
So off I went. I loved the little coastal communities near the Spanish border with their wide, sandy beaches between rocky promontories. I loved the acres of vineyards nestled among tiny medieval hill towns, and the castle ruins on remote cliffs. I loved the proximity of Spain with its relatively inexpensive gasoline and alcohol, and its fabulous olives, chocolate and gazpacho. I loved the craggy Pyrenees dotted with ski resorts, charming villages and hidden monasteries.
