Labels

Friday, November 25, 2011

Saint-Martin-du-Canigou


Our last destination together was in the Pyrénées. For as long as I can remember it has been a dream of mine to go see the Saint-Martin-du-Canigou abbey located in the Pyrénées Mountains. When I was a little girl my grandmother had a poster of this abbey and I would stand on the staircase looking at it, imaging what it would be like to walk through its cloisters, gardens, and arcaded terrace.

Not to be overtly sentimental but it was a dream come true and a wonderful thanksgiving weekend. We stayed in our own little getaway, high in a ‘mountain’ of sorts, complete with hot tub and BBQ.  

After settling in at our Gite, the next morning we drove to the base of the Canigou Mountain to make the hike up to the abbey and tour inside its walls. 

































That afternoon we also went to the belle Villefranche. Once inside the city walls we were surrounded by stores selling artisanal handcrafted witch ornaments. We discovered the legend of the Villefranche’s witches who would spend the winters in the Grotto caves heated by hot springs. With arrival of spring the villagers would make offerings and celebrate with the witches. Thus the witch in Villefranche is a symbol of goodwill and happiness.




The next day we went to the small seaside town of Collioure to see the Mediterranean one last time. 

 
















It was a wonderful end to a wonderful holiday. Gen and Andrew continued their travels before coming back to Arras for one last good-bye. 

Tu me manques beaucoup!!

1 comment:

  1. Ahhh, it looks like you had a great time. I think a visit to the Pyrenees might be in the cards.

    ReplyDelete