Notes from the host
Ground Floor Apartment Arago
This lovely apartment is situated in a wide-built 19th C maison de maitre (lawyer's house) shaded by towering plane trees within the heart of this sunny southern town with its narrow lanes and pretty squares. Great care has been given to make sure that it is well furnished and equipped, comfortable and attractive.
Although so central, the house is situated in a quiet area only a few moments away from good bakeries, small shops, cafes, restaurants and bars. Saturday mornings sees the bustle of the colourful local market in the streets around. Stunning country walks just a couple of minutes away.
CERET DIARY : Musee d art moderne permanant collection plus special exhibitions * Every Saturday morning local market in centre of town * end June to end August Tuesday evening market * Cherry Festival 1st weekend June * Dog Show * Music Festival * Ceret de Toros Feria (one big party with fireworks, lots of music, bull fights and running of bulls through streets - fun, but noisy!) weekend nearest 14 July * End July Festival de Sardanes (wonderful local dancing contest) * July and August music in Catalonia Festival * July & August: most Wednesday evenings locals really do dance the Sardane in the streets * Town picnics up high on the hill at Fontfrede * La Ronde Ceret (Ceret fun-run and half marathon with many serious runners alongside locals) mid-September. Local autumn classical music festival.
BEACHES AND OUR WONDERFUL LOCAL LAKE: A few minutes by car at St Jean-Pla-de-Corts are 2 small lakes - one for swimming and the other for water-skiing. There's a great little summer restaurant but it's also a favourite with locals just for a picnic and swim or for families who might enjoy the amazing tree walks and zip wires. About 30-40 minutes drive to the coast and a good choice of attractive small towns: Collieure, Porte-Vendres and Banyuls which have good sandy beaches nearby and lots of nice restaurants.
LOCALLY IN FRANCE: Up the Tech valley from Ceret, with our local mountain Canigou dominating the area, is the spa town of Amelie-les-Bains with the charming village of Arles-sur-Tech and it's Benedictine abbey a little further. The road then leads on to the small fortified town of Prats-de-Mollo with Fort Lagarde above it (reached by a tunnel, built to move troops secretely - or a path if preferred). You can then drive over the Spanish border to the market town of Campredon. Or you can bear off this road that runs by the Tech to various charming villages with winding mountain roads - or visit St Laurent de Cerdans to see the small local factories making canvas fabric or espadrilles - if you do, then drive a little further to Tapis (just over the border) for a rustic lunch with a magnificent view.
A short spin along the motorway and you have access to the Tet valley and many wonderful small villages (the other side of Le Canigou) and the Yellow Train up into the Pyrenees from the fortified town of Villefranche-de-Conflent. A little further along the motorway, the attractive small towns of Narbonne or Bezier are both worth a trip. You might like to consider a visit to the Cathar castles of Queribus and Peyrepertuse - not least to marvel as to how hard it must have been to construct these huge eyries perched so high. But don't forget to visit Perpignan (about 30 mins from Ceret) which is a charming and attractive midi town with it's enormous winter Palace of the Kings of Majorca.
SPAIN: The Spanish border is about 15 minutes motorway drive from Ceret, and just over it lies the border town of La Jonquera - the spot where truck drivers stop to have amazing lunches for next to nothing (and it's the place to stock up on food at Spanish prices!). Between the border and Barcelona (about 2 hours away) stretches the Costa Brava, with many charming small bays, as well as the larger well known (and less attractive!) resorts. Particularly of note is Dali's home in the fishing village of Cadeques and the Greek and Roman archaeological sites at Empuries with its charming three little beaches. Inland, Girona is a lovely town with a beautiful old quarter and good shopping. Not far from there is Besalu: a stunning medieval jewel of a town with an amazing bridge spanning a ravine. Figueres has the fantastic Dali museum. And so many other wonderful small villages, small towns and beaches with some great restaurants.
Walking: Wonderful walks all year round - plus organised guided walks with an informative local guide will take you to places you may never get to on your own - into the mountains, by the sea or over the border into Spain. Some are half-day, and are graded from easy to sportif. The weather is usually fabulous for walking through autumn, winter and spring, and, in summer, the heat is avoided by walking high in the mountains. The local tourist offers offers a good selection of self-guided walk plans.
