2 Nights In Perpignan, France
I touched down in Paris three days ago to a semi-sunny scene. My dog was ecstatic to be out of the kennel he was in for 14 hours in the luggage compartment. We were greeted by my girlfriend and found our way to the AirBnb where I would sleep off the jet lag and recuperate.
Unfortunately, I did not get to see much of Paris other than the Arc de Triumph and the few notable attractions around that. In fact, the only reason I got to see that was because Cash had a vet appointment to get his EU Pet Passport nearby — he is now a legal French pup!
With a set schedule to get our rental car to the southern coast of France, we started the nine hour drive south after one sleep in Paris.
The drive down offered great scenes of farmland and ancient stone buildings. By the time we were in the scenic Pyrenees, it was too dark to see much. The next day, however, we awoke to the Mediterranean sea and the several mountain peaks lining the Spanish border. Cash had the time of his life sprinting up and down the windy beach we had all to ourselves.
The coastal neighborhood of Perpignan we are in is quiet this time of year. In fact, we could not find a restaurant that was open without going into the main part of the city.
Last night, we met up with some American family-friends and finally got to see downtown Perpignan.
Perpignan in December is bustling with people shopping, drinking, and taking in the beautiful sights. With Christmas lights strung between buildings and full-on Christmas bands playing in the square, there is much to see while walking the streets this time of year.
Basilique-Cathédrale de Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Perpignan
The first thing we saw was the massive Catholic cathedral towering over the rest of the downtown area. The outside was lit up with dancing snowflakes projected onto the face of the building. The inside was busy with tourists and offered dozens of massive murals, the graves of important Catholic leaders, and enough history to keep you reading for days.
The canal was lit with lights and Christmas trees lining the water and vendors offering hot wine. We sat just off of a food court drinking wine and eating frits (fries) while we talked with our friends about the many cultural differences they have noticed in their time living in Perpignan.
Perpignan is located in the Catalonian region that includes much of southern France and northern Spain. Once occupied by the Romans, you can view the Roman walls still standing today; some with apartments built on top of them.
After the wine we meandered our way back to the apartment through the beautiful narrow streets and alleys.
Our time was short in Perpignan and we will definitely be coming back the next time we get a chance. If you are thinking of visiting the southern coast of France, make sure this is one of the stops that you make. The endless beaches, ancient buildings, and amazing wine will keep you entertained any time of the year.
Today we will be taking the bus down to Barcelona, rent a car, and drive a few hours to Valencia. Stay tuned by subscribing to our adventure!
Also, check out my Econ blog, elcooperativo.org for macro-perspective current events and research.