Markets and Churches of Medieval Perpignan, France
France "sprung" ahead to daylight savings time early this morning and the Perpignan weatherman was correct. It looks a lot better than yesterday (no rain) but is still cool and windy. First stop always was Tourist Information at the Palais of Congres. Perperignan has two tourist offices and the big "I" should always be your first stop no matter where you travel for maps, brochures, bus and train schedules, what's going on in town, required information that will make your stay easier. And, there are usually clean toilets (always important) there or in the immediate vicinity.
Armed with these, we began following the tourist route in Perpignan's old center and got lost again, even with the large map in front of my eyes. The old quarter streets run on angles, peter out after a block, and go higgly-piggly in all directions. Walking, walking, and walking, the area began resembling an "arabian/moroccan/turkish" quarter with crowds of people carrying totes, food, schmoozing with friends while drinking coffee on the sidewalk and selling gyros. One more turn, and there was the Wednesday-Sunday Morning only, Place Cassanyes flea market.
Clothes, odds and ends for sale and my favorite, all varieties of food. Yummy rotisserie chickens turning slowly on spits with crusty skin, black olives, green olives, stuffed olives, little olives...View image, mussels fresh from the sea, 2.70 euros/kilo...huitres (oysters), fresh vegetables and fruits, huge pots of cooked paella, couscous, stews, pastries, halal food. Taste buds and salivary glands came alive just looking and smelling this fantastic array even though it was early morning and we had eaten a large breakfast. How could a person not become hungry when faced with all this food.
At least, I could now orient myself on the map and discovered the Best Western Park Hotel was only about four blocks away! We had obviously walked in circles. Close to the hotel, we walked back to use the bathrooms and take a short rest before going out again, determined to see the elusive Perpeginan sights. A three-hour guided walking tour through Perpignan's historic core and run by the Tourist Office (in season) would be perfect.
By following the directional signage and keeping a very close eye on the map, we found the Cathedral Saint-Jean-Baptiste (Saint John the Baptist), Place Gambetta built from 1324 onwards with its ornate and lacy, ironwork bell tower...View image. All the important monuments have directional signage on streets and plaques...View image... giving information about the site.
Behind Cathedral Saint-Jean-Baptiste is the Campo Santo cemetery, the only cloister-cemetary in France with one grave from 1307. It is made up of four galleries with long rows of white marble Gothic porticoes...View image, and we really enjoyed the quiet walk inside the cloister, trying to decipher ancient grave markers...View image.
Even faithfully planning out what to see and do on any given day in Europe, you'll inevitably discover something else of interest just walking around. Now, let's see if I can find the other ancient sights within what remained of the walls and ramparts of Perpignan. (We never did find the other important church, Eglise St. Jacques, built in the 14 century on top of the ramparts.)
Outside the medieval core was easy because Le Tet River ran on angles outside of it, with rows and rows of Plane Trees...View image, a pink flamingo advertising an upcoming event in Perpignan standing in Le Tet, and many dog-walkers....View image...(don't forget, watch for dog poop or risk stepping in it).
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