Winter decided it wasn't quite ready to depart just yet, and today was very wintry! It started off wet, and pretty much stayed that way. The SW didn't want to go for a run, as it was so wet, but did get a 15-minute leg-stretch before breakfast and between showers!
{Antique-looking tractor in the barn at Mas Alart. The Swan Whisperer was fascinated!)
We are a day ahead of ourselves, and spent a long time this morning trying to work out where we would like to spend the night before heading up to La Cavallerie tomorrow and getting back on track. Eventually we gave up, and went into the shop to say goodbye to Madame, who was on duty. She showed us the relief map of the area which we hadn't really seen before, and pointed out that their particular area of France - they are between Perpignan and the coast - was once an independent Catalonia, but was divided between France and Spain in the 17th century. I hadn't realised it came so far north! The French Catalans, if Madame is typical, are proud of being Catalan, but quite happy to belong to France as well, unlike their Spanish cohorts, who would really rather be independent.
(Vines and olive tree at Mas Alart)
Anyway, once we had made our farewells, we headed off to the local Lidl, where I did a shopping (we always go to that Lidl when we go to Mas Alart, it's one of our things!) while the SW had coffee, and when I came out, he said he had asked the Satnav to take us to the coast where we could park up, have lunch and make a final decision. I was not very impressed by the sight of the Mediterranean today - all grey and very rough!
We ummed and aahed - lots of places we would have liked to have gone, but this one was too expensive, especially as it didn't offer electricity; that one was much too expensive in the off-season; the other one was either full or closed.... Finally we settled on Bellegarde, where we have been before - the aire is beside the river port, and really rather pleasant, although nowhere to go for a walk without having to come back on yourself.
We arrived about 17:30, and had a cup of tea, and then the SW went for a walk and I did a tai chi practice (my usual habit if I haven't had enough exercise), and then I made a butternut squash and mushroom risotto for supper, and very good it was, too!
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