Plein Sud: The South of France: A Year of Visual Visits to Roussillon

By Salley J Robins

Bonjour Cher Ami! (Hello, Dear Friend!) The door's open, come on into the South of France... You will find yourself going “Plein Sud”! (That is to say, due South.) This book is your virtual sunshine on a rainy day, and if the weather is fine then here is the sparkle! You are the main character in our story and we are always happy to welcome you to the ancient kingdom of Roussillon, known in modern times as department 66, the Pyrénées Orientales. Filled with rich visual descriptions of your visits to our small village, it is meant to make you smile. For extra zing there are photos to brighten our adventures together and, even in black and white, you will be transported to another world. "C'est belle la vie" (Life is beautiful) when you join us here in the South of France!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Salley J Robins
• Release date: Sep 12, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310854668

Salley J Robins

A writer who loves bringing readers into her world. A storyteller, poet, and amateur photographer, Salley writes with passion. She adores travel and sharing the good things in life. Currently based in the South of France, her unique voice speaks with enthusiasm about the culture, history, and people of the region.To preview that Taste of France you will find a blog and a few stories on her website. However, she also enjoys writing in a variety of styles which include YA sci-fi, adult fantasy and surprisingly - an adult steamy novel - Never Say Kiss me to a Frenchman! under the pen name of Lascivia Bené!Her eBooks-only "South of France" books are visual visits designed to welcome readers right into her sunny village on the Côte Vermeille. A historical-fiction-fantasy book about life with the California Indians in Yosemite delights readers of all ages. For the ten-to-twenty group as well as the young-at-heart, she delighted in creating a trilogy of sci-fi adventures set on Mars. Arthurian Legends of Avalon inspired her two Adult Fantasy/Sci-Fi novels.As she edits her 11th novel, she draws on the experience of nineteen years of life in France to solve a mystery and warn her readers that one must "Never Say Paint me to a Frenchman!"

Book preview

Plein Sud – The South of France

A Year of Visual Visits to Roussillon

By Salley J Robins

Copyright © 2014 All Rights Reserved

Smashwords Edition

To celebrate his birthday, the first edition of this eBook is dedicated to a real world-class traveler - my dad!

Table of Contents

Avant-Mots (Preface)

December - A City Christmas in the South of France

January - Let Us Eat Cake!

February – Le Canigou

March – A Visit to Argèles-sur-mer

April – St Jordi, the Dragon, and the Rose

May – Your Good Luck is Here

June – Set the Night on Fire

July - Le Tour de France - On Your Bike, Jacques!

August – From Sandy Beaches to La Côte Vermeille

September - La Vendange

October - Time to Taste the New Wine

November - A Saturday Market Morning at Céret

December - Christmas in the Village

Après - mots (After-words)

Avant-Mots (Preface)

It’s time for you to drop everything and join us in the south of France. You’ll find this haven near the Spanish border along the shimmering edge of the Mediterranean Sea. My husband and I will be happy to greet you! Go south from Paris almost 500 miles. Then follow the setting sun along the coastal roads from Provence. Here, are the picturesque fishing villages that Matisse adored. The special quality of light here turns the Pyrénées Mountains into a misty dream across the horizon. This is it - "Plein Sud (literally, full south but lyrically it means due south or to have a southern exposure"). Come into our world now and breathe deeply. Your spirit will be recharged in the blink of an eye. This is your secret French getaway in the Pyrénées-Orientales, the modern day department that was once the ancient kingdom of Roussillon and where you will find a warm Catalan welcome every time you visit.

These articles were adapted and rewritten from the monthly postings originally published on the internet under the pen name of R. Salley. All photos were taken by the author or her husband.

(Return to Table of Contents)

December - A City Christmas in the South of France

It’s December and still the weather is mild and sunny. The holidays have touched everything with a hint of magic. So it seems the perfect day for our travels together to begin. There is history, beauty, and fun to be shared. So now, jump into our world through the magic of words and perhaps just a dash of imagination…Breathe deep and count... un…deux… trois! – You Are Here…

Bonjour, our dear friend, the Stationary Traveler! Having you here with us in the South of France for the Christmas Holidays is Très Bien! Your company is a present for us and today we’ll see how they celebrate the holidays in the big city! Well, actually, it’s a very small city but it’s the biggest one in our department of the Pyrénées Orientales. What am I talking about? Oh, what I’m trying to say is this: we’re taking you to the Christmas Market in Perpignan. Bring your camera, because the city will be decked out for the holidays. Even the drive there is worth a photo or two. The car is waiting, "Allons-y!" (Let’s go!)

It’s a beautiful day as we drive out of the village on a small lane and your eyes are filled with a vista of the Roussillon Plane with its golden miles of vineyards and rows of poplar trees. Farther down the road, the scene becomes a classic French country road. The plane trees frame the route like sculptures whose bare branches with bark of mottled smoky gray and pale ash create interesting patterns against the Wedgewood blue of a cloudless sky.

Soon the fields give way to the outskirts of Perpignan. A few blocks later, we are in the heart of the city where the streets look much like Marseilles or Nice but in miniature. The buildings are just as grand, but are on a scale that feels intimate.

It doesn’t take long for us to park in the multi-story subterranean garage and take the elevator. The doors open and we come out into the large, open Place de la République, a square surrounded by colorful apartments and the Opera Theatre.

On the ground floors of most of the apartments stand shops or cafes that are bright with lights and Christmas decorations. A few balconies have been festooned with tinsel and small boxes decorated to look like presents. They move in the light breeze and sparkle in the bright morning sunshine.

You and I find a seat in the sun while my husband buys the newspaper from the nearby Tabac. This is the Café Le Petit Mocha. Its placement near the fountain gives it a certain animation and that merry go round is a year-round feature. We sip our warm drinks and