How We Spent A week In Prades

That must be the most unimaginative title so far!

Day 1: (After arrival) Thurs. 25th: Usual first day after travelling sort of thing; up latish, put the awning up, unpack stuff … Then we decided, mid-afternoon, to walk up (and it IS UP ! ) into the town, maybe find a shop and perhaps an Estate Agent. This MIGHT turn out to be a life-changing walk – but probably not! We found an ‘Immobilier’ (Estate Agent) and looked in the window. A villa with almost everything going for it, for less than the price of Garth View, caught my eye. In a village we’d not heard of or seen so far. I drew Carol’s attention to it. ‘How does that grab you?’ ‘Fine – where’s Sournia?’ ‘No idea, let’s find out.’ We went in and met a nice young lady called Laura. ‘C’est où, Sournia?’ About half an hour from Ille Sur Tet. (What we didn’t quite realise is that that was half an hour, by car, UPHILL just about all the way! The agency had two properties in Sournia, both attractive and within our budget. We agreed to meet Laura on Monday and go to see them (still not quite realising the implications!)

Then to find the shop. We were stood in the street, it was getting dark, we were studying the town plan. A nice lady stopped and said ‘Vous cherchez quelque chose?’ A supermarket – we think the big one is a bit far to walk ‘You can if you like walking’. What about the Spar? Ah, it’s not far – You go, no, I’ll go with you, I wasn’t going there, but I need one or two things, so I’ll go there.’ What can you say, except ‘Merci!’? After shopping, we got a bit lost on some dark steps trying to get back to the campsite, but not for long – we knew we had to go DOWN – we just had to find the steps which didn’t lead to a dead end or private property.

Day 2: Fri. 26th: Very cold start, but gorgeous sun-up. Drove to Perpignan to meet an English Estate Agent, specialising in finding places for Brits. Satnav got us lost due to lack of awareness of one-way streets, but we got there by phoning and being talked in. An interesting chat, but nothing specific. We drove to Canet-Plage for old time’s sake (where we stayed last year) and picnicked on the sea front.

We’d been picking up brochures outside agencies, collections of adverts from tens of firms. We spotted a property up the valley of the Agly and thought it might be a nice drive to go and see the town and perhaps call on the agent. It was a nice drive, and we did see the agent. The property seemed very promising, then he told us why it seemed to be so underpriced – it was; the lady owner has become ill and needs to move closer to family very soon. Price dropped for quick sale. No money in the bank, no point in visiting! We decided to drive back to Prades over the hills via Sournia. It was late afternoon, we saw the road UP, but not the road DOWN. The climb was narrow and winding. We didn’t see much of Sournia. The descent in the dark seemed long – and winding.

Days 3 & 4: ‘On Saturday and Sunday, they do no work ay all….’ So on Saturday we stayed ‘at home’ and Carol did the washing, on Sunday we drove over to Amélie-Les-Bains, a spa town in the valley of the Tech. An exciting drive up the River Boulès (and down the other side) and a very nice town when we got there. Then we went down the valley and eventually found a house that the English agent had suggested we should look at from outside. …. Definitely NOT what we’re looking for!

Day 5: Mon. 29th: Perpignan again and another agent, another nice young lady, this one called Valérie, representing an agency called ‘Beautiful South’. Arranged to view two properties on Tuesday. Then to our meeting in Ille Sur Tet with Laura. Well, Laura has ‘La Grippe’ (flu), but at the agreed meeting place ANOTHER nice young lady, called Cécile, was waiting for us to replace her colleague and suggested we should follow her to Sournia. It was just over half an hour, as Laura had said ….. but it was like half and hour up Dunmail Raise, with bends, some of them hairpins, but the road was wide, the gradients not severe, and there was nothing that Harry wouldn’t manage, even towing. Sournia is a little village, a bit like Alston for those who know what I mean, only higher. Shops, school, chemist and doctor are all there. So to the house, the villa. (We don’t know why, but neither of us took photos! House-snapping fatigue? This was house no. 18!) But WOW! This one had it ALL, even space for a pool if we (someone) wanted to put one in. Views over the hills, day-long sunshine, manageable bits of garden, superb rooms …. part way round Carol said ‘I want it’. OK, it’s rather more remote than we had thought we’d go – but then, only an hour from Perpignan airport. Anyway, let’s calm down; the probability is that before we’re in a position to make an offer, it will have gone. The second house, older, and nearer the village centre was very nice, too. ‘Charming’ was the word we used.

We drove back to Prades by continuing to climb – eventually to 991m (Scafell Pike 978), where snow was lying close to the road,

then down another bendy, winding descent into the valley of the Tet. On the way down, and from the moving car, Carol took perhaps our best view of Canigou so far:

Day 6: Tues. 30th: It rained for most of the night and continued to do so through the day till about 4pm, when the skies cleared and we had an hour of sunshine. Up early to meet Valérie and see a house in Vinça, just down the road. Village Centre, and a CAVERNOUS garage, big enough for Harry and at least two cars. A surprisingly private garden. Currently owned by a Scottish couple. Worth considering, but a bit over budget. Then a drive to another town for a ‘definitely not’ viewing.

So here we are; lots to think about, and a wet tent to  pack up! We’ve decided to stay one more day, then start the long trek north. We’ve contacted an Esperantist near Poitiers, member of Pasporta Servo. ( look at http://www.tejo.org/eo/ps_lingv_en if that doesn’t mean anything to you) so we have somewhere to stay while Harry is being repaired.