Ceret, France

Visiting a Small Town in the Pyrénées Mountains

The street above and the front door below were my home for a week. I attended a writing conference, wanting something different other than a lecture in a major hotel brand’s conference room attended by two hundred people.

I received more than I expected. You can find additional information here if you are interested in a small intensive writing week. They have been holding weeks of training in France and England for years and, for the first time this week, in Italy.

Céret, France, is at the base of the Pyrénées mountains. It has traditionally been a home for artists, particularly painters and poets. Pablo Picasso lived here in the early 1900s, and other artists soon followed. I knew nothing about its history before I came. All I knew was that the small group that gathered to write would be in a small town in southern France close to Barcelona.

Being a small town, it was tranquil. I am sure that when dance festivals and the bulls are running (!), the town is chaotic, but for this particular week in September, it was peaceful. There is very little car traffic and a reasonable amount of tourist and visitor traffic. Cudos to the town—it requires vehicles to park in lots away from the pedestrians and not along the streets.

It was perfect weather to have coffee on the terrace.

Below is one of the main streets running through the old town section. It was empty like this most of the week. On Saturday, however, it holds a busy popular market. I was there for two market days, and from seven in the morning to about noon, this street is packed with vendors. (See the post next week on the market.)

Most houses in this section of town are similar in architecture. I took a long walk one day to the newer sections of town, and they look as you would expect, with new apartment complexes and more modern houses with little charm.

On our first night, we had dinner and excellent food in this charming restaurant (below). I had booked one day early and stayed in a bed and breakfast named Poppys, which the writing group’s organizers recommended. It is in an old double mansion in the heart of the old town. The owners are British and were very helpful. Their website, which is linked above, has more photos of this part of Céret.

If you visit Céret, you do not need a car unless you intend to visit other areas of the Catalan region. Everything you need is within walking distance, right in the old section, and there are many short-term rental apartments available. We found several grocery stores, pharmacies, charcuteries, boulangeries, a patisserie, an organic market, several wine stores, and quite a few boutiques for shopping. Many stores may only be open closer to the weekend during the off-season.

Plenty of restaurants are tucked away in the narrow streets, and every dining experience was pleasant. I’ve had unpleasant experiences in France, but not here. They are happy for the tourists and go out of their way to make you feel comfortable in their small town. It’s worth a visit.

When you pack to travel, keep the photo below in mind. I lived for a week on the third floor, and my suitcases had to be hauled up three flights of stairs and back down again. As you can see, none of the steps are uniform. Meeting “code” in these old houses is non-existent.

Yes, the lemon tart was as good as it looked. The proprietor made a serious point of correcting my butchered French and seemed to be insulted by anything I did. Used to the pleasantness of Turks, I had to remind myself that not every country is the same. And as travelers, we appreciate that, don’t we?

Our house was filled with odd little rooms with lovely old stonework. Because the house appeared to be built in sections, there was little airflow, and we appreciated having air conditioning, something I guess Airbnb visitors expect today.

The kitchen opened onto a delightful terrace that overlooked a pool and garden. I sat there one afternoon for a few hours and took a break to read a book. It was peaceful, even with so many houses and people surrounding the gardens, which all backed up to each other.

Listen to the church bells as I wander. I use color as landmarks, and this blue door was a perfect one.

Take a few days and plan your private retreat to Céret. It will be worth it.