Around and About with Tony Goodman
Heritage weekend
We love the idea of exploring nooks and crannies of public spaces, so loved the Journées européennes du patrimoine. We took advantage of what proved to be the last mild summer evening and took a post prandial stroll up to the Palais des Rois de Majorque. Not having visited for too long, the results of the ongoing refurbishment program were self evident.
Sitting majestically above the city it really is a magical place. Most of the rooms were open for inspection. Plenty of maps, staff and multimedia displays. A special treat was the exhibition on garnets, the regions signature gemstone. Speaking to an attendant it was gratifying to hear there are intentions to use the refreshed palace for concerts and exhibitions when circumstances allow.
Car is back in service
On the only day it has rained in three months, I received a call to immediately bring the car in to have its windscreen wipers repaired. While the day ended in success, it was slightly frustrating waiting for a break in rain squalls to risk the short but busy drive to the garage to have the new wiper motor installed so I could drive in the rain.
Apéro
Its become traditional that after my wine reviews have been submitted, we hold a quiet soirée on the terrace with the immediate neighbours to showcase what I’ve found. This time we explored different white wines with various amounts of oak,. The wines ranged from a clean pale green unwooded chardonnay, a lightly oaked Côte de Rousillion to an aged butter and smoke Australian chardonnay which has sat in the rack for at least four years. An interesting exercise, provided great talking points, well worth trying the next time you have the neighbours in.
Sacred Music Festival update
We’ve been advised we can now go to Perpignan’s Tourist Office to secure replacement tickets for the concerts were had booked pre CV-19. The new seating arrangements apparently will see an empty seat between groups and couples, masks and gel of course. Now all we need to do is find the time. More info here.
Balade en terre d’artiste
Last weekend, local artists open their workshop doors and invited the public in as part of the drive by local municipalities and the Départment to promote the region as a creative arts destination. While most visitors know the region’s mountains and beaches, fewer realise it is home to some extraordinary artists and painters; Picasso and Dali are just two names who lived and plied their trade here.
With the cold mountain air whistling around our ears, we spent a very pleasant hour with Jean-Paul Furrasola in his Peyrestortes workshop. He’s one of our favourite ceramists whom we discovered some two years ago at an exposition at La Maison de la Catalanité. A great opera lover, his work is rich in colour and content without going overboard. The local love of strong wild colours can be overwhelming at times.
Unable to get around to all the workshops, we have lined up private mornings in the weeks ahead at other workshops including Australia painter, Lou, whose work reflects native Aboriginal art.
Seabed clean-up
We are still swimming. While we need to time our visits for when the warm water, which sits quite close off the beach, is pushed in, it’s quite pleasant having an entire beach almost for our exclusive use. Towards the end of my laps, I try to retrieve at least one piece of trash from the seabed. Plastic bags, fishing gear, T-shirts and recently there has been a trend in left foot sandshoes. This week, some distance out, I retrieved an almost pristine New York Yankees cap which was very timely as my USAP cap is getting a little shabby.
Now if I could only find a right foot size 9 sandshoe and a pair of shorts I’d have next year’s summer wardrobe sorted.
