TGV Perpignan -> Barcelona SNCF (French Rail) and RENFE (Spanish rail) have reopened the super-speedy train travel between Perpignan and Barcelona for the summer season. Running through until September, passengers can now access the Catalan…

Free navettes will transport you from stations along the way to the ski resorts, reduced prices apply at the Hot baths of St Thomas (get off at Fontpedrouse) or at the ski stations of St Pierre de Forcats (off at Mont Louis) or Eyne ( off at Bolquere Eyne the highest station in France).

The events of the past few months, allied to the deep fall in the value of Sterling, means that everyone is looking to extract the best possible value from their travel budget. In fairness to the airlines, they are doing their bit by largely keeping most of the existing flights available, introducing new aircraft onto routes, and taking advantage of the continuing low fuel price by offering keener than ever fares.

I just love Argelès port. It has that certain ‘je ne sais quoi’, that special atmosphere that sets it aside from other ports. Sails moving gently in the breeze, sea air, totally pedestrian, (tho’ you may have to hop out of the way of a stray bicycle), people strolling along and chatting, or watching the world go by – a refreshing change to the manic pace of life.

Thank goodness for the internet, I thought. Hubby was going to the UK for a week, so that he could have his teeth fixed by a dentist he could actually communicate with. The strong-armed dentist in Barcelona had done a great job but he tended to say things in Spanish and all hubby could reply was ‘si’, so it wasn’t a good idea, on the whole.