In 1860 Abbé Rous, the new Curé at the Chapelle de la Rectorie, first tasted the naturally sweet wine of Banyuls and found it so good that he decided, through his network of Catholic contacts, to make it the communion wine of France.

Roadside rubbish

There are 2200km of departmental roads in the P-O and 62.5 tonnes of rubbish were removed from them in 2015.

Roadside rubbish

There are 2200km of departmental roads in the P-O and 62.5 tonnes of rubbish were removed from them in 2015.

Zooming round the winding roads along the coast towards Banyuls-sur-mer, we pass the vines, hundreds of them, all looking rather forlorn and bare. « This is the nicest part of the life-cycle of the vine, » said my husband, « the time when you drink the wine . » There’s always something good to say about life in the P.O.!

Olive and olive oil based products…….picking and tasting, visit to an olive oil factory, oil pressing, olive oil based lunch and dinner in many of the restaurants, local produce…( foie gras, safran, miel, confitures, fromages, vins……)