No one expects the Medieval Inquisition! The Cathars (believed to be derived from the Greek katharos, meaning perfect) were a breakaway religious sect, who spread their doctrine throughout the region in the eleventh century,…
Natural History Museum, Perpignan In 1770 the University of Perpignan set up a natural history cabinet, for teaching purposes. The collections were partly preserved and in 1840 became the Municipal Museum The collection was…
And they bite! Commonly known as millipedes, ‘scolopendres’ are unpleasant little beasties to all but the ardent entomologist, made up of several segments, with twenty-one pairs of feet, four pairs of eyes,…
Many people of ‘a certain age’ will remember all the fuss about the banning of Serge Gainsborough’s ‘Je t’aime (moi non plus)’, which only served to make it so much more popular.
St.George’s Church, Vernet-Les-Bains In 2008 we handed St.George’s church building over to the commune of Vernet-les-Bains with the agreement that they would refurbish it making it fit to use as a cultural centre for the…
Taxis in France – things you might need to know Taking a taxi in France is rarely just a matter of stepping out into the road and putting your hand out! In the provinces, taxis…
Climate in the Pyrénées-Orientales The weather in the Pyrénées-Orientales is one of the main attractions for tourists, as well as one of the reasons that a lot of us moved here, along with the incredibly…
Castells and castellers Castellers originated at the end of the 18th century in Valls, Tarragona, when rival groups of people called “colles”, began to compete in constructing human towers. Those who…
Perpignan to London by Coach? – you MUST be Mad! Summer 2008 Looking for alternative transport to the UK? Polly Cannie took the coach from Perpignan to London a couple of years ago. Here…