By Cathy H. Burroughs, International Travel Writer & Adventure Blogger, journeyPod.com
Françoise and Jean-Hubert Dubrulle: South of France’s Sainte-Marie-La-Mer – A First Time Home Exchange (www.homeexchange.com) to End all Home Exchanges (# 1341039)
Little did we know when we received Françoise and Jean-Hubert Dubrulle’s request for a home exchange (www.homeexchange.com), our life would be forever changed, catapulted onto a remarkable road towards a thrilling new adventure. This was to be our very first exchange and it was, as it turned out, a gift from the gods.
The actual two-level home, itself, was extremely charming and colorful with many traditional elements and much character. It had plenty of room, both back yard and bricked front yard seating, big comfortable beds, great bathrooms, cool authentic tile floors, dramatic curving wrought iron stair rail that led to a landing from which we could look down on the house, a handy washer and lovely kitchen. We enjoyed the whimsical bits: colorful sheets and kitchen supplies, unique tile and fetching wall paper. When we got tired out from all our outings we would enjoy a night watching French TV in the parlor.
To begin with our exchange home at 24 Rue des Fregates, just over the border of Barcelona, Spain, in southern France, was in St. Marie La Plage, also known as Sainte–Marie-La-Mer. Steps from the Mediterranean Sea, our 2 1/2 week home-away-from-home was in a freewheeling, soulful village nestled in the Pyrenees-Orientales department, not far from the epic mountains, in the Occitainie region, nearby, what-appeared-to-be an ancient town of the same name.
Location, location, location.
Basically, theirs was beyond exceptional, on so many levels! Just outside our door was a different (and free) oceanfront entertainment event (called animations) nearly nightly, such as a full Beatle’s cover band show; celebrity zumba (apparently nearly as huge in France as camping); a live jazz and singer trio; and a huge movie shown right on the beach. All this plus all the carnival, street fair and seafood restaurants one could ask for was found each evening on the village’s full-of-life boardwalk-like strip. There you’d see entire families from the oldest to the youngest enjoying the festivities til late into the night.
From the house, the beach is about a two minute walk and the village an easy five to ten minute stroll. Every morning we’d hit the boulangerie for our pan chocolate and fresh made bread. Across the street we’d head for our favorite fresh veg, fruit and olive tapenade open air market. It was a warm, friendly, easily-walkable and manageable town with almost all French holiday-makers and a few scattered Europeans. Mostly we were the only Americans and one of a very few handful of native English speakers.
Françoise and Jean-Hubert sent a list of day trips in advance. If you get the chance, take every one. We did. This Catalonian region, just over the Spanish border and intersected by the behemoth Pyrenees, is full of the most extraordinary beauty, history, culture, forts, castles, medieval towns, villages, food, architecture, colors and amazing people with such a sincere receptive spirit, great humor and intellect.
Finally, on our last day, we met the swashbuckling Jean-Hubert, a helicopter pilot and world traveler, who had provided his black Corolla Verso for the duration of our stay. This had allowed us to take road trips to the dazzling harbor town, fort and bell tower of Collioure (pictured at the top); the fetching Ceret, famed for its cherries and ancient ramparts; the bohemian Spanish city Figueres, home to Dali and his Versailles of a museum; and the part Moorish/ part Parisian city with a river right through it and some of the most remarkable street performances and architecture we’ve seen – Perpignan. This city with seeming uncontrollably manic drivers was once the capital of the Kingdom of Majorca and is known for its impact on the Catalonian culture. There we experienced some of the best pasta, literally made in a flambé cheese wheel, we’ve ever tasted at the five-star, unassumingly piquant street (alley, really) cafe La Sous-Prefete.
We also followed the maze-like coastal road to the all white Spanish city of Costa Brava’s Cadeques (reached after four attempts); the upwards mountainous castle of Castlenou; the Fort Salses we found one searingly hot day; the breath-taking preserved hill village and fortress that dates from 1098 of Villefranche -de-Conflent; Andorra, between France and Spain for duty-free everything; and the village and luxurious seaside town of Canet where we took the Petit Train. One word about the petit trains you’ll find all over Europe: Take them! Every chance you get. They are a lively and super cheap was to see the lay-of-the-land!
St. Marie La Plage (not to be confused with another beach town of the same name closer to Provence) and its surrounding region offers up some of the most exceptionally beautiful landscapes, mountains, seaside towns, villages, coast, forts, castles, guardrail-less drop offs on its narrow mountainous passes and heart-in-your-throat roundabouts. Much of this, together with the South of France’s heightened preternatural light and color palette, has inspired some of France’s, and the world’s, greatest artists and is one of the South of France’s greatest bequeathals to the world.
Cathy H. Burroughs is an international travel writer/ adventure blogger and passionate home exchanger. Her colorful lakefront artist house is listed along with 400,000 worldwide on www.homeexchange.com.
