Four villages – Ceret, Collioure, Pezena and Besalu

We visited four small towns during our stay in Ille-sur-Tet: Ceret, Collioure, Pezena and Besalu. The coordinates are for the main square of each place.

Ville de Ceret  (N 42°29´086, E 002°44´868)

It was the weekly market day when we visited Ceret, and there were many people around the village square.

Cafés near the market street.

A main market street

Fresh dry sausage

Chanterelles

Figs

Hand painted metal bowls

Utensils made from olive wood

One of many narrow, old streets in the village.

The flag for independent Catalonia.

Many walls had been decorated with ceramic tiles like this.

There were many knockers like this on the right door.

Ville de Collioure  (N 42°31´610, E 003°05´075)

Collioure is known for the famous artists who lived here, colorful buildings, and a large castle on the water.

Craft shops

The gate to the beach

The beach

Collioure castle

Art by the beach

A shop that specialized in tinned food, just a few tins of sardines.

Inside a church by the beach.

The pavement outside the church.

Pezena (N 43°27´587, E 003°25´377)

Village de Pezena is famous for its bi-annual antiques market on the main streets in the centre of town. It looked like blocks
of junk, but we saw people walking away with pieces of furniture and bags of purchases. There is treasure if one has a good eye.

There is music along the road. The man on the left plays an accordion.

A modern organ grinder with perforated paper rolls and a man playing a saw.

One might find a replacement for a broken piece in a service, a fitting or supplies for old crafts.

The rubber stamps on rolls allow you to make your own patterns on furniture or walls.

One stall had art and objects from African.

Teaspoons made of sea shells and mother of pearl.

An old door knocker with an asking price of Euro 40:-

Children gilding and selling seashells outside their father’s shop.

The city square leads into an old part of the city with many narrow streets.

There are very good street signs.

One part of the town has buildings from 14th century when there was a ghetto.

The door on the left was just a bit more than a meter tall!

Gothic styled doorways

Only a small car can get in.

One of many lovely shops. This one specialized in regional sweets.

This shop had gourmet food in jars: olive mixes, dried tomatoes, herbs. Perfect gifts for tourists to take home.

The church in Pezena

The church

The white dog on the right lay still for a very long time, and refused to move as long as the other dog was around.

Ville de Besalu  (N 42°11´893, E 002°41´909)

Besalu is considered the prettiest medieval village in Catalonia. Its history goes back to the 8th century.

The walk between the town walls.

There are many signs with information about the history of the place.

Romanesque fortified bridge from the 12th century.

Steps like these make it easier to walk between parts of the old town.

The Catalonia independence flag.

To the right, the remains of the old synagogue with the ritual bath in the basement. One can only go in with a guided tour.

View from the bridge

Note the tall chair. Could it have a function?

Metal work for tourists with the same motifs found in Barcelona.

Note the sign in Russian on the left. Russians are a new target group, and there are real estate signs in Russian all along the coast from Barcelona.

Children love to play the music boxes, and no one stops them.

The miniatures museum by the main square.