France - for the afternoon

The entrance to the walled town of Saint Louis

Felix and Nuria invited us on a trip to France for the afternoon. It sounds hugely exciting but the reality is... France is only a few kilometres away. From Alp, you look across the valley and the mountain facing you is in France. It feels strange to be so close to another country. We set off for the town of Puigcerda which is the border town. To be honest, it is a town which is divided into two. One side of the town is French and the other is Spanish. It's almost like “Get your passport, we are crossing the road”. But passports are no longer required. You can cross from one country to another effortlessly as the border controls are no longer in place. Apparently spot checks are sometimes done though.

Main street in Saint Louis

Once you cross over into France there is a distinct Frenchness in the air. The road signs all change to French. The French Pyrenees are typically French, with wooden chalets on the hillsides and French townhouses in the villages. The French language is spoken everywhere and the general feel of being in France pervades the atmosphere. I like France so it is a likeable feeling for me. The French have a certain “je ne sais quoi” about them which I do not find offensive. The French are proud and a little arrogant but they have an amazing country so they have reason to act like they do.

Mountain scenery from town

We stopped to visit an old town called Saint Louis, in France. It is located in the mountains and boasts splendid views of the area around it. The town itself is quite an antique. It is completely walled in by high stone walls and was built in the days when the Pyrenees was plagued with wars and confrontations. Even today, the French and the Spanish are at war – well, not exactly at war but apparently the two nations dislike one another.

Une Citroen - tres ancien (very ancient)

Synonymous with French and Swiss cities, there were drinking fountains around the town for visitors to taste some pure mountain water. The French flag was visible in several places in the town. The streets in the town were picturesque, with their interesting shop names, colourful awnings and all sorts of displays outside the shopfronts. Viva La France!  

The walls around St Louis