Brokedown mountain

18/19 October

On Sunday after a leisurely breakfast we went for a wander round the village. It’s very old and very pretty with stone-walled houses scattered around on different levels. Only about 35 people live there these days, and many of them for weekends and holidays, so it has nothing much in the way of facilities - Jane’s house was the old post office for example, and children get taken to school on a bus several km away. It really is very quiet but apparently not an intrusive, busybody kind of place. But they still have to have a mayor so I reckon Nick or Chrissy may have to take a turn some time.

We then met up with Jane and Axhall and went for lunch at the Vieille Moulin in Sous-Peyreu. The mountain itself was shrouded in cloud, though the autumnal colours in the valley were still visible and beautiful. After lunch we went for a little walk around the village, and then went up the mountain to the Cathar castle just in case it might be clear of the clouds - but it wasn’t, so I had to look at pictures in the gift shop so I’d know what it would’ve looked like!

Jane with castle behind her - really

Foggy view

Ooh nice view

Old windmill restaurant

Coo another view

We went back to Jane’s for a cup of tea and I got a guided tour - she has the most gorgeous roof terrace which has a magnificent view across the valley. Nick and Chrissy are working on their terrace, so if I’m lucky enough to get invited back I look forward to taking in that view again some day.

Our evening was spent eating cheese and watching Strictly, which some might say was more than appropriate, but I can’t tell you what a nice change it was to be able to veg out on a sofa and watch telly. Travelling is lovely, but you can’t really relax in best comfort in a cheap hotel and the TV is a bit of a waste if you’re not a linguist. And the pressure is always on to be doing something - if I’ve spent money getting some place, I do feel I have to make the most of every minute which is all very well but not always the most relaxing thing to do.

So, on to Monday and the reason for the title of this episode of le blog. I’ve broken down in the UK and you’re never really miles from anywhere. Yesterday Nick’s car broke down and we really were. We’d had a lovely afternoon in Collioure on the coast - it was mainly cloudy but dry and it’s a lovely little seaside town. 

Artwork of scenes painted in the town everywhere

It was all going so well at this point

Funkiest drainpipe I've ever seen

A shop selling only tinned fish - really. But pretty.

Sun's out

Fab interior of Le Petit Cafe - setting me up for Gaudi in Barca

We had a bracing walk by the sea, a very good lunch, ice cream when the sun came out and were on our way back for the evening when just beyond Perpignan the car gave out and we coasted on to the hard shoulder.  

Poor Nick made several challenging phone calls trying to get assistance and eventually help was promised, so Chrissy and I nipped off the dual carriageway to find a loo and buy water in case we were in for a long wait. While in the supermarket Nick rang to say he’d got the car started, so we set off with fingers crossed for a good 20km before it coughed and coasted again a few km outside a village called Estagel. Again we waited for it to settle, again Nick got it started but this time we only managed 200m, thankfully just beyond a bend in the road so we were clearly visible, but it was getting dark and despite Nick’s warning triangle I was concerned about the speed of the few passing cars there were.

Fabulous sky - every cloud....

This time Nick decided to phone a friend, and eventually Chrissy and I got a taxi to Maury where Jane was very kindly waiting for us to take us on the homeward leg (especially welcome as the taxi was very pricey!) Nick in the meantime had managed to organise a tow to Maury from a friend, and then borrowed a van to get home. Thank goodness for mobile phones and roaming data, or we’d have definitely had to hitch it.

And at least we were on our way home having had a lovely trip out, rather than a wasted day, but I do feel for Nick & Chrissy as they’ve had all kinds of problems with this car as well as other things breaking down/going wrong. I even used the iron this morning and it tripped the electrical supply, so that needs replacing too. They’ve gone way beyond the old saying of bad stuff happens in threes

I’m on my way to Barcelona as I write this on a super-speedy TGV so I’m hopeful that I will arrive more or less on time. (I’ve also seen flamingoes on a stretch of water between Narbonne and Perpignan, so that was a pretty sight.) I seem to have had my fair share of travel hiccups on this trip, and I’d like them to stop. Please.