After a horrendous thunderstorm right overhead yesterday, with hail that sounded like gunshots on the rooft and we could hear it like a strong wind for a minute before it arrived, I decided to head for the beach. It was bus to Perpignan then train, the 8 o clock bus, left 30mins before the train, rather than the 7 oclock when there was an hour wait. So after a lazy start, into the Dali inspired train station to find none of the ticket machines took cash, and the queue for tickets was out the door. Feeling optimistic I joined it and 30 minutes later about 3 people had been served. They all seemed to be holding tickeys-probably wanting refunds from the earlier strike!....So no beach for me, back to the bus station -conveniently in the same building, and instead I took a bus to Prades, about the same distance from Perpignan, but it only took half the time to arrive....via duel carrriageway. According to my source there was a road over Caingou to it more or less direct from Prats to Prades, but there are protected vulture type birds in that area so the guy in charge of the protection blew up the road!!! so there would be less passing traffic! Believe it if you will.Prades looks a bit sad, but there was a lively market in the square, and plenty of cheerful restaurants for lunch.As I had come the fast way it was going back by all the little villages and a break of journey as Ille sur Tet, which was a much more chic looking place complete with old town. There were signs that I translated to being the route of the Compostella but was obviously wrong as it is much too far over. Next week end is the big summer fete.. what ever that involves, but evidently fireworks are set off from the church roof... health and safety has slightly different meaning over here.
