After picking up the car at Marseille on 21st May we had just 10 minutes' drive to the pre-booked hotel, but en route we passed a very long queue at a petrol station and then sat for half an hour on a slip road. At the hotel the reason became clear:- the fishermen's blockade of fuel depots! A bit of a panic! Not enough diesel to get far the next day - but if we stayed, probably no room for the next night!
As it happened we found diesel the next morning and got to Canet Plage, near Perpignan. We chose the lavish 4* site of Le Brasilia and just managed to erect the tent before some light rain started. The next few days were very wet and windy - but we did get a reasonably pleasant half-day in the hillside town of Ceret (Picasso & Dali connections) and the servicing of the bikes. On the Sunday - with constant downpours and a terrible forecast - we booked into one of the site's bungalows. The price had gone down for that week and it was a good deal. Ours was named Le Cygne (The
Swan) and from the relative comfort we could watch the lake develop outside.
It was Mothers' Day in France and we celebrated our salvation with a cake!
The foul weather went on for several days! At 3am on morning we were woken by a storm of huge hailstones on the metal roof!
Anyway! Canet Plage is a pleasant resort with a very long beach, lake and marina. We did a cycle ride to Perpignan and back, discovering that the cycle path is only partially complete leaving very hazardous patches which we reported to the Tourism Office!
The city has an ancient centre and a magnificent Palace of the Kings of Majorca.
Towards the end of the week the rain stopped andwe managed some time round (but not in!) the pool. On Saturday we decamped and drove to Girona by a scenic (i.e. scary!) route. There we parked up the car and stayed overnight in a hotel very close to the airport. Just as well! Next morning it was pelting with rain for our walk to the terminal - and again to get on the plane we waded through ankle deep water as the rain continued!