Frankie

This is a photo of Frankie Purja, our dear friend and neighbour, taken in his home on Rue Louis Pateur, in autumn - apparently while in mid-song! I met Frankie the first summer we stayed in Port Vendres, and he has become one of our dearest friends. You will find his name and number on the shutter door in case of emergencies. He speaks pretty good English, learned as a boy in Algeria from the Americans who liberated Algeria from the Germans during WWII. Frankie is one of the kindest people we have ever met. You will see him traipsing around the port, redistributing all the 'finds' he picks up - green bananas from the huge banana boats, fresh sardines from his brother-in-law, a lamp, chair or old TV that he thinks would suit your home. In the summer he'll often have one of his many grandchildren in tow, or his lovely wife Louisa. Louisa is a fantastic cook but is also the best advice on any local remedy for almost any ailment you might get.

A Very Warm December 2006

We got away to Port Vendres the first week of December 2006, and it was a balmy 70 degrees and sunny. All the roses were in bloom on the upper terraces and we ate outside most days. Dan started weeding and watering the terraces, starting with the bottom one with the Oleanders and fledgling Olive tree. Its quiet at night along the coast in winter, but Port Vendres is a busy working port and still buzzes by day. At 6pm most evenings we'd head down to the fish port to the wet bar for oysters, shrimp, chilled white wine. Leaving Perpignan airport to return to the madness of Christmas preparations in London, we caught a spectacular sunset over Canigou mountain (above) - living up to its name as the spiritual heartland of Catalonia. The family were waiting for the treats we bought back: Banjuls appertif wine, anchovies, chestnut spread, chocolate covered nougat, and homemade hazelnut- embedded salami from the saturday morning market in Port Vendres.