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.