Collioure is a very beautiful town: it has everything – azure waters, majestic, ancient buildings and the most delicious ice cream! Each morning, we would clamber down a set of rocky steps to the cobbled path that led us into the main town. To the delight of the Rykersaurus, sometimes we were splashed with frothy sea spray as the waves hit the rocks along our path.

Being only 25 kilometres or so from the Spanish border, the Catalan influence is very strong in Collioure and can be seen in both gastronomy and culture. Calalan flags are flown and street names are in  both French and Catalan. We found it hard to believe that we hadn’t heard of this picturesque nook in Southern France before.