Collioure, France – a fantastic splash of colour for Spring. It was Henry Matisse, the artist, who said, “In the whole of France there is no sky as blue as the one above Collioure.” The French town, lying almost in Spain but its roots being resolutely Catalan, is best seen out of season, when the weather is warm but not hot and you can have the place to yourself. Artists Matisse, Picasso and others developed their fauvist (meaning ‘wild beasts’) style of painting in the town, utilising intensely vivid, contrasting colours and simplified shapes.
This little town tumbles down the hillside in a splash of colours, wedged into the Cote Vermeille – or Vermillion Coast, named after the purplish-red rocks. The outdoor markets sell all manner of local produce – fat, freshly-landed oysters from Cap Leucate, huge bulbs of garlic, paper cones of sardines. The town is framed by the extraordinary church of Notre Dame des Anges, built in Mediterranean Gothic style. A wander around the quayside at dusk reveals anchors, fishing nets and a thriving fishing industry. The feeling here is one of stepping back to yesteryear in the cobbled streets and artist’s shops.
You can walk much of the spectacular Cote Vermeille from here, the footpath concealing, then revealing isolated coves and fishing towns all the way to Spain. The perfect Spring destination to discover the French joie du vivre – or joy of living.
