Rousillion (France) | A Day at the Beach - Day 49

One of the many attractions at La Plage Roussillon (Rousillon Beach). French people love carousels, and I have seen many throughout my travels since arriving, but I really like this one. A reminder to keep having fun on my travels.

This morning I know where I am heading to next, Les Hautes-Pyrénées (High Pyrénées) region. Named after the mountain range Le Tour de France made famous. The High Pyrénées region of southern Occitanie is an excellent place to explore for me due to the connection to Le Tour and it is less hot. I am also going to try something new and decided to slow down even more for this next leg. Rather than relocating every three to four days, I booked a weeklong stay this time. This ought to give me time to actively explore the mountains, visit the historical sights, and enjoy the great gastronomic culture of the area, plus I can evaluate how this makes me feel.

The trains from Perpignan to Lourdes, France, are sold out. Rats! I check tickets for trains from Perpignan to Narbonne. There's a 940 am available. And Narbonne to Lourdes? There are tickets for the 230 pm train. Ok, I can piece this trip together and explore Narbonne during my layover. I buy the tickets, which cost me a total of 65 euros, a bit pricey but I don't have many options today. Now I can go do laundry.

So, I figured out a new trick for metros, buses, and trams that is incredibly helpful. When I touched the bus stop icon, I noticed previously that Google revealed the station's name and the buses that service that particular stop. But, of course, that was not the end, and Google had more to reveal. Somehow I managed to overlook this additional information until now. I'll walk you through what I learned below. This is transferrable to all cities for localized public transport and can help navigate complicated itineraries and route maps for domestic or international cities, especially if you are unfamiliar with the city.

Below is a screenshot of Perpignan; notice the two small blue bus icons in the middle along Boulevard Saint-Assiscle.

When I touch the bus icon on the east side of the Boulevard Saint-Assiscle, Google Maps shows me that this bus stop is called Gare TGV and that bus lines C, B, 6, 4, 5, 12A, 3, and 25 all service this bus stop. It also shows me the estimated arrival times for each bus. When I touch the one on the west side of the street, heading the other direction, only a fraction of the bus lines go in that direction.

From there, when I touch "3" at the top of the schedule list and get a schedule specific to Bus Line 3. From here, I can look up the agenda for the day and determine the time of the next and last bus.

Here is the cool part, if I touch any of the schedules for Bus Line 3, Google zooms out and shows me the entire route with all the bus stops from start to finish. These are the little white circles on the red line.

If my stop happens to be in the middle of the bus route, the stops that have been previously visited by the bus will appear in a faded color, while the stops the bus has yet to visit will be dark. This tells me which direction the bus is traveling so I can be confident I am on the right side of the street. Notice how the right side of the bus route is dark red while the left side is faded. This bus is traveling west to east. If I take the bus at this location, I know it is heading to the beach.

This tip works with all buses, metros, and trams in urban areas. It is easier than deciphering complex route maps for a town I am unfamiliar with. Route maps are easy enough when only 2 or 3 buses service an area. However, in Perpignan, there are 26 different bus lines, and several have overlapping portions of their routes in the downtown area. Thanks to my newly acquired skill, I know I can take Bus Line 3 to Roussillon Beach, and the trip will take me about 45 minutes. 

I love being on the coast, I don't feel the need to always be in the water, but I love being around the sea. The air smells great, and the nice breeze is welcomed. Unfortunately, Roussillon Beach is not known as a tourist beach, and I am not sure why. The white sand beaches are large and uncrowded, and the mountains in the distance are pretty picturesque. The buildings adjacent to the beach remind me of a plain version of Miami Beach. There is nothing glitzy about Rousillon Beach, which could be why it is not popular with tourists, I guess?

Today, I feel the desire to walk barefoot on the beach. The sand is warm, not hot, and cool to the feet a few inches below the surface. So I walk south, enjoying the scene, the waves crashing on the beach, and the area's beauty. I put my shoes, with my socks stuffed into them, down on the sand. Then, I head for the water and walk up to my knees into the water. I have my phone, keys, and wallet in my shorts pockets, so I opt to stop here. The water feels fantastic! It is incredibly cool, clear, refreshing, and doesn't smell like the salty Pacific Ocean.

Around 630 pm, I wander the main street adjacent to the beach, exploring restaurant menus. This is a pleasant temperature today. I open my weather app and notice it is 87 F (31 C). I laugh at myself. Compared to 102 F (39 F), the air temperature is much cooler; however, it is much warmer than I perceived it to be. I resume my search for food and a restaurant. I want something I have not tried yet on the seafood side of the menu. When I reach La Miramar, I know I have arrived and ask to be seated. I order the Dorade Royale with a demi-Bouteille of white wine. 

Wine is sold by the glass, 1/4 bottle, 1/2 bottle, or full bottle in France. Beer in France is awful; I don't know how they drink or serve the vile stuff! I tried a few beers once I arrived, domestic and imported. They are all terrible. I won't drink another beer while I am here. 

Conversely, wine is light, refreshing, and inexpensive in France. A demi-Bouteille of "house" wine, usually a local winery, costs between 8-10 euros. A glass is 4-6 euros, while a 1/4 bottle is 5-8 euros. A 1/4 bottle or 25 cl (8 fl oz) is the equivalent of 2-3 glasses depending on the size of the wine glass. Most wine glasses are small in France. While a demi-Bouteille, 50 cl (17 fl oz) is around 5-6 glasses. I prefer the 1/4 bottle option with my meal; however, sometimes, it is not an option. When that is the case, I sit and enjoy the wine well after my meal is finished.

Dorade (Red Seabream) is a fish native to the Mediterranean Ocean and widespread in Spanish cuisine. It has the texture of trout but has larger bones and is much more flavorful. My waiter asks me if I want the fish filleted or whole. I opt for the whole version; I know my way around fish and can efficiently work through a few bones in a grilled fish. My meal consists of grilled red seabream, raisin couscous, roasted eggplant and red peppers, and a butternut squash purée. The Dorade is cooked perfectly, flaky and moist. I take my time, enjoying every bite and the beautiful flavors that I introduce to my mouth. The white wine tonight is fruity and refreshing and compliments the meal perfectly. 

This meal costs me 32 euros. Since I arrived in Europe, most of my meals have cost me between 20-30 euros; occasionally, a meal has cost me between 30 and 35 euros. My most expensive meal was in Belfast at Ginger Bistro. That meal cost me 36 pounds ($44 US); however, it was well worth the price. Part of the reason why my food costs are low here is tipping is not necessary. I can count the number of times someone has asked for a tip at a restaurant in Ireland and France. When they have, a tip of 5-10% is all that is required. It is simply not customary here to tip. 

The other thing of note is that although the food is terrific in France, be prepared to slow your pace. I rather enjoy the slow pace of dinner. I used to devour my food; now, I take my time and enjoy every single bite; why not? In most cases, I've waited over an hour before my plate arrives. I have noticed that at many restaurants in France, there is only a single waiter or waitress, a hostess, and at larger restaurants, usually one other person runs food to tables. The hostess usually seats you and grabs your drink order. Then, the runner will bring you bread. Sometime later, the waiter or waitress will ask for your order. This takes at least 30 min after you sit down. This means that in most situations, an hour-long dining experience is short. In my experience, dinners have taken between 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. Be prepared to eat late too. Restaurants typically don't open till 730 pm. So, it can be near 10 pm before I am done with dinner and have settled L'addition (the bill). 

Tonight was unusual, restaurants here opened at 530 pm. I catch the last bus at 854 pm from Roussillon Beach to La Gare TVG. About 50 minutes later, I make my way back to my Airbnb. My host asked me to check out at 845 am tomorrow so he can clean the room before he leaves. As I near the Airbnb, bats begin to emerge for their nightly foray. I stop at this intersection and watch a half dozen individuals swoop in and out of the visible light. The biologist in me wonders what species they are. 

Seeing them reminds me of the many nights I spent over 15 years in Wyoming, capturing and handling bats. They are great little critters that, unfortunately, are not deserving of their frightful reputations. A long-lived mammal, bats can age well over 30 years in the wild. However, their reproductive output is low, and they only produce one pup per year. Making it difficult for them to recover from population declines. Most bats in the world are insectivorous, consuming their body weight in bugs every night. They are an underappreciated ally of the agricultural community. Seeing these bats flying around tonight makes me happy, and I spend the next 15 minutes watching the bats dive in and out of the street lights. This is typical bat behavior when they emerge from their roost. They will feed in the vicinity before moving on to other areas further away. Once it is completely dark, they disappear, and I resume my walk home. I am feeling very connected to nature and re-energized at the moment. Once again, the Universe provides. Below is a picture of one of the individuals I was fortunate enough to capture via camera. 

France is home to 34 of the 41 species of bats in Europe. Only 18 species are known in Wyoming. I could go on and on about bats; I am pretty fond of them. If you are interested and want to see some photos of bats that occur in France and other pictures of tiny mammals like shrews, you can visit France-Mammal Watching. If you are generally interested in bats and want to learn more, please visit Bat Conservation International.