Our main holiday this year was to Spain.  We drove through the tunnel and went across the top of France to Reims and then headed south.  We stopped along the way at Reims, Mâcon and Montpellier.  From there we went through Andorra - what a pretty place - very much like the scenery from "The Sound of Music".

We stayed for a week at the beach side resort of Llafranc (not touristy at all).  Because of a brain fade on my part the second week turned out better than we expected!  We were supposed to have a room at the Aigua Blava Hotel near Begur, but I mucked up the dates we were going to arrive.  This caused a bit of grief until the owner of the hotel suggested we stay in one of the apartments!  This turned out to be a lot better as the place was huge and we didn't have to stay "half board" and it cost the same as a room with half board!  We had air-conditioning and 2 bedrooms, a large lounge with a TV and a kitchen with fridge, stove and complete with plates, cups, etc.

On the way back to Calais and the train, we stayed in Cahors and Chartres.

Tunnel Train - 148K
This is the view when you drive into the train to go across to France.  Only ½ hr and you are in France.  This is the part of the train used by busses, the normal car part is double decker. 		Unit - 169K
Our unit in Llafranc.  A great view across to the beach as an added bonus.
Llafranc Path - 126K
The path down from our unit to the beach - Lots of very nice restaurants along the beach front as well!! (At the end of the path, turn left) 		Llafranc Beach - 158K
Very nice beach!  Lots of shade behind the beach, showers on the beach and all backed up with bars and restaurants.  Try and get better than that!
Aigua Blava Balcony - 124K
This is where we ended up in Aigua Blava.  Our room is on the left.  A great view out over the sea and the opposite side of the valley.  The coastline is very rugged around here (as some other photos show), so when a bush fire decided it was time to pay a visit it was a little scary.  Around 10pm we noticed the other people in our apartment building looking out over the hillside, so (being nosy) we went and had a look!  The entire side of the hill was alight and luckily for us moving with the wind away from our hotel.  There was another hotel down the way and there were preparations to evacuate the guests.  As we watched, many beautiful homes went up in flames.  You could see their "skeletons" in the flames.  When we went out the next day we weren't allowed to go anywhere near the places that were burnt as it was still smoldering and there were many unexploded gas cylinders!
Aigua Blava Lunch - 164K
Not a bad place for lunch!  Around the pool in Spain!  An outdoor restaurant with very good food and very, very good waiters.  Not at all like Manuel in Fawlty Towers!  Lots of water and a chilled Rosé.
Cliff - 189K  Cove - 165K

Cliff House - 135K
Some of the rugged cliffs around our hotel in Aigua Blava.
Beach - 140K Beach - 111K
This is La Fonda beach, a short walk from our hotel.  A lovely beach.  The locals are quite interesting - Everyone brings barbecued chicken to the beach!  No idea why, they just do!
Begur - 98K
Begur - A lovely local town.  We went shopping there and bought some clothes.  A nice dress and a nice shirt for me.  This photo is from the road around the top that overlooks the Mediterranean and as you can see, the fog rolled in.  It took a few days to get a good view of the sea. 		Sa Tuna - 96K
Sa Tuna - Another very nice beach about 10 minutes from Begur and about ½ hr from Aigua Blava.  We had an excellent meal at both of the restaurants.  A proper tapas menu with spicy tomato potatoes, very yummy.  We really look forward to the trip to Madrid in March 2002 to get into the real tapas style.  And as an added bonus, while we were there a swimsuit photo shoot took place, 2 models and lots of bikinis and one-pieces.  A lot of guys were gawping at the ladies, but as a happily married man, I was only taking an artistic interest in the goings on!!
Pals - 88K  Pals - 86K
Pals is a very picturesque town/village about ¾ hr drive from our hotel in Aigua Blava.
It has been totally renovated and restored to how it would have been in the medieval times.  (Except for the tourist trap shops!)
Sunflowers - 167K  Sunflower - 96K
Everywhere we went the sunflowers were out and we had to stop and get a photo!  Hope you like them as much as we do.
Sunflowers - 167K One of the weirdest places I have every been...
The Salvador Dalí Museum in Figueres is quite an eye opener!
He draws really odd pictures, but there are some that are not
surreal and they are spectacular in their style and beauty.
Empurias - 168K
Some beautiful ruins just north of Begur, these date back to the Greeks.  These walls are original.  There has been some site conservation, but the majority is how it was left. 		Empurias - 147K
More of Empurias.  The Greeks had a quite large city here, but when the Romans came along it was extended and improved.  Most of the improvements were for security - 3 metre thick walls and the like.
Empurias - 180K
There are absolutely tonnes of beautiful mozaics in the ruins.  During the winter months, sand is spread over them to stop them getting damaged by the frosts and snow. 		Fort - 141K
This is 'Fort de Salses' and it is quite spectacular!  It is in France, but it was originally Spanish in the 1500's.  Considering its age, it is in brilliant condition.