In Céret

March 30, 2022

Finally we get a break in the weather. It’s raining hard when we wake up, entitling us to a guilt-free day off from the saddles. After breakfast we loaf around the room doing nothing of consequence while the rain plays itself out and then walk down to La Galerie, a small restaurant recommended to us by Paul, for an excellent lunch.

Afterwards we split up for the afternoon. Rachael heads back to the room to digest for an hour while I wander the streets and then stop in at the modern art museum. We have only a single key to the room, so when Rachael’s ready to leave for a hike up into the hills we briefly meet up back at Poppy’s to swap the key; and while she’s on her hike I walk down to the Tech to admire the Pont del Diable (the Devil’s Bridge) and then return to the room for a nap.

Lots of photos, but few words. We’re saving them up for a sunny day.

Lunch

Paul was right in recommending this place. We both selected the menu of the day, which looked as you see here.

Rachael’s hike

Rachael took a fairly short hike by her standards (5-1/2 miles, with 1,000’ elevation gain), but a challenging one. The standout feature came toward the end when she came to a raging stream crossing the trail not far from town. She stared at the situation for awhile fearing that she’d have to backtrack a few miles until she found a spot upstream where a safe crossing was possible.

About town

I love this town. This is our third time here, and it hasn’t grown old on me yet.

The Devil’s Bridge

Perhaps the most significant architectural highlight of Céret is the Pont de Diable, the single arched bridge spanning the Tech. Built between 1321 and 1341, its huge arch (149 feet wide and 73 feet high) made it the largest arched bridge in the world at that time.

The Modern Art Museum

For a fairly small town, Céret has a remarkable art museum - the legacy of the procession of noteworthy artists that lived here at one time or another. From the museum’s website:

“Céret, recognised worldwide for the flow of internationally renowned artists to the a town, is a place where art has pride of place, hence its nickname the “Mecca of Cubism“. The Musée d’Art Moderne in Céret was founded in 1950 by Peter Brown and Frank Burty Haviland, both French painters. The museum/art gallery is one of the 100 largest museums of modern art in France. It presents works by painters who enjoy worldwide notoriety and dwelled in Céret, such as Picasso, Soutine, Chagall, and many other recognisable names.“

A request at the entrance to the exhibit: Carlotta Silence, by Jaume Plensa (2020).

Place de la Liberte a Céret, by Jean Marchand (1912). This, like I think all of the following art works, was created while the artists were living in the city.

Nature morte au crane et au pichet, by Pablo Picasso (1943).

Paysage de Céret, by Auguste Herbin (1913).

Plat lang decore d’une scene de tauromachie, by Pablo Picasso (1957).

Catalane sur fond blue, by Edouarde Pignon (1946).

Le gens du voyage, by Marc Chagall (1968).

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Jacquie GaudetI assume Rachael made it back but without a detour?
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2 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Jacquie GaudetYes! No problem. She found a good spot, crossed safely, and kept her feet dry. Rocky the Explorer!
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2 years ago