These freeways are everybit as modern as our own. It is impressive to see trucks from all over the EU on these roads. This is quite a powerful union! We left the tollway at Perpignan and drove a very nice road to Collioure--about 20 more minutes down the road. I dropped Leticia off at the hotel and took the rental car to turn it in back in Perpignan. I point this out because it brought out just what a vibrant transporation system exists in Europe. The road was a great well surfaced road--much of it 4 lanes. But i didn't have to catch a bus or taxi to get back--I caught a train! A very powerful and robust multimodal system.
Here is beautiful Collioure. We had hoped to take a few days in a small mediterranean beach town before heading down to Barcelona--but the weather wouldn't collaborate! Cold and drizzly again. We had about one good morning (when we took this picture). This is French Catalonia. Perpignan is its capital (Perpinà to them). Catalan culture very much in evidence everywhere. The red and yellow vertical stripes of their flag is present, but not quite as common as in Barcelona.
The train station at Port Bou, Spain, where we had to change trains. This is the train that took us into Barcelona--about the same as the one that brought us from Collioure to this point. (Notice that is is electric--it merges in with the Barcelona metro much as the French RER in Paris).
1 comment:
Hi Uncle John,
I really enjoyed your euroblog. I woke up in Port Bou on my 20th birthday - having to change trains early in the morning after an all night train ride to Barcelona from Nice. Not the most memorable of train stations but I always remember being there on my bday so nice to see the photo of it.
After having lived in the UK and visited other countries in Europe it's hard not to compare our community here in Calgary to what we saw over there. Density is definitely the main difference leading of course to the asphalt everywhere so the cars can get where they need to go. Good thing is people here are starting to realise how important it is to get away from always using the car and so slowly things might change and our communities are starting to be designed in more pedestrian-friendly ways.
Steff
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