Tweesters+ tour of Catalonia and Languedoc-Roussillon
 

The Tweesters are off on another adventure(actually a bit more on the beaten path than in past years, when we were in the Balkans and Argentina/Chile) . We have two other women who have asked to tag along this time. ....so 4 women in their 50's ("or so" ;) .

The basics:
- We are flying into (May 8) and out of (May 22) BCN
- 2 weeks; one in Catalonia (primarily BCN) and one week at a villa in Limoux France (south of Carcassonne).
- we like meeting people.
- we like vino (are there people who don't?)
- we like food (not over the top gourmet, but interesting flavours and local specialties are a must)
- we like some culture and architecture, with a modest amount of non-kitsch shopping thrown in (if there is something worth shopping for that isn't in every other major city in the world!)
- we like exploring neighbourhoods
- if there are cool local events/festivals occurring while we are there...we would love to check them out
- we like bang for the buck...but definitely won't stoop to tacky

Our rough itinerary at this point:

- Fly red eye from Toronto to BCN. Arrive Sunday morning. Check into Airbnb apartment in Eixample area of BCN.
- spend next 5 days touring around Barcelona.
- pick up rental car (presumably in downtown Barcelona) on the Friday and drive to Cadaques, via Figueres (stopping at Dali museum?).
- stay in Cadaques one night and then continue on to Limoux, stopping in Ceret for lunch on the way.
- check in late Saturday to our villa in Limoux. Relax (with wine of course!)
- not sure what we should do Sunday and Monday as many things are closed. Perhaps go to Carcassonne on Sunday? Likely go to Mirepoix and Foix on Monday.
- next several days to be split between Cathar castles, abbeys, the Pyreenes, Perpignon and Coullioure. We will also likely take a day to go to Toulouse and surrounding area.
- on the next Saturday we will drive back to Barcelona (via Vic?), drop off our rental car and stay one final night in the city at a hotel. Our flight is in the early afternoon the next day.

Any suggestions and comments are most welcome and encouraged from our esteemed Fodors experts!

Much appreciated,
The Tweesters

Limoux is home to Blanquette de Limoux which is a sparkling wine reputedly discovered before champagne. St Hillaire where it is said to have originated is nearby. You are also close to the Corbieres wine region -we enjoy the wines from that region.
Alet les Bains is a pretty village on the Aude river between Limoux and Couiza and from Couiza you can drive up to mystical Rennes le Chateau even if only for the view.
When in the Mirepoix region you can also visit Camon which is a Plus Beau Village de France.
We stayed in Couiza for a week and drove down, via the Gorges of the Galamus, to Queribus and Peyrepertuse. Climbing to the top, especially the latter, was an exhilarating experience.
Bon voyage.

Sounds like a good trip. I'm not sure what you are thinking about things being closed up on Sunday and Monday, the only thing that seems that way to me is some shops and some restaurants, but nothing else that I know of.

Carcassonne makes sense on Sunday if you want to see it, anyway, and I imagine you would. You could visit Narbonne, it isn't that far away (about an hour's drive) and they have quite a bit to see there, several museums, Gallo-Roman ruins, very good lapidary museum, and they have a good Sunday morning market (everything but food that day). Their museums and placees are closed on Tuesdays, that is actually fairly common in France. Charles Trenet, the French singer from the 30s-40s or so, is from Narbonne and his childhood home is a museum, also, although I guess that isn't that exciting.

@rhon, thank you for the tips. We plan to hit all of those places.

@Christina, we might have to check out that Sunday market in Narbonne. My reference to things being closed, referred to shops and restaurants. We plan to be driving through villages, and no doubt we will want to stop along the way in a nice little village at a local taverna or such to get a slice of local life. Perhaps a little cheese or wine shop? It's good to hear that most attractions will be open on those days.

Do not miss the covered food market in Narbonne for a "slice of local life". It is open every day including Monday from 7.30 am to 2 pm.

So, the Narbonne food market is open every day! How wonderful. That gives us some flexibility. Thanks @Pvoyaguese.