Give Me 5 ….things to do in November

For culture vultures

Question: Where in the Pyrénées-Orientales can you see works of art by Picasso, Matisse, Miró and Chagall? Answer: At the Museum of Modern Art in Céret. Considering the size of this typical Catalan market town, it has a hugely impressive permanent collection of modern and contemporary art under its roof. This reflects the rich artistic history of the town. Over the years many artists have passed through and been inspired by Céret. Salvador Dalí even announced his marriage to Gala here.

For foodies

Les Toques Blanches is an association of 40 chefs from the Pyrénées-Orientales who aim to promote local produce, recipes and cooking know-how as well as supporting the training of new chefs in the region. Why not treat yourself and try a new restaurant in November – by choosing one of these you’ll be guaranteed fresh, local produce and top quality cooking. Many offer fixed price menus weekday lunchtimes - we ate the following amazing dishes at La Galinette in Perpignan for just 19 euros. An absolute bargain. 

For a list of restaurants, click here. These eateries are scattered throughout the region so there is something for everyone. Why not combine a night of gambling with fine cuisine at Le Cédrat at Le Boulou Casino or a wander round Collioure with a taste of French fusion at Le 5ème Péché? Oh yes, and in case you were wondering, a toque blanche is a chef's hat.

If the thought of sitting through a film in French terrifies you, why not watch an English film, or even one in another language, with subtitles instead? It’s actually a great way to improve your French language skills. The Castillet Cinema on Boulevard Wilson in Perpignan (right next to the Castillet) shows many films in their original language (look for V.O. or “Version Original” in the listings). This week for example, they are showing Drive with Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan (love her!) as well as films from Turkey, Spain and Israel. I always check out Cityvox for cinema listings - click here to go to the site.  

For a bit of glitz and glamour

This month the Moscow Circus on Ice is coming to Perpignan’s Palais des Expositions on Friday 18th November. Book now for your chance to see jugglers, acrobats, clowns, unicyclists and stilt walkers all doing their impressive, glittery thing – on ice! Tickets are on sale at Boitaclous and prices start at 38 euros (child tickets are 20 euros). 

For lovers of the great outdoors

For a good day out, I don’t think you can beat a mosey up to the Chateau de Quéribus. The ruined castle perches improbably on a high rocky outcrop. The château sits on what was once the border with Spain and I pity anyone who was tasked with attacking it because from the lookouts here, anyone approaching in daylight didn’t stand a chance! It’s an evocative place – and fascinating to sit admiring the view, which on a good day stretches as far as the Mediterranean coast, and pondering how the men who defended the border might have lived all those years ago.

Entry to the castle is 5 euros for adults and 2 euros for children (under 6s go free). It’s a relatively steep climb, although my young children managed it, and absolutely loved scrambling around the staircases and ramparts inside the castle. Pack a picnic and make a day of it as there are picnic tables at the foot of the climb, plenty of parking and even eco-toilets. 

And a late entry number 6 - for Christmas shoppers 

This year, the annual FAB-PO Christmas Fair will take place on Sunday 27th November in the Salle Polyvalente in Saint Jean Pla de Corts. There is a great selection of stalls as ever offering a wide range of products from British bangers to Christmas cards, gift ideas and wine. Come along and support this anglophone business networking association.

If you have a business in the region and would like to join this friendly, informal network, please find us on Facebook at FAB-PO. We are in the process of relaunching the association for 2012 with a new website and more social events and we need more members so that we can continue to grow.