Dreaming Of France: Pyrénées-Orientales

The Pyrénées-Orientales is the far eastern part of the mountain range that stretches across the French-Spanish borders. Having once been part of Spain, it still clings to those roots in calling itself Pays Catalan. Indeed, the Catalan flag is as common as the French flag in this region.

At that far eastern edge, there are spectacular beaches. But during …