PERPIGNAN
Palais des Rois de Majorque
Built in 1276. The first floor is the Great at hall of Majorca. 
The Queens's suite has a ceiling painted with the colors of Catalan. There are two chapels one on top of the other, one for the King,and the other for the Queen, built in 14C by Jaime II of Majorca.
27TH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL August 29-September 13
This festival is held every year in Perpignan. This year there were 4,500 submissions. The judges have concluded that the editing is poor. Young photographers have faced the facts; they know that they have to find outlets other than the conventional press. It means finding different business models,different media and different horizons.
In the EU , there is also the question of the Reda Report and Amendment 421 coming to Parliament in the next few weeks. This could mean that photographers using their own images for commerical purposes will only be able to share on social media if they have due authorization from the party holding the rights to the works in the pictures. That means we won't be able to photograph anything on the Street - street photography is in danger.
This year's festival focused on the overall Refugee Situation in the world....Mogadishu,Syria, Lebanon, Jordan,Turkey,Iran and Ukraine. One photographer photographed the Ebola crisis; another photograped the history of Charlie Hebdo.
It was a fascinating lineup of famous photographers from all over the world. 
In 1870 the Minister of the Interiour wanted to find a site for a dynamite factory. The Bay of Paulilles, was bought and gradually converted into a dynamite factory by an engineering officer working with Alfred Nobel. The plant employed 300-400 people, and five generations of Catalans. In 1960 20 tons of dynamite were produced each day, supplying building projects such as the Panama Canal. In 1970 the market for dynamite collapsed and plant activity decreased, until it closed in 1984. In 1998 the 80 acres was acquired by the Department of Conservation. Beaches, secure footpaths, and gardens were completed when the site was opened to the public in 2008.
ABBAYE - SAINT- MARTIN du CANIGOU
On an eagle's nest in the heart of the Massif du Canigou, the former Benedictine Abbey of St.Martin discretely overhangs the valley since the 11th century. A unique site , with its bell tower, marble capitals, the vaulted abbey-churc and crypt. This is a jewel of Romanesque architecture typical of this region. 
St Martin giving his cloak to a homeless man....
passing friends on the 1 1/2 mile climb up to the Abbey.....
St Martin giving his cloak to a homeless man....passing friends on the 1 1/2 mile climb up to the Abbey.....
THE Castle of Castelnou was built around 988-990 to serve as military center and chie town of the viscountry of Vallespir. Castelnou is the best example of a medial fortress left in Roussillon. It is built in the form of an irregular pentagon(without flanking towers). In which two sides join at right angles.
Built in 1025 the church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. The church was designed to be a relighous house next to the Earl Raymond's mansion.
VILLEFRANCHE-DE-CONFLENT
Founded in 1090 by Guillaume Raymond, Count of Cerdagne. This is a fortified town. It is great to stroll around the lively streets of the town, in which there is a mix of crafts ateliers and shops selling typical Catalan products.
The church which dates from 12C comprises two parallel naves. There are four columns and a cabled archivolt.
Rue St. Jean still features its 13C houses
with many original porches with rounded arches.
THE CORK MUSEUM
These are the regions where cork oak trees are grown. Portugal is the largest producer of cork in the world.The history of cork from forest to cork plug. A natural, renewal and biodegradable material which gives life to a product which absorbs more CO2 than it emits.
The properties of cork mean that it is not only a good system for stopping bottles, but that it also preserves and improves the quality of the wine.
CELLARS BYRRH in Thuir
This has the largest oak vat in the world. Peak production in the 1950's was 45million bottles. Now the production is 300,000 per year. There product is enhanced with fruit, coffee, and cocoa. There is a lot of competition in the apertif market.
There was a poster contest to see who could come up with a unique poster for Byrrh.There were 4500 entries in 1925. 
CROSSING INTO SPAIN - COSTA BRAVA
DALI THEATRE-MUSEUM
Inaugurated in 1974, the Dali Museum was built upon the remains of the former Figueres theatre. It contains the broadest range of works spanning the artistic caareer of Salvador Dali (1904-1989), from his earliest artistic experiences and his surrealist creeations to the works he produced in his final years.
Mae West
Portrait of Gala
The Dali Theatre-Museum must be appreciated in its entirety, as Salvador Dali's masterpiece; everything in it was conceived and designed by the artist in order to offer visitors a real experience of delving into his captivating and unique world. 
Dali decided to create his museum "Where, if no where in my own city, should the most extravagant and solid examples of my art remain, where else" The Theatre, seemed to me to be very appropriate - I am eminently theatrical painter; because the theatre is in front of the church where I was baptized, and because it was in the lobby of the theatre that I had my first exhibition of paintings".
Inside the church, St. Peter, where Dali was baptized.
Dali's gems...a special exibition...
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