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On the eastern border between France and Spain, where the Pyrenean mountains meet the Mediterranean Sea, there is a series of rocky headlands and sheltered bays which the French call La Cote de Vermeille - the Vermilion Coast. The name refers to the rocks which have been eroded by both weather and sea, exposing a bright and sometimes browny red.

These rocks are incredibly hard and have defiantly withstood the waves for millennia, forming the resistant cliffs which make access to the coast itself something of a challenge from both land and sea.

In each bay along the coast a small town perches precariously on its slopes, running down to whatever area of flat land is available, creating a sheltered resort behind a small, but sandy beach. Thus Collioure, Banyuls sur Mer and Cerbere have the feeling of small isolated settlements, though none of them far from its neighbour. Port Vendres is the exception, as here, where the sea has invaded a bay to produce a natural harbour behind the headland, there is little or no beach and a small commercial port has developed.

Behind the coast, in the valleys used by the railway and road, the colour of the rocks stands out as the base of vineyards which somehow grow here, sometimes on terraces one row wide. No soil is apparent, just slatey stone, yet the vines thrive on these slopes and provide the basis for some classic wines and aperitifs, particularly Banyuls, the standard way to begin any meal along this coast.

In many respects the coast is best approached by train, as the roads are congested throughout the summer season, and parking is at a premium, but there are plenty of trains on a service which runs through from Perpignan to northern Spain.

Each town along the coast has its own particular charm, none more so than Collioure, an old fortress town with spectacular buildings and a buzz of excitement from its many daily visitors. The narrow streets are full of interest, with galleries, boutiques and restaurants to suit all tastes, particularly those of the sea, as local boats bring in a regular supply of Mediterranean fare.

It is possible to spend a day discovering corners never previously noticed, walking along the sea front and sea wall, admiring the majestic views and marvelling at the clarity and colour of the sea, before retiring once again to a favoured eating place for more marine delicacies.

Banyuls sur Mer sits in an even narrower valley than Collioure and is inevitably, therefore, a little smaller. However, the same features

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