With two spare weeks and a serious craving for Spanish food, we packed the car and headed south from France in search of sunshine, tapas, and a bit of adventure.

Our first stop was a forgettable roadside hotel in Foix. The room was fine, but dinner at the hotel restaurant was one of the worst meals we’ve ever had in France — so bad it made us nostalgic for airline food.

The next morning we crossed the Pyrenees. The drive was spectacular — dramatic peaks, sparkling streams, and sweeping valleys. But the French villages we passed through felt strangely lifeless: many boarded-up buildings, broken windows, and graffiti. Then we crossed into Spain and everything changed instantly.

Suddenly there was energy, people, voices, and life. We stopped in Puigcerdà, squeezed into a busy local café with half the town, and enjoyed proper coffee and pastries. It felt like someone had switched the lights back on.

We continued to La Seu d’Urgell, a charming medieval town at the base of the Pyrenees near Andorra. We had vague memories of it from years ago, but it far exceeded them. After a minor drama with a faulty Airbnb code (vindicated by a helpful neighbour), we settled into a tiny but lovely apartment in the heart of the old town.

Over the next few days we fell in love with La Seu. We wandered its ancient streets, visited the old Olympic whitewater park, browsed the excellent market, and ate extremely well. Highlights included an astonishing €17 lunch at Restaurant La Quera and multiple visits to our favourite, La Mina — where we enjoyed perfect paella, cod, lamb, and local wine.

The dominant language here is Catalan — a beautiful, melodic mix that sounds like Spanish, French, and something completely unique all blended together.

We loved it so much we upgraded to a larger fifth-floor apartment with sweeping mountain views. It was the perfect base.

Eventually we moved on to Naval, a tiny mountain village two hours away. We knew it would be remote, but it was even more so — and utterly delightful. Quiet, tidy, with a small bar, bakery, and deli where locals gathered in the evenings. Our apartment was beautifully equipped, and we spent five peaceful days working (writing for me, programming for AP), reading, and soaking up the gentle village rhythm with cold beers in the square.

A random lunch stop on the drive to Naval turned into another winner — a €14 menu del día with salad, beef stew, dessert, wine, and coffee. These kinds of genuine, excellent-value local restaurants feel increasingly rare in France these days.