Passing through Cerbere’s rugged and sad countryside

It was like in the movies: rugged countryside, almost barren except for clumps of vegetation. A lonely overcast day when the clouds come down from the heavens and linger on mountain tops. Road and rail tracks crisscross the scenery while two toned villas cling like barnacles on a rock but sloping from the mountainside to the coastline.

There was no horizon as the sky seemed to have dipped its toes into the Mediterranean. A forlorn view. Where are the people? A few minutes ago, we were walking from the Gare de Cerbère and passed through a colorful tunnel. The town of Cerbere, in the Langeudoc-Roussillon region of Southern France was nearly deserted except for a lady who took a dip at the beach. Or the few cars that pass by the lonely roads.

I didn’t mind, eventually. The beautiful scenery unfolded as I nonchalantly gazed out the bus window. Sky dissolved into the sea. Sky hugging the mountain tops. A lonely cove with a beach after a bend in the road. It was a sad scenery. Sad yet beautiful.