Sara and Robyn say “Bonjour”

June 20: Carcassonne

Sammy, I will try and address my grammar issues! Dina (and Sammy), my little friend is Tahlia, she turns 6 tomorrow, and yes, her parents would be very happy for me to bring her home and I don’t even have to kidnap her. She and her twin sister, Eva, and their parents, Will and Jackie, are also staying at the Chateau.

Tahlia is willing to pose for any picture; Eva, on the other hand, does not like having her photo taken.

Carcassonne is a fortified town in southern France, famed for its city walls. It is a UNESCO world heritage medieval city. The town has a rich history dating back to the Roman period when it was fortified around 100 BC ( so it’s very old!)  It is located in the plain of the Aude between historic trade routes, linking the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea and the Massif Central to the Pyrénées. The city is divided into two towns, the Ville Basse and the Cité. The Cite has the finest remains of medieval fortifications in Europe (according to ChatGPT!)

Perched on a rocky hilltop and bristling with zigzag battlements, stout walls and spiky turrets, Carcassonne looks like something out of a children’s storybook when it’s seen from afar. It’s most people’s idea of the perfect medieval castle (again, according to ChatGPT).

It is pretty stunning. It has 3 km of ramparts,52 towers and 2500 years of history.

We went pretty early so it wasn’t yet crammed with tourists. We roamed through the streets of the medieval town and walked along its battlements.

I managed to catch Eva… I reckon it looks like she was modelling for the picture. (Sammy, this is correct use of the first person)

The gargoyles were something to behold. Wouldn’t want to meet one of them on a dark night!

There’s a beautiful church within the walls called Basilique Saint Nazaire et Celse.

It’s a Gothic style 12th century church with beautiful stained glass windows.

Here’s a picture of the family who are staying at the chateau. They are not religious but needed to sit down for a minute!

We then strolled across the river to the Ville Basse (it is also a walled city but much newer – around 1400)where we had lunch in the square and wandered around.

Dinner at home – french style mushrooms, barbecued zucchini, salad, steak and sausages, boiled potatoes sautéed in garlic, butter and parsley fresh bread .