Carcassonne

Carcassonne was an amazing place. I had first seen it on a Tour de France stage on TV then when the All Blacks played there. I knew then I had to visit. I was still in my sling but to hide this embarrassment, I wore my pashmina over the offending sling. I also learnt that I could take one handed photos.

Walking through the old town it was easy to feel like I was stepping back in time. The cobbled streets led into the fortified part of the town said to have been first settled in 3500BC. The Romans fortified the hilltop on which Carcassonne sits in 100BC and from there these fortifications were added to over the centuries. In 1096 Pope Urban blessed the stones of the new cathedral, the Basilica St Nazaire, a stronghold against the Cathar (thanks Wikipedia for the detail). The tour inside the city includes a comprehensive history lesson in an audio visual format, very informative. The town was in disrepair in the late 1800s and renovation began on the 53 towers and double ring of ramparts, a huge undertaking with the tools available at that time. The result is an awe inspiring town with some wonderful Roman artifacts on display.

When we visited, we shared our time with some young people from the USA as well as families from other parts of Europe. I think the opinion on the experience was unanimous, an amazing place to spend the day. I just wish I had had my camera when we visited the hospital, night photos would have been amazing! I will include some of my other photos on Flickr.