Weather We Had:
Sunny and Warm
High: 86° Lo: 60°
Averages:
High: 76° Lo: 58°
Current Weather
Conversion rate on our visit: €1.00 = $1.13432
DAILY ITINERARY
Day eight of our tour was spent traveling to Carcassonne. Along the way we had lunch
on a river barge and once in Carcassonne, a tour of the old town and then dinner.
On our way to Carcassonne, we stopped for a picnic lunch aboard the Luci. We made a quick trip up and down a small part of the Canal du Mini. Our trip was confined to a couple of hours. There are, however, 'cruises' on the Canal du Mini for days and even a week crossing most of southern France. We enjoyed our mini tour.
From Wikipedia: The canal connects the Garonne River to the Étang de Thau on the Mediterranean and along with the 193 km (120 mi) long Canal de Garonne forms the Canal des Deux Mers joining the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. The canal runs from the city of Toulouse down to the Étang de Thau near the Mediterranean.
While under way
Boat emerging from a lock
Lunch aboard the Lucie
Lunch aboard the Lucie
Lunch aboard the Lucie
Lunch aboard the Lucie
Approaching a lock
Approaching a lock
Emptying the lock chamber
Tour boat
Canal du Mini
CITE DE CARCASSONNE
From Wikipedia: The Cité de Carcassonne is a medieval citadel located in the French city of Carcassonne, in the department of Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon region. It is located on a hill on the right bank of the River Aude, in the south-east part of the city proper. Founded during the Gallo-Roman period, the citadel derives its reputation from its 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) long double surrounding walls interspersed by 52 towers.
In 1849 the French government decided that the city fortifications should be demolished. This decision was strongly opposed by the local people. Jean-Pierre Cros-Mayrevieille and Prosper Mérimée, an eminent archaeologist and historian, led a campaign to preserve the fortress as a historical monument. The government later reversed its decision and in 1853 restoration work began.more...
The Fortified City was fun to see. They have done a wonderful job of restoration. But it was a little disappointing to realize that we were only looking at a replacement version of the original.
Having said that...it is one of the few examples of what a walled city would have looked like. As we approached, you get a sense of what it must have been like for visitors approaching the city for the first time. A way to 'step back in time'.
Approaching
Arial view
Going up to the Cite de Carcassonne
Decorations on the church
Original location of the Medieval water supply
One of the squares
Inside the main entrance
Defensive port
Inner wall
Cite de Carcassonne
HOTEL CALENDAL
Breakfast
Barry and Lois
One of the two REALLY big pets
The other one of the two REALLY big pets
Inside seating
Inside seating
Breakfast
Statue outside our hotel
Hotel Calendal 2 Rue Camile Saint Saens 11000 Carcassonne
LA COTTE DE MAILLES
Entertainment
Listening to the entertainment
Listening to the entertainment
Listening to the entertainment
Dinner is almost over
Okay time to go
Outside seating
For dinner we had the local specialty...Cassoulet.
From Wikipedia: Cassoulet (French pronunciation: [ka.su.lɛ], from Occitan caçolet [kasuˈlet]) is a rich, slow-cooked casserole originating in the south of France, containing meat (typically pork sausages, goose, duck and sometimes mutton), pork skin (couennes) and white beans (haricots blancs).
The dish is named after its traditional cooking vessel, the cassole, a deep, round, earthenware pot with slanting sides.
Cassoulet is not only filling, it's a very tasty dish. Recommended!
In addition to dinner we had some VERY interesting entertainment.
La Cotte de Mailles 2 Rue Saint-Jean 11000 Carcassonne Tel: +33 4 68 72 36 24
HOTEL MONTMORENCY
Statue outside our hotel
Hotel Montmorency 2 Rue Camille Saint Saens 11000 Carcassonne Tel: 011 33 4 68 11 96 70 FAX: 011 33 4 68 11 96 79
