We have walked our legs off in carcassonne! We left gagnac behind and two confused cats by nine o'clock this morning. (Sian will let them back in this evening if the weather is bad.) meanwhile our weather has been amazing! We found a bit of sun as we went up onto the causse leaving mist and grey sky behind us. by the top of the last hill before toulouse we could see the chain of pyrenean peaks all covered in snow and glinting in the sun. by 12.30 we were parked below the cite in carcassonne and lunch was on our minds! Through the porte narbonnaise and up an alleyway to the place marcou where we could see the odd parasol already up. A short while later with a plate of foie gras salad and a glass of rose before me I looked around gratefully. We were sat outside in the shade under a blue sky and not shivering! :)
fortified with lunch it was off to the chateau comtal which had had huge queues the last time we were here. Today there were none so I went straight through leaving lou to wander, camera in hand, amongst the side streets. I watched a short film on the history of the cite and then headed back down stairs to ask the guide where I started the tour. He indicated the far side of the courtyard and, checking my map, I could see a number three by a flight of stone steps leading to the north ramparts. Wrong! I gaily climbed up and down several steep flights of steps and gazed at the views and took several photos before slowly realising that the castle turrets seemed an awful long way away and I was looking down into the back gardens and side streets of the cite.
Then I came down a particularly vicious flight of stone steps which made my already complaining knees really cry out and found myself in a room with a cash desk, unattended, and a sign saying 'sorti'. 'This can't be right' I told myself and, suppressing yelps, managed all the steps back to the castle. Shame-faced I asked the guide once more how I could get up to the covered walkway I could see and hear people using around the courtyard. Witheringly, he pointed up the staircase I had climbed earlier to the salle where the film was showing. This time I crept across it to what I had mistaken for a fire exit and discovered the start of the self guided tour! By the time i had finished it I thought lou may very well have given up and gone on to the hotel! But, no, he was lurking by the gate and together we wandered down past the church (been there, done that, last time!) and tried to see into the theatre and go outside to see the lower 'lices'.
Consulting the map we decided to make our way to the pont vieux and see if we had the energy to walk into the bastide saint louis, the old town centre.
The first part was down a step slope consisting entirely of gallets, small river stones. This time my yelps were audible! Gaining pont vieux we took in the stunning profile of the whole cite rising above us. turning around we reckoned we could make it into town! We came out into a expansive boulevard with several lines of plane trees. Crossing over we took the rue de verdun until we reached the place carnot. By now I was gasping for a cuppa so we sat on a café terrace and watched the world go by over tea and coffee.
From there we explored the side streets of the bastide; discovering an enormous halle which we guess is the place where the saturday market takes place and being shut out of the cathedral closed for refurbishment. Back along the side of the aude river and back over the pont vieux which is pedestrianised so lovely to freely wander across, especially with the view of the cite in from of you.
A meander through the back streets which encircle the walls and on to the car park. Ten minutes by car to the hotel to discover I have a red nose and pink cheeks! Good job I threw in the aftersun, just in case! :)
fortified with lunch it was off to the chateau comtal which had had huge queues the last time we were here. Today there were none so I went straight through leaving lou to wander, camera in hand, amongst the side streets. I watched a short film on the history of the cite and then headed back down stairs to ask the guide where I started the tour. He indicated the far side of the courtyard and, checking my map, I could see a number three by a flight of stone steps leading to the north ramparts. Wrong! I gaily climbed up and down several steep flights of steps and gazed at the views and took several photos before slowly realising that the castle turrets seemed an awful long way away and I was looking down into the back gardens and side streets of the cite.
Then I came down a particularly vicious flight of stone steps which made my already complaining knees really cry out and found myself in a room with a cash desk, unattended, and a sign saying 'sorti'. 'This can't be right' I told myself and, suppressing yelps, managed all the steps back to the castle. Shame-faced I asked the guide once more how I could get up to the covered walkway I could see and hear people using around the courtyard. Witheringly, he pointed up the staircase I had climbed earlier to the salle where the film was showing. This time I crept across it to what I had mistaken for a fire exit and discovered the start of the self guided tour! By the time i had finished it I thought lou may very well have given up and gone on to the hotel! But, no, he was lurking by the gate and together we wandered down past the church (been there, done that, last time!) and tried to see into the theatre and go outside to see the lower 'lices'.
Consulting the map we decided to make our way to the pont vieux and see if we had the energy to walk into the bastide saint louis, the old town centre.
The first part was down a step slope consisting entirely of gallets, small river stones. This time my yelps were audible! Gaining pont vieux we took in the stunning profile of the whole cite rising above us. turning around we reckoned we could make it into town! We came out into a expansive boulevard with several lines of plane trees. Crossing over we took the rue de verdun until we reached the place carnot. By now I was gasping for a cuppa so we sat on a café terrace and watched the world go by over tea and coffee.
From there we explored the side streets of the bastide; discovering an enormous halle which we guess is the place where the saturday market takes place and being shut out of the cathedral closed for refurbishment. Back along the side of the aude river and back over the pont vieux which is pedestrianised so lovely to freely wander across, especially with the view of the cite in from of you.
A meander through the back streets which encircle the walls and on to the car park. Ten minutes by car to the hotel to discover I have a red nose and pink cheeks! Good job I threw in the aftersun, just in case! :)
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