This location should win back from Jason some of the respect I lost by failing to visit Bron-Yr-Aur.

Carcassonne is a fortified French town – special in that it has remained, more or less, in tact since the 1200’s. Most places may keep a building or two – there aren’t many full towns that avoided ruin or destruction/modernization over the past 800 years.

It is wonderful to see such a place complete – all of the narrow alleys and small stores, squares and the outer walls, parapets and moats.  Unfortunately, the place has been turned over to folks who have turned it into too much of a tourist attraction.  All of the stores are open but sell the same cheap tourist crud that you can get anywhere else.  The place was packed with people – so it’s popular, but we’ve seen enough other special towns, towers & etc. on this trip to see that this place is now clearly a tourist attraction and not something so much to be revered as to be enjoyed like a Disney attraction.

We still enjoyed ourselves wandering around, and the weather could not be beat. Our meal service for lunch was so bad we got up and left.  Ah, those French and their deep concern for the foreign traveler…

After the visit, we continued on to Toulouse – and our hotel. We were all tired and I had a lot of backlog work to take care of (thanks to no Internet previous 2 days) so we just went to the local grocery, loaded up on some dinner food and wine, came back and ate in. Then, off to bed.

At the entrance. Carcassonne is a walled city.

Holden looking tough (or just hot). He’s feeling much better, now.

Soaps from Provence. Brenda bought 5 to take home.

Holden with one of his only purchases — a hand-made wooden sword with “Carcassonne” stamped on it.

Guarding the walls. There are lots of places here that make Mamas nervous.

This is what you might imagine it to be … the receiving end of the king’s loo, 3 stories up.  That boy was almost half disappointed that nothing was dropping down.  (So were his sisters!)

France has no end of gorgeous towns and architecture from the 1000-1700’s.  Beautiful stuff.