Day 8 Carcassonne and the Massif Central

Waking up to a cloudy / rainy morning, it was time to head up to the Cite. The walled Cite of Carcassonne dates back to around the 9th - 10th centuries, and after being restored in the late 1800s, is now a UNESCO world heritage site. Passing through the (working) drawbridge over the (empty) moat, we arrived just as the shops and restaurants were opening, so we had the chance to walk through the ancient streets before the busloads of visitors arrived.

The town is equal parts living history museum and permanent Renaissance Faire, The shops are some of the best we have seen on this trip. Some well-crafted medieval costumes, cloaks, dresses, men’s outfits, children’s clothing - all hand made and of wonderful materials and way out of our budgets. (Of course, lots of tchotchkes too.) Walking across a working draw bridge was an interesting feeling, and coming into the narrow streets was not too dissimilar from many of the towns we’d driven through in Italy and France. In some cases the only difference is that those towns weren’t walled.

 Not a place I'd expect to see a Best Western!

 

While we were visiting the Basilica, there were several men walking around moving a bench here and doing something over there; we thought they were workers. Then they went to the front of the church and stood silently for a time. Then they sang beautifully! The sound filled the space perfectly, but with a four-part polyphony that added a new dimension to such an ancient place. They were a traveling Russian men's chorus, performing and selling their CD’s. We brought one home. Their voices added such life to the stone walls. It was a lovely experience.

 The stations of the cross were photographs.  An interesting and unusual combo of the old and the new.  I haven't seen stations as photos before, have you? 

Mark found a reproduction of a Langedoc tunic he decided to bring home as an ornament for his office door and I found a black skirt. (Inspecting my previous black skirt before leaving, I discovered it was actually thread bare some places and needed to be replaced. I’d been looking for something to replace it and found it in one of the more reasonably priced shops here. May it last me as many years as the former one did.

We could have stayed in the region for much longer, but... so it was time to fire up Jeeves yet again for the trip back up north. Several back roads and roundabouts later, we're heading up the A75 when we see a landmark sign advertising the hottest hot springs in France – 82 degrees C! Another side trip, with an oncoming storm, coming right up.

About 30 harrowing km later, we make it to Chaudes-aigues (Hot Waters). Once again, timing is everything; we arrive 40 minutes after the baths closed, but we make this a must-visit for out next trip(!). We settle for a sweet dinner and a room at the inn next door. Do you think a place with this name would have bathtubs? No, a closet sized shower again. Maybe the hotel in Paris will have a tub? We'll see. No tub and no wash cloth is not a good combination in my opinion. (Note to Paris: no washcloths or tubs here either.)

  Then the buses came