Day 17 France: Carcassonne

Locks, bridges and aqueducts linking the Atlantic to the Mediterranean a total of 240km (149 miles) This canal the amazing brain child and work of Pierre – Paul Riquet (a salt tax baren) was completed in 1681. It was the greatest engineering feat of its time and revolutionised local economies. It was the life blood of trade in the region. It still plays an important role with its pastoral environment it is enjoyed by cyclists, walkers and cruisers. The tourist trade!

We parked in a designated parking space for “camping cars” and walked into the new town along the canal.

Roy and Bess in the mid distance with autumn leaves pointing the way under the bridge and far away. It was a good forty five minute walk to the Medieval city.

Some beautiful florist flowers that caught my eye on the way and…

…an artist with his work on display in an empty church.

In the distance is the Medieval city of Carcassonne. I am looking at it from the bridge over a shimmering river Aude. It has 52 towers and ramparts totalling 3km in length. It is still inhabited and is open night and day through the Porte Narbonnause and the Porte d’Aude There is a lovely story that the city had been under siege for many months and the people inside were getting hungry. A clever princess killed her fattest pig and stuffed it with choice food and threw it over the wall. It burst. The enemy were so impressed and thought they still had a lot of food in the city when they themselves were getting hungry that they got up and left.

The lower wall which takes an hour to walk and on the right the second wall.

Looking down from the second wall to the first.

A Warren of streets and shops inside the second wall.

Menu reading! Onion soup for me and aubergine bake for Roy.

A wash basin with a pedal to control the water. Very covid friendly.

Dappled sunshine and a few people with kind service and a pleasant atmosphere.

I am so sad about our friend Ingrid may her family find comfort in their happy memories with her and Jesus soon return.

6 thoughts on “Day 17 France: Carcassonne”

You are having a wonderful trip and do much to discover! Very clever lady to deceive the enemy like that!

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sandyroybessandbugzy says:

21st Oct 2021 at 7:02 pm

Yes “kindness” in a strange way.🙂

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Never heard of that amazing canal. And that woman – I wonder how much support she got for throwing good food over the wall – at least it worked. So many interesting places in this old world.
And we keep rejoicing in spite of everything. Looking so forward to Heaven. Enjoy your day my sister.

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