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Day 10 - en route to Carcassonne via Toulouse
This morning was a difficult one- having been woken up early by Lauren's creepy
alarm saying "It's time to get up! The time is 7:10! It's time to get up!" we got
ready quickly and were devastated to find that there were no patisseries open yet
for a takeaway breakfast. We started the trip on an empty stomach, and I felt hunger
for the first time in days, but luckily food is never far away in Europe, and we
stopped at a service station which offered some fresh and delicious pastries for us
to munch on.
On our way into France we were greeted by some traditional French music on the car
radio, which we thoroughly enjoyed, bopped along to and even videoed- BONJOUR!!!!
In a thankfully uneventful 5 hour drive, stopping in Toulouse for les toilettes and
some markets, we arrived in beautiful Carcassonne. Our hotel, Hotel de Trois
Carronnes, had everything we needed in a small but pretty room. The view from the
hotel entrance was mesmerising- looking over a canal and a grassy park to the
gigantic castle in the distance. To the left of our hotel was a handy footbridge
giving us easy access to the beautiful cobblestoned streets en route to the medieval
city within the castle walls.
Lala was waiting for us at the gorgeous restaurant across from our hotel, an al
fresco dining setting perched above the canal. We were all so excited to see her and
the next hour consisted of catching up on all of our adventures and finding Lala and
Lauren a nearby hotel. Carl was exhausted from the drive so went for a little nana
nap while us girls went to explore this gorgeous city in the blistering heat.
Once the girls were settled in their apartment, we walked through the narrow
streets lined with narrow houses with tiny windows and doors (how do people fit
through them??), searching for something to fill our rumbling stomachs.
At the end of the footbridge we found an abundance of little shops and restaurants,
however (pasque c'etait Dimanche) they were all fermé - closed. One little gem of a
café was open, closest to the footbridge, and we drank wine and ate pizza (all
ordered en français, of course) and talked to our hearts content. The owner was so
lovely and grateful to have 3 noisy girls in his café that he gave us free dessert-
yummy homemade crème caramel! C'etait delicioux! He also promised to find Lala a
husband in his winery owning friend (who, I reasoned, has a dog so he has my vote!)
After a little rest we headed to the medieval city beyond the walls, where we were
transported back in time. The streets, shops and restaurants all resembled another
world, and we ate at a traditional medieval courtyard restaurant where the waiter
warned us in French: no English, no fries, no coke, no plates and no forks, as these
things did not exist within the castle walls in the 15th/16th century. My French was
put to the test and I pulled it off really well, even getting praise from the
waiter! The only slip up occurred when we were given 2 dozen escargots instead of 1-
but luckily Lauren braved them, decided she liked them, and helped us all eat them!
We happily ate our soups, bread and cassoulets from ceramic bowls and a slab of
slate. Our house wine (that Lauren exclaimed "it tastes like Christmas!" - and it
did, sweet like cinnamon) was sipped from icy cold pewter goblets. The total bill
was €72 between the four of us- well worth the experience.
After dinner we explored the castle, crunching through the gravel while the sun set
past the castle walls. The sound of our footsteps in combination with the beautiful
vista was truly nostalgic. With each footstep, it felt like we were walking back in
time to an era where a whole community was confined by this beautiful walled city.
This experience just magnified our love for Carcassonne.
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