Day 34: Step Back in Time

Date: Thursday 1st May
Staying: Camping La Cite – Carcassonne, France
Distance Travelled: 0 Miles
Song of the day: Today – Smashing Pumpkins

A year or two ago I read a book titled ‘Labyrinth’ by Kate Mosse (not the model). The story was long and involved and based between the 13th and 21st centuries (or thereabouts); but the main thing that I took from this story was the description of Carcassonne, where large parts of the book were based. So I looked it up on the internet and it was even more stunning than I thought it would be. Having been here, the photos really don’t do it justice.

The citadel is based outside the modern city of Carcassonne. It is like a stone massif rising from the planes around. The fortifications that surround the city are in amazing condition. We walked around on the ramparts which give amazing views of the surrounding area; you can even see all the way to the snow capped peaks of the Pyrenees.

Like most well preserved old towns in Europe, Carcassonne is a bit of a Mecca for tourists. The narrow cobbled streets and alleys are lined with Souvenir shops and overpriced restaurants, and also overrun with French, Spanish and British people. At this time of year it adds to the atmosphere, but I am sure it is hectic during high season. But I am just as bad as the rest, so I can’t talk. Bring on the tacky souvenirs, awww yeah.

After looking round the entire medieval citadel we found what we thought was a suitably overpriced restaurant for a late lunch. The place actually turned out to be quite reasonable as the servings were huge (I couldn’t even finish it). I tried the local specialty of casserole which was actually really good and not as unambitious as it may sound. We headed to across the river next for a view of the city and a few more photos and then back to the camper to take advantage of having power. WOOOO WHOOOO.