Day Four
Friday, May 18th, 2007
Thankfully, when I woke up this morning, I was feeling much, much better. Between the food and the time change and the shifting of my medications, I think my body needed a day to readjust. I filled up on breakfast and we checked out of Arles to head for Carcassonne. The drive which lasted three hours was mostly views of countryside, vineyards and a glimpse of the Pyrenees. Even though I slept all day yesterday and all night, I still was able to nap on the ride.
Upon arriving in Carcassonne, we were all happy to see our new hotel was another Mercure and very pleasant. Lynn and my room looked out over a beautiful garden, the hotel’s patio, and the walls of the old city of Carcassonne. Not long after checking in we hiked up to Place Marcou, a square full of small cafes for lunch. Lynn, Mare and I picked out a creperie toward the back corner. I had my new found favorite salad with warm goat cheese and for desert, my first crepe in France (with Nuetella of course). Lunch definitely hit the spot, but I think that my dad can whip up a better crepe than the one I had.
With our bellies full Elaina led the group through the old city. She pointed out the Chateau, the hotel known for housing famous people, the house of horrors and the basilica. We were able to enter La Bascillique des Saintes Nazaire et Celse. There I lit a candle for my family and said a small prayer for their well being. Although built much later than the rest of the city the surrounding wall and pathways gave way to great views of the modern city of Carcassonne. While some of the architecture reminded me of Sleeping Beauty or Snow White, the narrow streets and shops reminded me of Diagon Alley in Harry Potter. I really enjoyed walking around despite the fact I almost fell flat on my face a dozen times thanks to the uneven cobblestone.
After the tour I decided not to enter the museum of torture because I had been to a similar museum in Germany, and not to mention it is kind of disturbing. Tammy, Jamie, Cassie North and I walked around and had fun in all the little shops. I ended up buying a lot of gifts here. I finally purchased a quilt. I had been seeing them all over the place and really wanted one to remember the trip by. I also found a really cool necklace, a funky watch and a nice patchwork bag. I bought a second bag for my friend Corinne and an inside joke gift for my room mate next year, Amanda. I found a shop with gargoyles and bought one for dad. Since I can’t take one off the side of the basilica the next best thing is a little figurine. This one is a “Chemin Pensur” or a “Thinking Gargoyle.”
We were all shopped out by late afternoon. We headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner, another three course meal deal. It seems to be popular to offer a selection of three courses for a set price and I think it is a great idea. We were treated to another beautiful and fresh salad with toppings of our choice, I gave duck a try for my main course and romance au chocolat for desert. It was definitely the best meal I had so far in France. The duck wasn’t chicken-ish like I expected, but it was delicious. Of all the places I have seen in Europe, Carcassonne is definitely one of my favorite spots.
