Inside La Cite, Carcassonne

It was wonderful to wake up knowing we didn't have to hurry or drive to our next destination.  We're in it!  We started out while it was nice and cool and early enough that most of the tourists had not shown up yet.  This is one of the most widely visited sites in France.  We headed for the Tourist Information to sign up for a walking tour at 1:30 this afternoon.  Meanwhile, we continued our exploration of this wondrous city, going inside the castle and along the ramparts.

Our restaurant from last night, viewed from the castle.

The vacuum cleaner guy, making sure La Cite is sparkling.

Outside the castle

High up along the wall

Carcassonne has a 2500 year history, extending back to Gallo-Roman times. Parts of the fortress have the original small building blocks; other parts are larger, medieval bricks; still others are from the 19th Century restoration. It is all incredible; I am so glad France finally had the foresight to save this treasure--a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We stopped at one of the many small cafes and while Chuck had a small, lemon, butter and sugar crepe, I had to try France's version of the Chicken Cesar Salad.  It was uniquely different and delicious with a mustard dressing rather than the classic Cesar.  The Parmesan was in large flakes and the croutons were, in fact, tiny pieces of toast, some more toasted than others.  Very satisfying.

We went on a guided walking tour this afternoon that added some content to the wonderful visuals we have experienced. The weather has been extremely kind to us this week (this trip!). At this point there was just enough sun to capture this 15th Century building with overhangs that reminded us of the tax-evasion techniques used in some of the Northern European countries--taxes are based on square footage at the base of the house, so the upper stories extend out; this gives the owner more space and the tax-man a poke in the eye.

This view from the rear of the castle reminds me that Costner's version of Robin Hood was partially shot here.

Our tour ended at La Basilique St. Nazaire, a beautiful former cathedral, reminiscent of Paris's Notre Dame.  The stained glass has been compared to St. Chappell.  We were so lucky that a male choir from Russia was singing.  They were so good, I bought one of their CDs.

C&C

Grotto Pech Merle

Everything has gone so smoothly for us and we are grateful.  Relaxing yesterday after our 51 mile  hiking journey was very nice.  This morning we packed up, had breakfast and were picked up by a driver who arrived early, as they all have, taking us to the Brive Vallee Airport to pick up our rental car.  We drove an hour or so to our next destination, the prehistoric painted caves at Pech Merle.  We spent some time in the museum and some time watching the film, all in French, but helpful none the less.  We even had time for lunch under an umbrella on the grounds.

Our English tour began and we were led through the cave, which was found by 3 teenagers in 1922.  They were quite courageous exploring this cave with only one flashlight and a rope.

This is a spotted horse and a hand dating back 24,600 years.  We were quite enthralled with the cave.  There were two gigantic rooms with lots of stalagmites and stalactites.  Many paintings on the walls and ceilings and some carvings.

From Pech Merle, we drove to Carcassonne, a fortified French town in the Region of Languedoc-Roussillon.  Occupied since the Neolithic, its strategic importance was quickly recognized by the Romans who occupied its hilltop until the demise of their western empire and was later taken over by the Visigoths in the fifth century who founded the city.  The city is famous for the Cite de Carcassonne, a medieval fortress restored by the theorist and architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc in 1853 and added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1997.

We are staying inside the ramparts and were allowed to park there.  This is Chuck pulling his suitcase through the main entrance.

Our apartment.  Doesn't look like much but it's large and perfect for us.  We have a balcony with a table and it overlooks the Cite.

Our view from the balcony

Our hostess, Nicole, is so nice.  I've communicated with her via email and she held the room I requested (based on some reviews) without a deposit of any kind.  She didn't even want any money when we arrived.  We'll settle up when we leave.  She provides all the food for breakfast and we put it together ourselves.  She was very helpful with a map of the Cite and recommendations for dinner.  We stopped by one of them, made reservations for later, chose our table outside with a view of the castle, then took a walk along the ramparts.  What a nice evening.

We went with a "menu" of two courses.  Chuck chose a main and a dessert, while I chose a starter and a main.

My starter, a Thai shrimp salad.  Loved it.

Chuck's main course, grilled duck with vegetables and couscous.  He even commented on the dusting of paprika on the edge of the plate.  He's really getting into it.

My main course, sesame grilled salmon with pureed pumpkin (yum), an awesome cooked tomato and delicious vegetables, which I've been craving.

Chuck's dessert, creme brulee.  He says it wasn't as good as the others we've had, but still very nice.

Are we in a movie?  This is all just too good to be true.


C&C

From Gluges to Martel and back, 11.5 km (7.13 miles), Day 6

I seriously thought about spending today lounging by the pool with my book.  When we arrived yesterday I couldn't believe how tired I was...and hot and sweaty with blisters burning.  I laid down on the bed and fell asleep almost instantly.  Woke up later with a start, took some Ibuprofen, and got into the shower.  Feeling incredibly refreshed and all my aches and pains miraculously gone, I started thinking maybe another day really was possible.  By breakfast this morning, I was raring to go.

We found out early on that we were sometimes walking on a pilgrimage trail for St. James.  Shells mark the path.  The Camino de Santiago, also known by the English names of Way of St. James and Road to Santiago, is the name of any of the pilgrimage routes, including Camino Frances or French Route, to the shrine of the apostle St. James the Great in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain.

Shortly after leaving the town with the sound of church bells ringing, we started up a steep path that originally dates back to the 1600s when it was used by apothecaries gathering herbs and plants for their tisanes, lotions and medicines.  The path was formerly known as Chemin des herbes.  After ascending then descending then ascending again, the path leveled out and our notes suggested a short detour to see an old shepherd's hut.

After awhile we decided to head back and relax for the rest of the day.  The weather was again perfect with a slight breeze.  This is another suggested detour along the way, a view point over the Dordogne.  The notes also suggested a shortcut back to Martel but warned that you would need trekking poles and not be afraid of heights.  I was initially against it--neither of us had trekking poles--but once we were at this viewpoint, I figured it couldn't be that bad.  And it wasn't.  All down hill, though quite steep, down another trail and into town.

We stopped for a leisurely cafe creme in Martel, then wandered through medieval streets for awhile.  We sat at a nice crepe place for lunch but the waitress indicated that we couldn't order any food, tapping her watch.  It was 11:50 so I suppose it was too early.  One thing we've found, there is VERY little English spoken in this area.  We walked around some more then found a bakery that had "sandwiches on demand."

Covered market square in Martel

A short stretch of road and we were back and beside the pool.

We rested up thoroughly and Chuck talked to the chef, husband of Francois, about dinner and when--7:30 he said.  So, trying not to be too eager, we strolled downstairs at 7:40.  But, Francois and her husband, plus a couple with a small child were relaxing out on the patio with drinks.  We scurried back upstairs.

After some discussion, we decided they must be friends or family and they were waiting for us to get our dinner over with so they could eat.  So, we hustled back downstairs at 7:50.  We walked out and Francois jumped up and seated us.  We then began our complicated no French/no English conversation about what was for dinner.  We heard something like salmon and nodded and said OK and Merci.  She came back with lemon scented wet wipes.  We were trying to figure out why we needed that for salmon.  Then she breezed out and served us crayfish.  We tried valiantly to unshell them with a knife and fork but after splashing ourselves with the butter sauce, we gave up.  Thank god no one else was in the restaurant.  I was sweating as I frantically tore the shells off all 3 pieces with my fingers, hoping no one would walk in.  My fingers were dripping butter and when I had my nice 3 pieces of crayfish, I couldn't open the wet wipe because my fingers were so slippery.  We both managed it eventually and without discovery and they were delicious.

This is the mess we left behind.  How do people do it with the provided knife and fork?

Francoise cleared our plates and then came back to replace our silverware with a fish knife and special fork.  Ah ha!  We're getting salmon as the main course!  Or so it seemed.  Except the "salmon" was a white fish, topped with a sauce and vegetables with some wonderful rice with a very subtle curry flavor.  It was all scrumptious.  I'm beginning to think Chuck is becoming a foodie.  He actually asked me "is that tarragon?"

Francois came back later to discuss dessert.  A lot of it was beyond my capability to understand but I got the impression that we might be getting two desserts.  Yep.  A little of last night's cake and an incredible creme brulee.  We actually had to chip through the topping.  This one may  be the best yet.

We've had an extraordinary time walking and eating our way through the villages of the Dordogne.  We will remember this part of our trip as another highlight.  Tomorrow is another day and another experience.

C&C

Loubressac to Gluges, 14 km (8.68 miles), Day 5

We joined our bags today in a ride to Carennac, the start of our walk.  Our bags rode with the driver the rest of the way to our final destination.  Carennac is another of the "most beautiful villages in France" and I'd have to agree.  We walked around this medieval town perched on a cliff above the Dordogne.  Beautiful.

We walked up the lane and through the village to a leaf covered trail with a tiny, cool breeze.

 

We stepped out of the leaf covered trail to this interesting country home.  The weather was mostly perfect today.  After yesterday evening's torrential downpour, everything was fresh and soft.

 These ladies were so cute.

We shouldn't have been surprised that this was our best picnic yet.  Especially after our superb dinners at our last hotel.  The sandwiches even had sweet, juicy cherry tomatoes and the dessert tasted like a cross between pear pie and creme brulee.  We scored a wonderful picnic table, thanks to Peter and Marilyn, who are responsible for us even being on this trip.  Their pictures sold us.

View from our lunch spot 

 Just another gorgeous farm house along the way

We have walked through and around more corn that I ever expected.  I had no idea the French grew so much!

Our hotel.  What a welcome sight.  Our hostess, Francoise, asked us if we wanted something to drink.  I know we looked completely bedraggled.  We sat on the patio with some Orangina--2 for Chuck.  She does not speak English and we don't speak French, but we were able to communicate and understood that she was inviting us to join 5 others for a walk through the village of Gluges tonight before dinner.  We accepted.

 

We met Dominique, the cook, who walked just the two of us through the town, pointing out various historical sites such as a former castle from the 12th century.  We walked to the church that was built into the rock caves--the door key was enormous, and we went into the back where it merged with the rock.  We also walked through the new church, built in 1906.  Edith Piaf had visited the village and saw that the church needed to restore the stained glass.  She told them she would pay for it as long as they kept it anonymous.  They did, until after her death when they named the lane leading to the church, Edith Piaf Place.She told us there are 17 people who live in the village.  Her English was certainly better than our French, but it was a challenge that we managed to overcome.

Later, we went for dinner at 8 pm.  The little restaurant was charming and welcoming.  Dominique sat us at a table for two then proceeded to tell us the menu.  Cassoulet, goat cheese and dessert.  We asked for a half bottle of red wine.  She took care of everything.  Our wine came in a little pitcher and she brought us our usual request for tap water.  It was nice and icy cold.

The cassoulet was phenomenal and a specialty of southern France.  It had duck, sausage, something that resembled bacon, and white beans.  Yum.  Comfort food.

Dominique.  What a lovely woman.

This was our cheese course.  The eyes and mouth were honey.  Dominique wagged her finger at me when I couldn't finish the cheese.  I indicated that I was waiting for dessert.

Amazing cake with dark chocolate on top, set in a pool of custard sauce.

This sweet family was at the table next to us and they were celebrating their three children's 18th birthday.  I took this picture from our table then showed it to them and had one of the boys' send it to himself via email.  Their mother told us that they were each born 2 minutes apart with their daughter the first born.

We just can't get over the incredible experiences we are having.  We are so lucky.

C&C

Loubressac circuit, 16 kms, (approx. 10 miles), Day 4

We decided to take the longer option today so we could go to an enormous cave where we would ride in a boat from one end to the other and back.  Meanwhile, it was a dark and stormy morning.  We saw flashes of lightening and the weather predicted an 80% chance of thunderstorms.  We figured if we left early we might make it before the storm hit and it is so much cooler in the morning.

Luck was with us again and we avoided the rain and had some nice breezes, sunshine and clouds (our favorite).  Once again it was humid, though not as bad as yesterday. 

Dressing a blister

An Angora goat

The Gouffre de Padirac (Cavern of Padirac-the town it's in) was really fun.  As we came off the trail and made our way down towards the entrance, a giant tour bus pulled up and stopped in front of the place where you buy tickets.  I started running, hoping to get in before the bus belched out 40 or so people.  I made it but almost ran past the woman selling the tickets.  We walked down the 534 steps, eschewing the elevator, and showed our tickets to the boat master.  He asked where we were from (all I have to do is say Bonjour and they figure it out).  He told me we would go with a gondolier who speaks English and we should wait until the last seats so we would be next to him.  Our gondolier was a cute young guy who spoke perfect English and was very nice to us.  He even announced to the others that he would be speaking in English as well as French.  Everyone else was French.

The site was known about since ancient times, thanks to the Padirac Chasm--a vast, gaping hole in the ground where the roof of one of the cave chambers had fallen in.  It was commonly believed to have been created by Satan. The father of speleology, Edouard Martel, began exploring the caves in 1889.  Since then, over 20 km of underground passages have been discovered.

This area is where we walked.

This is where you catch the boats that are neatly parked, ready to load, in those slots with hand rails.  That stalactite is 60 meters long from the ceiling.

We had a wonderful time and it was worth the detour, but we ended up skipping lunch (no picnic provided today) and continued on to a gorge further on.

We carried on with our hike, marveling at how well the walk notes work.  This Dolmen was in a field and our notes said it was worth seeing.  I Googled it when we returned and found out it is also known as a portal tomb or grave and is a single chamber megalithic tomb.

This antique plow and very rusty barbed wire was just beside the path.

 Country residence

We stumbled into our hotel, so ready to rip our shoes off. 

Late this afternoon the skies opened and the thunder thundered.  We even had a rainbow.  It was quite an experience, especially from the comfort of our room and the view from our HUGE window.  Even later, just before dinner, I went out onto the terrace to grab this picture.  That's the pool at our hotel and the local chateau along with the most beautiful clouds.  We had a view from our table of the changing colors of these clouds.

Tonight we each ordered the same things.  Our starter was Foie Gras with toast.  Guilt is a part of it but it was delicious.

Next was bouef with zucchini, eggplant and frites.  The sauce was wonderful.

I was going to forgo the cheese board but it was just too hard.  I said small, petite, but the server didn't seem to understand.  I only took a bite or two of each.  The Roquefort was awesome.

Chuck had a different selection and enjoyed every bite.

Our dessert was beyond description.  Creme Brulee, the best I've ever had.  Two separate textures, smooth and creamy with a crunchy burnt sugar topping.  It was like eating sugared butter...

We are tired but relaxing now.  Tomorrow is another day.

C&C