Carcassonne

Carcassonne

I added a few extra pictures I had forgotten to add in previous posts.

Another big day of travel was before us. We left after breakfast and headed to Toulouse. The city of pink and blue, so they say. We actually ended up skipping the city because no one was hungry and parking a big 9 passenger van is no easy feat in a tiny underground parking garage.

We continued to Carcassonne. Harry Potter and the game Carcassonne rank high in the Blanton household so Carcassonne was the perfect place to see and enjoy. Even though this was our second time, we still enjoyed visiting. I would add that the first time was still the best and most magical.

Inside the abbey huge stained glass circles and bells were on display for all. Outside the abbey we settled in for some drinks before exploring the ramparts.

The ramparts are magical in their own way, full of adventure and architectural designs around every corner. The views were clear with a backdrop of the Pyrenees mountains or olive groves and vineyards.

Jan and Ike make the famous Cassoulet dish back home. They wanted to try the real deal. The cassoulet was perfect, so the cassoulet eaters agreed. I do not enjoy this dish and opted for another. Crème brûlée sealed the meal for most as well.

Finally we said goodbye to Carcassonne and drove home to Saint Drézéry.

Mont Saint Michel

Next we drove over an hour through the countryside to reach Mont Saint Michel. This island castle has been used to inspire many movie castles, like Tangled and Return of the King.

We arrived too late to see the Abbey, mainly because we did not factor in taking a slow bus from the parking lot to the castle AND the abbey being at the top. The Rogers were a good 20 minutes ahead of us due to our outdoor exhibit adventure. Once they arrived they texted us and gave us the news and not to hurry.

In my opinion the castle is a must see if you have not experienced grand castle cities nor been around them for 8 months. While it is majestic to view it also contains similar features to other walled cities we have experienced here in France. Don’t get me wrong, we enjoy walled cities, and we have seen a plethora of them this year. This city had a tighter footprint than Carcassonne. Inside the unique streets spiraled to the top, which lead to observing interesting lines on walls, houses and cobblestone walks. The tide did not rush in as we envisioned. Our family liked Carcassonne better.

Bayeux

Our final stop for the day was in Bayeux for dinner with an outside walk around La Cathédrale de Bayeux, a 13th century Catholic church. Dinner was enjoyed at La Manufacture, a cozy corner restaurant, where we sat at different tables just to fit our group of 9.

Outside the cathedral a Liberty Tree was planted in 1792, based on the United States Liberty tree planting program during the American Revolution. This tree still stands today. Somehow we missed getting a picture of the tree.