Our second day in Carcassonne started at 8 am as that was breakfast time in the common room and we had read previously in the reviews that it was not to be missed. It was beyond what we had expected. It consisted of 4 types of breads, fresh orange juice, 3 types of artisinal jams, a dainty container of fresh fruits, another of yogurt, and a third of flan for each of us, and 2 carafes of fresh coffee.
There were 3 suites, ours which was very nice, then another even better with a couple from the US occupying, and the third which was amazing with 2 girls from Hong Kong staying. Their suite had a jacuzzi tub, 6 large windows, and comfy seating for 4.
The 2 couples were very interesting with the girls being in the tech industry in China and gave us some insight into their culture and some travel tech tips (offline maps). All of them were well traveled and had stories to share. It was precisely what I had hoped to encounter when we were making our original Airbnb plans. Both couples were traveling by car which added a different dimension to their perspectives (buying wine by the case from private cellars, etc.).
So on a full stomach we trekked on foot the 1 km into town. We’ve had nice weather since we started but they were calling for rain later in the day so we wanted to make the best of it. There were beautiful squares and interesting shops in narrow streets and lanes and we stumbled upon the Thursday food market in a park-like area. Lots of choices including the cheeses mentioned in the previous post, along with smoked hams (very prevalent and popular in all of France) fruits and vegetables and a great selection of olives. We scored big and took our bounty to a nearby bench to enjoy a picnic lunch. Immediately a girl in a restaurant from across the way came over and asked what we would like to drink. Soon we had a glass of wine each at 2€ apiece. This was a scenario that we hoped to enjoy as often as possible and it couldn’t have gone better.
Then we split up as Carol went to see what she could find of interest and I was on my way to get a haircut from a nearby salon. Outside of Paris English is not as common and it was a bit of a challenge to communicate what I wanted but it’s only hair and mine grows so quickly that I was willing to accept any outcome. I bet you expected to hear a horror story of the results but it turned out well as did almost the entire day. Nothing very interesting to read about really. We stopped for another wine in the afternoon and enjoyed a leisurely walk back home. All of these stops feel like a home away from home because they are a part of people’s lives and they all want to accommodate you in any way that they can so you enjoy your stay in the city that they are proud to show off.
The only fly in the ointment came in the evening when the weather was turning wet. In a light drizzle we left for an evening in the medieval city and opened our brand new Wal-Mart umbrella (from Canada) and it broke before it even opened for the first time (piece of crap) and now the rain was starting to come down in earnest and I was holding the shaft together with a toothpick which worked surprisingly well. There were a number of UK travelers in the area and this weather was nothing to them and they all had quality brollies, I felt silly among them, but not Carol. If it was left to me I would have headed straight back but Carol was leading the ship this night and we plugged on up the hill to the drawbridge in pouring rain, soaking a good portion of the only clothes that we had. Carol was fixated on walking the walls of the ancient city and 40mm of rain wasn’t going to stop her.
Because the roadway technology was 800 years old the only way to divert the water was in a trench down the middle of the undulating narrow streets which increased in width the further it went. It was easy to see what it would have been like for 100s of years in the ancient city. Animal and human feces and garbage would be cascading down the furrows to the moat below and then would have been a stench-filled sewer for quite a time to come. The people living nearest the bottom would have borne the brunt of every rainfall while the higher up that you lived it was only providing a good cleaning. The weather actually was giving us a history lesson that would have been left to our imaginations ifor we wouldn’t have seen it in action. Score one for Carol.
Eventually we gave in and headed back soaking wet and having reduced our selection of outfits for the next day; our travel day onto Collioure on the Mediterranean. Carol was efficient in dealing with the problem and it helped that the apartment came with a heated towel rack and radiator. Score 2 for Carol. Carol picked up her book and I my tablet.
Blue Delivery 