Market and Carcassonne

First up today the market in Bram. And the chance to drive with Paul as passenger - very comforting to hit a little village with advice where and how to park etc.

The photos speak for the experience.

I purchased some very runny smelly Brie, truffle cheese, dried hibiscus for putting in glasses of bubbles tomorrow night, dried melon (omg it is good!), truffled almonds, and Mille-feuille, and raspberry tart for tonight's dessert. Paul, who is very knowledgeable about all things food (as is cousin Jenny) was a marvelous guide! We returned in time to have a quick lunch of bread and cheese with Jenny during her pause from working.

Then off to Carcossonne on my own, feeling a lot better about driving. My tech I bought with me (mag-charge that attaches to vents, and a converter for USB-C to USB-A) make it so efficient to hop in the car, shove my phone at the mag charge for it to magnetize on the plate and start chargeing immediately, and car play light up.

The sun had come out too. There were extensive views everywhere of grape vines looking red and yellow with the sun out, and trees autumn colors too. And the wee villages with claustrophobic but ever-so-quaint roads with a speed limit of 30kmh are just adorable.

This is the low tourist season which meant I could park right by the entrance to Le Cite Medieviale and there weren't hoards of tourists to work around. On a hill, it looks like something out of a disney tale. Walls, towers, turrets, drawbridge and moat. No wonder it is a UNESCO world heritage site. There are stunning views of west Carcassonne, Pyrenees, and canal du Midi. It was going to be demolished in the 19th century but thankfully a very large restoration project was undertaken.

I explored the The Chateau which involved a lot of steps and thankfully I came away in ok shape (the sort of activity that can tip me into a lot of pain) then erred on the side of caution and skipped the ramparts. I still came away with my head full of it and feeling fortunate to have made it there.