My blogging was interrupted by a bad wifi connection at our last hotel in Arles. So, now I am trying to catch it up from home. Hard to believe that it has only been a week since we were strolling the streets of Carcasonne, a well preserved medieval city which was at its heyday in the 12th century with a population of nearly 3000 within the Cite walls. With th
e modernization of warfare and shifting geographic importance the site fell into decline by the 16th century but was restored by the architect Viollet Le Duc in the 19th century. The walled city is now a UNESCO world heritage site and the 5th most visited National Monument in France. But there are now only about 50 permanent residents as most of the homes have been turned into shops and restaurants.
After making our way by bus from Bordeaux during the 
morning we arrived at the gates of Carasonne just in time for lunch at a restaurant specializing in casoulet, a hearty stew of beans and a variety of meats and sausages. After dropping our backpacks at the hotel, we met our local guide for a walking tour which included the castle inside its own walls and a cathedral which seemed far too grand for such a small community.
We had the privilege of spending the night within the walled c
ity and had a chance to walk once more around the outer walls, but we had to leave bright and early the next morning. I could easily have spent another day exploring this charming place.