weekends in Carcassonne. — always grace, unlikely graceful.

Oct 3

Oct 3 weekends in Carcassonne.

Here's the thing: France is small compared to the States. So it's very easy to get around. Especially if you have access to a car. I would, however, like to point out that most cars here are stick shifts - which I have some trouble with. Donc, for this weekend excursion, I was not the driver. However, I have been promised lessons during my time here.

Alors, last weekend, Sophie and I ventured to Carcassonne to see her family, which is about a 3-hour drive from Bordeaux [which is considered somewhat far in France]. After lunch at her parents', the two of us headed to town. We wandered around the center of town before heading to the Cité - the Cathédrale Saint-Michel is absolutely breathtaking, as the vaulted ceilings are painted, which I hardly ever see, and the light just pours into the cathedral.

Cathédrale Saint-Michel de Carcassonne, France

In addition to visiting the cathedral, I highly recommend swinging by the Grand Pharmacie de la Gare. It's a) huge [French pharmacies have the best beauty products] and b) it's less expensive than most other pharmacies. Will be definitely checking out the Grand Pharmacie in Bordeaux.

After picking up some essentials at the pharmacy, we walked up to cité of Carcassonne, which is the fortified city/citadel above the town.

The Cité is quite impressive - inside, there are many homes and shops, along with the chateau. If I'm being honest, Sophie and I skipped the chateau this time around. And we may have stopped at a candy store as well as one of the many crêpe stands as we wandered through the Cité.

The thing about going to visit someone's family home in France is that there's a very good chance you will meet their entire family. The same thing happens if you ever visit me at home - you meet my parents, my sister, my brother-in-law, my grandfather, my uncles, etc. - you get the idea. Needless to say, I met all of Sophie's family, which I loved. On Sunday, we drove to her grandparents' vineyard. After an extensive and incredibly thorough tour of the property, which included a tour of the barn where they kept the horses that plowed the fields and a look at the largest oak tanks I've ever seen, we took a driving tour of the surrounding area. [Side note: family homes and properties in France are brimming with antiques - my eyeballs almost popped out of my head as we looked at old woodworking tools, tables, and armoires. I'm sure my jaw hung open as well - everything was incredibly beautiful and rustic.]

As we drove through the countryside, I felt at ease, even as we drove on two lane roads that were really only one lane roads sans ceinture de sécurité. For me, there's something comforting about driving through small towns, surrounded by vineyards - it feels like home.