Languedoc in October- Carcassonne - (Howard Speaks!)

In the south of France, Provence gets all the press, so Kathy decided that we needed to see something different; how about Languedoc? On the border with Spain, Mediterranean Sea, mountains, perhaps some sun? Languedoc, say it fast 10 times. "Long Doc", means "language of Oc" Oc was the original way to say "yes" in the region, and back between the 10th and 13th Centuries, the northern way of saying yes became dominant after Languedoc was conquered by Northern France, "Oui, Oui".

Carcassonne is a unique town with a full fledged hilltop walled city complete with moats, drawbridges, towers, ramparts and a town. It is a World Heritage Site as well it should be. Apparently as the legend goes the town was under siege by Charlemagne and on the brink of starvation. A clever woman named Madame Carcass fed the last pig in town their last grain, and threw the pig over the wall as a middle finger to Charlemagne, "see we can outlast you, we can spare this pig, you pig". Charlemagne was fooled and called off the siege and left. Madame rang the celebration bell (or sonne): Carcass-sonne.

Here is a rather unflattering statue of Madame Carcass.

Enough history, get a load of these pictures.

Here is a shot of the Canal du Midi-Completed in 1681, this sleepy, 155-mile canal connects France's Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts.

Cathars, who the heck where these people? Christians who lived in southern France between the 11th and 13 Centuries; Vegetarians, believed in re-incarnation, peaceful, saw life as a battle between Good and Evil (or the Spiritual vs. the Material, so we know where they would fit today). Oh, did I mention that they were Christians? Oh, but they were a bit different and not of the Roman style persuasion, so of course they were wiped out by the year 1321, by who? Well by the pope denominated Roman style Christians, of course. Can't we all get along?

They had very cool fortresses though, and apparently alot of time on their hands. They also must have been very hardy walking up and down these mountains, which are about the height of Mt. Diablo.

These pictures are from the Chateau du Queribus, the last Cathar fortress to be conquered. The border between France and Spain in the Pyrenees is just south of here. Apparently back then, this was the border.

After a lovely visit in this part of Languedoc we drove to the sleepy little town of Collioure on the Mediterranean.