Carcassonne - 28 & 29 July

---

Carcassone, Bas-Langedoc, 28 & 29 July

The locals I met in Marseilles made a lot of fun of Carcassone, saying is was not the real France. The place is so tourist-orientated that this perception is not too surprising. However I did notice locals stocking up at the Saturday morning produce market, proving that people to actually live here.

La Cité - is one of Europes largest city fortifications. It looks like something out of Disneyland with turrets, witches-hat roofs and a dry moat. There is also a castle within the walls. The small, winding streets are chock full of restaurants and kitschy souvenir shops selling everything from jewellry to clothes to medieval costumes and armour, in fact anything possible to separate tourists from their money. At night the illuminated La Cité appears quite magical.

Ville Basse (Lower Town) - The River Aude separates the Ville Basse from La Cité up the hill. There are pedestrianised streets and a main square. The main square is the site of a large open-air market on Saturday. However on Sunday everything seems to shut down, save for a few eateries.

---