Europa Day 20

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Day 20

Driving from Toulouse towards Provence today. We have a few minor things to finalize in Toulouse (duty free tax papers to be finalized and pack the bags). The first means that Chris gets to ride the metro in Toulouse with Alain to go to town to do the paper work while I do the second.

Bags and car packed and then paper work finalized and we say our farewells to our hosts for the past 4 days of extremely fine hospitality and tourist guides.on our way around midday so not too bad at all.

On to the motorway and off into the sunset. First stop is another medieval town called Carcasson. Another sight as you drive in that is out of the movies - a castle with the parapets, moats and other old stuff.....

We park the car and do the town walk. Similar to Cordes, button bloody hills this time.....

Castle your is worth the time and we learn a few new bits about the Romans and their ways. Another cathedral as well, but bugger me, this ones different again and even better then the others we have seen mow many is that - NFI).

Away and straight to Graveson (our next place of residence) - or so I think until Stella tells me differently along the way - there is a traffic jam that will add 79 minutes to the trip - do I want a better way. Yes please Stella.... Only 55 minutes this way so guess what - 55 minutes extra it is. Actually a nice diversion by the seaside and through lots of roundabouts. Thought that Canberra had the monopoly on them - wrong.....

Finally into our next B&B. Stella does the job nicely and we turn into the old farm house that is our next stop. Greeted by the lady of the house who speaks very little English but we get the information we need. Her son (Jean-Paul) is in town and will be back later. No dramas, unpack bags, room is fantastic and we decide to have tea at the local Pizza restaurant. Easy to find but we get lost (sorry, misled by the directions on the card for the restaurant).

Eventually find the place and we are on our own wondering if it is that good??? Ask the waitress a question and she runs off to get the closest English waiter to help. Finally get an order in and we have a beer and the pizzas arrive sooner than expected. Wow, greats great and tased even better. By this time we had quite a few more people in the place - typically French, no one starts out to tea before 1930.....

Get back to the B&B and park the car and are greeted with the question - would you like to join us for a red wine. Is the pope a Catholic??????

We meet our host - Jean-Paul who is the pope with the red wine..... He introduces us to another couple from Oz. Gosford - or somewhere in NSW..... Nice couple - mid 30's and both worked for DPI - lots of stories about crops, lives, oranges, etc. may this time we had hit the 2nd bottle of the hosts wine and he proceeded to bring out pickled garlic, olives and beautiful cherries.

Eventually hit the sack and set the alarm for a 0900 breakfast.

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