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Published: August 8th 2007
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The Castle at Night
Beautiful and magical, I felt like I should be wearing a princess outfit. Untitled
Julie J Vanover I arrived in Nice and got checked in then headed out to Cannes. It took me forever to get a bus to take me back to the train station. I chose the hostel because it was recommended to me and it was very nice, but it was so far out from everything. So I finally got to the train station and got on the train, but it didn´t go anywhere, then everyone got off. The train had been cancelled, so I hopped on the next one. I walked through Cannes and saw the main building where the film festival happens, the yachts, the beach... there wasn´t a whole lot else. So I headed back to Nice, but had to wait an hour for the train so I didn´t get back until 10:45 at night and I had to find the night bus. I got to the bus stop and there was a drunk French guy who spoke fluent English, he had gone to school at Nebraska State. So I explained to him how the bus system worked and we talked. On the bus he started yelling at me because I didn´t know alot about the French presidential candidates. He apologized
before he got off, but I decided I was done with Nice and left the next morning.
I arrived in Carcassonne, which has an old walled city/castle. I got there and went to the bus stop and waited forever. I asked every bus that stopped and they all told me different things, one driver told me that I had to flag down the driver. Which driver to which bus was I supposed to flag down I don´t know. So I was getting really frusterated and I had my pack on, then I see two Mormon missionaries walking by. I stood up and walked over to them (I think they were a little alarmed actually) and asked them if they spoke English. They both did, one was from Moab and one was from England. They drew me a map and told me that the medieval city was within walking distance, which I knew, but I didn´t know which way. I thanked them, and I think they were happy I wasn´t some crazy lady, and walked to the old city.
I was walking over this bridge when the city appears on the hill larger than life. I arrive at my
French Riviera
This is the French Riviera east of Nice from the train (I got a lot of pictures of blurry trees). hostel, which is inside of the city walls!!! How cool is that, I am going to sleep inside of a medeival city wall! Wow, so I get there and just missed getting into the castle, so I went and explored the town. Inside of the city walls is a bunch of shops, hotels, restaurants and craftsman, and about 100 people who permanently live there. After dark I walked down to the bridge to get some night shots of the castle, which is lit up at night. As you can see from the pictures it is pretty beautiful and dramatic. The next day I went and took a tour of the castle, which was built over a Roman fortress and the earliest construction on the current castle started in the 1300´s. It was added to and fortified over the years and was used to ward off attacks. It was used until the French Spanish border was established further south and then fell into disrepair. It was restored in the 20th century by the same man who restored Notre Dame Viollet-le-Duc. The tour of the castle takes you on the high walls of the castle and tells you about the history. Wow!!!
Carcassonne
This is my first view of Carcassonne walking over the bridge. This was my first castle in Europe and it was quite good one to start out with. I headed down to the train station to catch my train to Barcelona, but the train was sold out. So I headed back up to town (hauling my pack up the hill again), got to my hostel and they didn´t have any openings. So she sent me down to an Abbey, yes and Abbey. I was checked in my this little French nun who kept talking to me in French even though I told her I didn´t speak French. So I spent the night in a Nunnery, never in my life did I think this would happen, and headed out to Barcelona early the next morning. And that´s the story, but I left out a few tears and boughts of bad words.
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Bill
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Adventures
I bet you will write a book of your adventures when you get back-I'll be the first buyer!