Geo: 44.693, -0.08549Today is one of our first overcast days since we arrived in France two weeks ago. We started our day visiting an old 11th century church and cemetery, which was located close to our home. It was then off to Rauzan where we visited a lovely old castle built in the 13th century when the land belonged to the English Crown. It was restored in a Gothic style after the Hundred Year War. During upheavals in 1848 the castle was pillaged and then sold for the value of the stones. This stopped in 1862 when it was listed as a historical monument. During WW2 the castle was used by the Germans as a munitions bunker. We enjoyed exploring this lovely old castle. It is our favourite, so far.Then it was off to Sauveterre de ... read more

Geo: 42.5245, 3.08232This morning we headed off on our last road trip in southern France. We arrived at Collioure which is only fifteen minutes from the Spanish border. It is a picturesque historical seaside village. The blue of the Mediterranean was amazing. There is a big 800 year old castle right in the town which we enjoyed exploring. The views from the castle, of the Mediterranean and Collioure, were lovely. Walking through the castle archways you could almost feel its medieval past.We stopped for lunch up one of the many alleyways before continuing our sightseeing of Collioure. Many famous artist like Matisse, Picasso and Derain had spent time painting in Collioure. It was lovely to see this little part of the French Vermillion Coast. It was definitely touristy, but worth the visit. ... read more

Geo: 43.3357, 4.6637After lunch we headed out for a drive in the Languedoc wine area. We drove through miles and miles of vineyards. We stopped in Salleles d'Aude to view Canal du Midi that flows through the middle of the town. Then it was off to Saint Chinian where we enjoyed a yummy ice cream. Our final stop of the day was in the little town of Puisserguier. As we drove along we saw the town's castle from the road and decided to check it out. Narrow alleyways wind up towards the medieval castle, which is first mentioned in 1083. The local guide informed us about the castle and its history. It once was an estate belonging to the King of France, before it was sold as a national asset to a succession of fourteen families. ... read more

Geo: 44.3014, 3.32025We were off early today to start our overnight trip up through Gorges du Tarn. Our first stop was to view the amazing Viaduc de Millau. It is a long cable-stay bridge that spans the valley of the Tarn River. It is one of the world's tallest bridges. It is 343 meters in height which is 19 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower. It was amazing to drive across and stunning to view from a viewpoint. Definitely an astonishing engineering masterpiece! We then drove into the town of Millau and enjoyed a coffee and pastries. We continued north through the Massif Central Uplands where we discovered two world heritage sites, the Cevennes and the Causses. The drive through the Tarn Gorges was very picturesque. Lots of steep rock faces, historical villages, chateaus, fortresses and ... read more

Geo: 43.8346, 4.36086We set off early today to the historical city of Nimes. During our drive there was a traffic jam along our freeway, so we took a detour through one of Europes largest river deltas known as Parc Naturel Regional de Camargue. It is a haven for more than 400 species of birds. Once arriving in Nimes, which was an important outpost of the past Roman Empire, we parked our vehicle and headed off to explore the narrow streets and tree lined boulevards. Denim jeans originated from Nimes.We wandered through Jardins de la Fontaine with its neo classical statues and fountains to the Tour Magne. Tour Magne is a 34 m Roman tower that was once a part of the city's outer fortifications and now stands at the top of Jardins de la Fontaine overlooking ... read more