Carcassonne

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Today I was on the road for over four hours, driving from San Sebastián in Spain to Carcassonne in the region of southern France known as the Languedoc. Carcassonne is famous for its well-preserved medieval walls (see photo). The fortifications are especially impressive up close (see photo), but tourists and school groups breach them regularly these days (see photo). I followed Rick Steves's walking tour and paid extra to walk along the top of the walls. It was fun to do, with good views, but last year's visit to the city walls of Dubrovnik is still my favorite. One of the Carcassonne sights is a gothic church where St. Dominic once preached. It is a lovely space and, when I was there, a quartet of men was singing Schubert's Ave Maria (see photo). After dinner I took a walk around the walls of the city so I could see them lit up. If anything, they are more impressive at night (see photo).

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