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Sunday 10
th May. I had learned during the week that there is a Mass in English on Sunday at the church of Notre Dame du Taur. This church is said to be at the exact spot where the Romans stopped dragging the martyr St Saturnin (now St Sernin) to death through the streets of Toulouse behind a bull, though his remains lie in the nearby Cathedral (previously mentioned). This was in the 4
thCentury. There were about 40 people at the Mass.
I had been told not to miss Carcassonne, which has a huge fortified old city on a hill, near the modern city. Its less than an hour by train from Toulouse, so I headed to the railway station after Mass. The train I had intended to travel on was an intercity train, non-stop to Carcassonne, but I was unable to get a ticket for it – I was there about 20 mins before the departure time, and I suspect that, as the intercity trains (which are massive, say 12-15 cars) all have booked seats, it may be that the bookings are closed half an hour before its due or something like that. It meant I had to travel by
the all-stops TER train 90 minutes later.
To fill in the time I went to the Sunday market, not far from the station. Very pleasantly located in shady streets around a church, this market has a variety of things, like food, clothes, jewelry, and bits’n’pieces.
The train trip to Carcassonne was very pleasant, with views of the very green fields, rolling hills, villages, the canal at times, and the Pyrénées in the distance. At Carcassonne, the old city is about 30 mins walk from the station, with inadequate signage! I did find it, and wow! It’s like a cross between a Disneyland castle (all those round towers) and a medieval fortress, which is what is actually was. Originally built as an enclosed and fortified city in Roman times, it was turned into a fortress in the 13
th Century during the violent suppression of the Cathars and the Albigensian Heresy. The buildings were expanded and improved again later, once it had become part of the Kingdom of France. It was restored in the 19
th Century.
Inside the walled old city it is basically a tourist mecca, with a high density of tourist boutiques and restaurants! One can pay
Gargoyle with a toothache
Reminds me of one of the stone cornice decorations at Château d'Amboise featuring a man getting hit over the head with a rolling pin by his wife. to visit the castle itself, which I did. Very interesting, but it seems relatively new and doesn’t feel particularly authentic, compared say to the Loire Valley châteaux, and also Provins. The city has a theme park feel to it. Very impressive nonetheless, due to its immense size and detail, and being intact (following the thorough restoration).
Quite a warm day walking back, and I needed some help from locals to find my way to the station! Not a lot of signage about. The train back was a non-stop intercity train, packed full and with poor air conditioning, thus really hot inside!
It’s Monday morning now, and I’m about to leave for school. Guess what? The buses are on strike! Good exercise though.
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