Incommunicado

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I know...posting has dropped off lately. While Wednesday (8/16) was actually just spent hanging around Limoux, Thursday to Saturday was a whirlwind trip around the region to the northwest. Since I forgot my voltage transformer and computer's power cord, I've had to be judicious in my use of both the computer and the camera. But we are back now, so entries from the trip will be forthcoming.

But first, Wednesday...

It was a relaxed day (by my recent standards). Simone worked and I slept in. She came back for lunch (they get two hours off for lunch here, 12:30p - 2:30p) and made us a very nice meal including some delicious rice with cashews. After Simone finished work, we spent the evening just relaxing in Limoux. I have included pictures from in and around the square.

For those of you interested in history (secular or religious)…

Everywhere you go here, you see signs calling this the Pays de Cathare (area/region of the Cathars). It seems their cultural, historical, and architectural impact on the region was quite significant. So we could learn more, this evening we went to see a very educational multimedia slide show on the Cathars.

The Cathars were a Christian religious order that spanned much of this area and flourished in the 12th century until the Roman Church labeled them heretics and hunted them down via the Inquisition. As you can imagine, variations on the Roman Church’s brand of Christianity were really bad for business (the business of establishing the one true religioud belief system and, thus, an indisputable source of divine power).

Unfortunately, the top members of the Cathar order were not allowed to lie, and thus the capture of a single Cathar usually meant the capture of those they knew. Since the most devote members would rarely recant their faith, large numbers were burned alive or killed attempting to flee or resist the tyranny of the Church. In the process, the Church managed to not only wipe out the religion, but achieved the convenient side benefit of keeping (or redistributing to its supporters) the Cathar land and any posessions they may have had. And who ever said murdering and plundering don’t pay?

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