France: Fireworks Edition

I saved the fireworks for a separate blog, since we have so many cool shots, courtesy of Dad.

All I'm here to say is, I have seen my preferred fireworks display and can die happy. Move over, Disney! Seriously, I cannot compute how much all those fireworks cost! We walked around the corner of our neighborhood and got a fantastic view along the canal. With the background of the medieval city, our view was spectacular.

I know you always lose something when you video record it, but in person, these fireworks were so amazing I actually teared up frequently during the 20 minute display. Enjoy.

France, pt. six

Due to high traffic predictions, and the coolness of the town where we were staying, we chose to stay put and tour Carcasonne for Tuesday, Bastille Day. Carcasonne boasts the largest fireworks display in all of France. But it also has one of the most restored castles in the area.

All the cool castles charge admission, but we didn't come all that way just to look at the outside. True, we drove to many castles on this trip, and some of them were accessed by a long, uphill climb. We usually drove to those, and then chose whether or not to pay to enter. Even ruins can look cool, but the restored castles were more up Mom's alley. Good thing we chose Carcasonne.

The city of Carcasonne is directly next to the Medieval Cité. I'm a bit rusty on my history, but I think the castle in the Medieval part was built around 1100-1200 in stages, and surrounded by two complete ramparts. The outer ring was built at a different time than the inner walls, and the narrow twisted streets became filled with city amenities like tanners and bakers and such. Currently, it houses shops and museums and restaurants, plus a hotel or two, such as the one pictured here. We wondered how you can drive up to it and park, since the town is entirely pedestrian. At times, the surrounding town (the Carcasonne area) was razed to the ground (almost completely) to rebuild a tighter controlled area.

The other picture is from a confectioner's store, where they had expensive and beautiful piles of cookies. So nice! We were all waiting on Sean to make a purchase across the way, and someone was giving away samples in this shop of these cookies; we were like moths to the flame! I would have bought some but they were super expensive. The free ones tastes great! However, Sean did not get to see or partake, as he did not see me wave to him from the store.

This last random picture was taken by my Dad. We spotted this kid in line for admission to the castle and thought it looked just like Chris circa 1982.

France, pt. cinq

At the very least, one bonus of taking a vacation with your dad is getting to take photographs of Dad taking photographs. Sometimes, we take photographs of each other taking photographs. Usually it worked out really well, as there was too much around us to photograph.

France, pt. quatre: Cordes-sur-Ciel

Just a few minutes past Albi is a small town called Cordes-sur-Ciel, a darling town on the top of a hill. It looks impressive from a distance, and, as we found out, even better when you pass it up and look back upon it. This town came complete with 8ft wide, two lane roads at about 15% grade incline.

Like most of these towns, visitors are encouraged to park just outside the main part and walk into town. These streets are steep enough to make this walk a bit huffy, and, like I mentioned for Albi, it was roaring hot. But the walk was worth it, as you get an eagle eye's view of the surrounding countryside at the top of the town, peering over vineyards and mountains.

This town has a Medieval festival each year on the day after we arrive. I think we were there the day before Bastille Day, so it made sense. They all dress up in medieval costume, even renting costumes to visitors and tourists, and all speak in langue d'oc and just generally cavort. They were setting up for it when we passed through. Shaw and I went to a wine store and had a bit of a taste of some typical area wines. They tend to be soft, but pleasant, and we liked enough to buy one and drank it that night for dinner (plus some food).

France, pt. trois: Albi

Albi is one of the three "red cities" in southern France. Only slightly less famous than Toulouse, it gets its name from the red bricks used in most of the old houses. Albi was about 2 hours away from Carcasonne, following a terribly scenic road through forests and mountains, plus all the quaint small towns beckoning to us like Greek sirens. Most of the small towns were along the Aude River, which snaked itself right through Carcasonne.

Albi taught us a hard lesson: small southern French towns often shut down, hard, after lunch, and don't revive until dinner. I can see why, as it was blazing hot that day. We had a lunch destination in mind that closed earlier than advertised, a backup that also closed just before we arrived, and a secondary backup that was probably out of business. We did stumble on a place in the main square that served delightful salads and ice creams that kept us going until dinner.

After the Salad Revival, we went back to the Cathedral of St. Cecilia to tour. Heavily Gothic, this one had brightly colored gesso paintings all over the ceiling, and a huge depiction all over the front behind the altar of the Judgment. The bottom layer was all the people roasting and skewered, the next level was a procession of penitents, and the upper layer was a congregation of saints with hymn books. I'm guessing it was a serious deterrent to sin in a 14th century congregation. There was no picture of Jesus or mercy anywhere. Then we read the tablet in the back. In the very center, just behind the altar, there were two pulleys which seemed to suspend some sort of tapestry that was missing. The tablet showed the front of the church as it should be, with a huge tapestry of Jesus in the direct center, stretching from the floor to the soaring ceiling. I wish it had been in place. As Cecilia is the patron saint of music, this cathedral had a really impressive choir section that took up the entire back half of the space, but conveniently partitioned off so as to charge for viewing. I bet it was spectacular.

France, pt. deux

No lie. Check out the license plate. And we didn't even specially request it, although I would have if I could.

This trip to France was primarily a driving trip. And I hate driving trips. Each day, we set out for towns about two hours away from Carcasonne, our home base, and while I had planned the destinations, I was dreading all the driving.

I can say now, with all confidence, I do not dread ALL driving trips. This was some of the most beautiful driving country in all creation. It also helps to have an excellent driver along. Shaw, not only fluent at road signs, is a masterful manual transmission interpreter. I will brag on his european driving skills till death do us part and beyond. We went on some pretty snakey, twisty, narrow roads that were interpretively two-way. And many of them were up mountain cliffs! But they were well worth it, as I will post pictorally below.

Some of my favorite moments of the trip were just driving on roads through towns of 10-15 buildings so picturesque you had to examine them all, and then 100 yds later the town was over and another small town began. They were all so inviting and charming, and you just had to pass through them as it was the only road from here to there.

France, and Stuff, pt. un

We just got back from our trip to southern France last weekend. I have to say, the trip can be summed up in the following words:

yummy
gorgeous
quaint
hot

We stumbled upon some wineries in Corbieres and purchased some wine we can't get at home. (However, thank you TEXAS @#%^$##$@ for not letting us ship anything tasty to our door step!^$%^%%&#$^*^%(#%^$) I'm thinking of adding another S to the end of our state. However, when we stopped in wineries in France, you tasted everything you wanted to, free. I'm just used to California wineries, where they want a buck anywhere they can get it.

We tasted and purchased Blanquette from Limoux. This sparkling wine originates there and claims to rival Champagne. It does; and cheaper. We tasted and purchased some others in the area, as well, and found them so enjoyable. I did pass up a Rose in Corbieres that will haunt me for at least a few months; if you ever see a Rose from Trillol, you are hallucinating, as they do not sell it in the States. But if you do, buy it for me!

We ate in a variety of towns, too. Dad, turns out, can be very adventurous in his selections. That was great for me, since I didn't want to actually order a whole main course of weird stuff but could sucker him for a bite.

As for me, my eating goal was to consume as much fresh, hot white bread as possible no matter the consequences. And coffee. I drink coffee on vacation. The bakery was about 7 minutes round trip from the house, with morning and afternoon hours of hot, lucious, caloric, crusty bread and pastries. Heaven!