carcassonne.

+jmj+

Stop 2 on the tour of Southern France is to Carcassonne! After a few days in Bordeaux, we hopped on the train heading southeast to find ourselves in this terribly historic medieval castle town. It is so cool here.

Basically, about 5 centuries before Jesus was born, some ancient tribes built a little fortress thing on the top of a hill in Southern France. Then, about 3 centuries after Jesus was born, the Romans built a bigger, stronger castle, which was expanded even further in the 12th century, by the French kings and, eventually, St. Louis. There is a lot of history contained within these walls, which is just fascinating. Considering Carcassonne's proximity to Spain, the area has gone between Roman, Spanish, and French rule for centuries. It finally came under permanent French rule in the 17th century, and was restored in the 19th. In 1997, Carcassonne and its incredible castle were named as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is a massive castle, with about 3 kilometers of walls, and a total of 52 towers.

the Basilica of St. Nazaire and St. Celse

St. Dominic preached here during Lent in 1213!

We took a boat ride along the Canal du Midi--a canal built in the 17th century to link the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Lovely views, even with all of the wind.

one of the locks we went through

The castle is so cool. We are staying in a hotel at the very foot of the hill, so we are super close, and we can see it all lit up at night. I feel like I'm living in the 13th century! We leave tomorrow, but the history lessons will continue in Avignon!

pax christi.

bordeaux

+jmj+

The weather was not great in Bordeaux. That put a bit of a damper on the whole "tourist" bit that I normally try to avoid anyway. We saw some cool things, but overall, the rain was not much of a motivator to explore as I normally would a new city.

In all honesty, wine was the biggest motivation for visiting Bordeaux. I knew it was a beautiful city, but it has never really stuck out to me as a must-visit spot in France beyond the fact that it is the capital of wine country. I was not quite sure of what exactly was here other than châteaux--I knew the Cathedral was pretty, and pretty old. And that Bordeaux is also one of the stops on the Camino de Santiago, from France. Other than these fun facts, I was rather ignorant of other significant monuments or buildings, leaving exploration, a map, and some wine to guide me and my mom through the city.

cool fountain in the place des quinconces

cathédrale de st-andré

saint andrew's cathedral on the camino!

st andrew's from above

city hall

this is a movie theatre

st. peter's

a large clock

a lonely archway

a fancy castle vestige

my mom in the park--recreating monet's gardens

I wish the weather had been nicer for our jaunt in Bordeaux. But we made do, and enjoyed wine all the while. Therefore, it was no failure.

pax christi.

WINE.

+jmj+

Wine is sacred in France. Especially in Bordeaux, wine reigns supreme. It is everything from a very basic table drink to the fanciest beverage around. And it's just fabulous. Being in Bordeaux is a whirlwind of wine and walking! When it's not raining...

fountain in Bordeaux

Yesterday, we toured two wine châteaux in the Bordeaux region. The first, the Château Reynier, was a quaint, family owned and operated vineyard on breathtaking property. The château, which is also the family's home, was just beautiful and the vineyards were picturesque. We toured the property, saw the fermentation and bottling processes, and tasted some wine.

château de reynier

wine being bottled and sealed with a cork

wine fermenting in oak barrels, in a cave

baby grape vines!

The second château, the Château de France, was a much bigger production, yet with less-stellar wine. We briefly toured the property and buildings, followed by another wine tasting. But the first château remained an easy winner.

château de france

It was a day full of what makes Bordeaux Bordeaux. Wine!

pax christi.