25.10 - Day 284 - Carcassonne, FRA
Friday 25th October - Carcassonne, France (Day 284)
I discovered on my early walk that although we’re in the town centre of today, the castle and citi, as it’s called, are a 15 minute walk to the east, though it's good for my step count. I only spot one other person who isn’t a delivery driver as I enter one of the two gates and stroll around the cobbled streets - all the cafes, museums, shops closed for now.
The citi walls, double layered plus the quality and size of many turrets mean I come back to tell the others over breakfast this may be the best castle / old town yet.
Once school work is done, that is where we head back to the east gate complete with a drawbridge to eat our lunch outside.
As we do so, preparation is underway, and runners are starting to materialise for Les Grand Raid des Cathares, a mere 161 km event over the next three days. Sienna does not find it funny when I suggest I’ve already signed us up.
We’d found at the Tourist Information centre a treasure hunt for the kids - Madame Carcas and The Missing Pigs which excites the kids kids and gives purpose to walking a lap of the Citi.
On the way we come across the medieval camp where various craft activities for kids run across the days. Sienna and Seb are happy just watching a young girl shaping a metal rod, taking it in and out of the flames, and Seb is especially happy to wield a full size sword. We leave before he gets too many ideas.
After finding the missing pigs - pigs because after a 5 year siege, Dame Carcass in the legend fed the last of the wheat to their last pig before flying it over the ramparts. When it explodes on landing King Charlemagne on seeing the wheat believed they had so much food they could feed wheat to their pigs and so lifted the siege - Sienna and Seb unlock a safe in the Tourist Office to prove they’ve worked it out.
Prepped with a snack or two we head into the castle proper which does a great job of explaining the significance of each important room, including the two separate portcullis operated from different floors just to reduce the chance of treachery.
A lap of the ramparts follows going in and through dozens of the cylindrical turrets - seeking to illustrate why it was so hard to attack. A lot of it is restored but it’s all brought together well and Sienna and Seb do admit that yes, it probably is, the best castle as we begin our walk home.
As we do so, runners are passing us and heading to the finish line after a 25 km fist leg run, having to dodge the trickle of tourists as they go. And a hefty 24,000 steps for me too by dinner time in Carcasses Apartment.