From Lourdes, it was another three hour drive to Carcassone.  My research for a route back to Barcelona led me to consider passing through this well-loved fortified town of Carcassone. It is the second most visited attraction in France, apart from the Eiffel Tower. Inspired by my youngest’s passion for Disney fairy tales these days it was imperative that we see the place.

The day has been a long road trip so all of us were raring to have a good dinner and rest.  We finally caught a glimpse of Cite De Carcassone – what a surreal sight it was, with its up-lights illuminating its massive structure.  We drove past a medieval cemetery, headed up the ramp overlooking what was once the moat and arrived at the parking area facing the drawbridge.

As Described by my Daughter Adriana:

“Not only is this town pretty, but their food is amazing too. My favourite dish there there was the Duck Wings in La Trouvere. My Dad also enjoyed the Duck Cassoulet. We only stayed there for a night but it was enough considering we had the town sans the tourists all to ourselves that evening and we enjoyed a peaceful breakfast in a local pub by the square the next day.

Our overnight stay in Hotel Le Donjon (inside the Complex) was my best sleep.  At first I was scared at the thought of staying in a real Medieval mansion.  But nothing scary happened, it was 100% safe there. I woke up the next morning seeing the spires greeting me from our window.  I felt like I was in a Fairy Tale.

The town is quite small so the morning was enough for us to explore the whole place.  My brother and I would pretend we were knights – using the plastic swords on display at the shops to “en-guard”.  We ventured the walls, climbing the steep steps to the overlook and discovered secret pathways underground.  We chanced upon the Church that my mom explained was full of history. We tried the chocolates and sweets in various local candy stores along the way and even met a Filipina who generously gave us more samples after our purchase.  I felt so relaxed in this quaint town – like I was in a fantasy!”

I think all of us had glorious moments there.  Such was our brief romance with Carcassone!