Carcassonne is divided into two cities; the old and the new.
High on the hill on one side of the river is the Old City with it's walls intact.
The Old City, dating from the 9 or 10th century, is today largely a tourist trap. Full of shops, cafes, restaurants, cheap souvenirs, an upmarket hotel and of course tourists.
The unremarkable Basilica St Nazaire,within Old Carcassonne, has some spectacular stained glass windows.
The Lower City is on the other side of the river. In the late 12th century the locals were evicted from the old city after an uprising. They were only allowed to build on the lower ground on the other side of the river. Today the Lower City is the main part of town.
The Canal du Midi which begins in Toulouse and extends 240km to the Mediterranean Sea, passes through Carcassonne.
Maybe next year we can rent a canal barge like this, Jenelle?
After our visit to Carcassonne we take a drive through the countryside to have a look at the major dam in the region; Lake Montbel. Fed by the melting snow of the Pyrenees, Lake Montbel is getting low by the end of summer. Most of the water (90%) is used for agriculture, but the cost of the water (96%) is paid by the residents through their town water supply charges. Agriculture is very heavily subsidised by the government and strongly supported by the people. Agriculture and rural life is the heart of modern France.
We drive around the Lake a little looking for photo opportunities. Along the way we see a Chateau in the distance but despite our best efforts to get closer it disappears like a mirage.
In the end we find the local sail club on the shore of the lake. The French love their sailing. There is not a major town within cooee of here, but the shoreline is covered with small sail boats.
