Carcassonne to Albi.

A last chance photo opp of Avignon as we head out to our dinner location.

Dinner last night was excellent. Silver service, location great and meal simply delicious. Entree was stuffed courgette (zucchini) flowers served with a creamy mushroom sauce. My main was a sautéed fillet of sea bream served on polenta. Not that I had any room for dessert, but figured it was the right thing to do seeing as someone went to all the trouble of making it, was a 3 chocolate cream dessert that had an ever so slightly crispy thin layer just above the base. Yummy!

Good company at our table too. Laura had told us that although there was no dress code, this was our chance to dress up a bit, so that’s what everyone except Henry and ditsy Ann did. You guessed it, same orange shorts, same black support stocking socks, same climbing boots, same t shirt and back to the lemon shirt. My bet is that this stunning little number won’t be changed until the end of the tour as the previous similar outfit, except there were long pants so we couldn’t see the knee high socks,were worn for a full week. What could prove interesting is that this duo are also doing the extended tour with us after we return to Paris and I’m unsure if there will be a third ensemble aired or he will simply go back to week 1’s engaging little number. I shall keep you posted!
However, it was a great night out and a noisy coach trip back to the hotel where it was straight to bed.

Awoke to cloudy grey skies and a forecast top of 14. There had been quite a bit of rain overnight. Again, there is greenery everywhere we look at the passing countryside. Always something to look at.

More vines, yet again as we enter the fertile Languedoc region. Short coffee stop along the way which provided one of our little amusing moments. J and I headed for the coffee while others wandered about some of the different shops there,
which included a Burger King we had to walk through into the buildings, but wasn’t open for business yet. Anyway, when J and I get back on the coach, Betty who is sitting behind us, presents me with a Burger King paper crown! I naturally wear it immediately and as you would imagine, I look stunning, or should that be stunned? It caused quite a conversation topic amongst fellow travellers. Some even accused me of stealing it from a children’s table, but I soon corrected them and pointed out that it had in fact been bestowed upon me! Laura started saying that with such power comes great... (I jumped in and said “food”) responsibility. Betty’s husband David was concerned that I was now going to wear my crown for the rest of the trip, but I finally removed it before our next stop. I just wonder how Betty knew instinctively that I am a princess??? Something to ponder on.
Anyhow... and then we were on to Carcassonne where we visit a medieval fortress which is UNESCO World Heritage listed. It’s really well maintained and would have been a formidable fortress. It is like a Sara Lee cake which has layer upon layer of fortification. The outer wall is typical of castle walls, but then you cross a draw bridge that would have been over a moat. As you then go through the portico of the second wall, you see where a portcullis would have been, then over what would have been a second moat and you are in the city, but as you go through narrow alleys you get to the keep which is surrounded by a third wall. No wonder no one ever took over the city, but not for lack of trying.

Laura takes us to the old church which has lovely stained glass windows.

We are then left to our own devices so J and I head for the city square where there are lots of restaurants and eateries. It is a busy place, more so as it is May Day and a public holiday here. Apparently about 3 million people go through this medieval fortress each year, so it would have been busy even if not a holiday. I’ve seen a menu with Camembert roti et salade so I know what I’m having for lunch. J agrees and so we head inside a restaurant as it’s too cold outside for me. Lunch was just lovely (baked Camembert) but I couldn’t eat it all. As yes, we shared a small bottle of white wine.

Plenty of time to wander around all the laneways that are full of shops and galleries, but not with anything we haven’t seen elsewhere. Back on the coach and a two hour drive to Albi, our home for the night, with a lovely photo stop to get our last view of Carcassonne as we headed off.

We are staying in a boutique hotel in Albi, which means that the 4 stars out the front are misleading. It is quaint to say the least and will suit us fine for the night, but I’m sure it will be noisy as there are floating floorboards and as it is a very old building we hear every time someone near us turns on a tap. Our room is highlighted in bright lolly pink and is very ‘girly’. Goodness knows what some of the others are like but I’m sure we will find out at dinner.

We have enough time to find our way to the room, find out I can’t connect to the internet, and head downstairs (2 flights) to meet Laura who is taking those who are interested for a walk to the cathedral which is humongous! A huge fresco adorns inside the front of the church.

We then have a look at the manicured gardens behind the bishops’ buildings. Wow.

Unfortunately the Toulouse Lautrec museum next to the cathedral is closed for the public holiday so we miss out on seeing that. We wander back to the hotel where the young fellow at reception finally gets my iPad to connect to their wifi, at which point I tell him that he is now my new best friend! He was still laughing when I walked away...
We have ‘celebration’ drinks before dinner and then dinner at the hotel Which was really nice, but once again way too much for me to finish any of it. Diced duck breast salad, chicken in tomato and fries, chocolate tart.

Probably appropriate to mention here that we have met up with Betty and David, a retired nurse and lawyer, from Austin Texas. They were initially sitting in front of us on the coach and as per seat rotations are now sitting behind us, but we have had some lovely catch ups with them along the tour. Such a truly lovely couple and as they get my disturbed sense of humour, we get along just gtreat. Betty has even spoken to Laura about us to say how much fun we are. Anyway, we had dinner with them tonight and it really was lovely to have a table to ourselves, when we get on so well. Perhaps the visit to the States I am planning is going to need to include a side trip to Texas!!! We warned them tonight to be careful what they wish for...

Good day, great night. Time for bed in our pink themed bedroom. (Betty & David’s room is green and Laura’s is blue!)