title A Couple of Days in Carcassonne, Aude, France - 21st September 2006 intro The second part of a week away finds Nosher and Isobel deep in the department of Aude, in southwest France, at the restored mediaeval walled city of Carcassonne - a place Nosher hadn't been to since the age of around 13 or 14. It was one of those "turn up and find somewhere" moments, and so after parking the car and finding the tourist office, we eventually secure a night at a reasonably-priced hotel which ends up being only about 200 yards from the main entrance to La Cité, at Porte Narbonnaise. Inside in the old town is by default quite touristy, but it's still an attractive place, and the walls and towers are still pretty stunning. We return in the evening, after most of the tourist hordes have drifted away, and find the old city much quieter - Isobel even gets to eat local delicacy Cassoulet at the pleasant restaurant we end up in for the evening. imgp6997 There's a Vespa moped covered in stickers imgp6998 Old buildings imgp7000 The streets of Carcassonne imgp7001 Inside a pattisserie imgp7002 Isobel scopes around in a biscuit shop imgp7004 On the Rue Saint-Louis imgp7005 Inside the Basilique Saint-Nazaire imgp7011 Saint Nazaire stained glass imgp7015 Isobel peers out through an arrow slit imgp7016 The Basilique Saint-Nazaire imgp7017 Isobel roams the deserted Lices imgp7019 The old town which sits west of La Cité imgp7020 Isobel looks out imgp7022 Isobel walks up from the Porte d'Aude imgp7024 Isobel near the Porte d'Aude imgp7027 Another view of the old town imgp7029 There's a cute wooden model of Carcassonne imgp7030 Café tables at Le Grand Puits imgp7033 More street life imgp7034 Some dudes at a café imgp7035 Isobel and Nosher have a beer imgp7036 At the Restaurant Blanquette de Limoux imgp7037 Walking the streets imgp7041 Autumn leaves drift around a carousel imgp7043 We head back into La Cité, which is nicely lit up imgp7048 Les Lices at night imgp7050 Isobel imgp7054 Isobel looks down a well outside Le Grand Puits imgp7056 Empty Carcassonne streets by night imgp7065 A couple drink red wine and look stern imgp7066 Interesting heads peek out from the stone wall imgp7067 Isobel sits on a monument imgp7070 A dude outside a shop imgp7071 The Porte Narbonnaise imgp7073 Simple stained glass windows imgp7076 The Eglise Saint-Gilmer, west of Carcassonne imgp7077 Isobel peeps out of a window at Château Comtal imgp7079 The walls and the Porte d'Aude imgp7081 Isobel looks at stuff imgp7084 Tourists roam around imgp7087 Isobel in the battlement's wooden shuttering imgp7088 Carving in Chateau Comtal museum imgp7091 Mediaeval wall paintings imgp7093 A group of tourists mills around in Chateau Comtal