Day 9: Carcassonne, Le département de l'Aude

The city of Carcassonne has been inhabited since the Neolithic period. It has been occupied by the Romans and the Visigoths.

We took a 20 minute mini-bus ride around the perimeter as well as strolling through the narrow inner laneways which were densely populated by tourists and souvenir shops which detracted from the magnificence of the history surrounding this mediaeval fort.
We finished the afternoon at the Basilica of St Nazaire and were pleasantly surprised by the presence of a Russian orthodox vocal quartet singing beautifully. The acoustics in the church are well suited to such a performance. It was a fitting end to a day's activities.
On the way home (a mere hour's drive) we detoured from Tomasina's instructions and took a few deviations into some delightful villages. At every turn there is another wonder!