It was Alicia’s heart’s desire to play the game of Carcassonne in Carcassonne, so we took the train there this morning. We had a 20-minute walk to the old town, which is completely surrounded by a wall. It took a good upward climb to reach it, but it was worth every step. The town was absolutely charming, full of picturesque shops and narrow streets. We entered a church, and for the second time in a week, happened upon a choir performing in a church with vaulted ceilings. This one was six guys, and I fell in love with the bass. His voice was so deep, full and growly! Actually, the entire sextet was wonderful. We sat and listened for a bit, and when one song ended, one of the members announced that there were CDs of these songs and others for sale up front, and invited us to come forward and purchase them. After a 10-minute break, they took up singing again. Such luck, to come upon such beautiful singing twice in such a short time.
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| The church at Carcassonne |
We ate lunch outside the church, dining on sandwiches, water, soft drinks and crepes. Then we explored Carcassonne, including entering the chateau there and doing a self-guided tour. Peter bought an audio guide, but he said it held the same information as the signs along the way. There was a large courtyard with decking surrounding a couple of trees, so we settled in there to play a round of Carcassonne, fulfilling Alicia’s dream. Afterward, we walked atop the walls of the city, enjoying the views both into and out of the town.
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| Jamie prepares to place her tiles in the game of Carcassonne |
We descended into the new city and traversed the main shopping area, stopping in one shop where Alicia and I bought clothes. I bought a double T-shirt package with a nifty line drawing on it. Tired, we headed for the train station.
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| A view of the walled city of Carcassonne |
As we waited for our train to take us to Montpellier, we sat on benches on the platform, with Alicia nearest one of the tracks. She began reading. Several moments later, I looked up and realized that a freight train was coming full speed through the station on the track next to us, and reached out a hand to stabilize her. The train ripped through the station, startling her considerably, blowing my hat off and blasting several other things around.
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