Carcassonne - 21 August

For my night train to Toulouse there were no more beds so I had to sit in a seat. They weren't particularly comfortable but it did make it a very cheap night! I had originally been meaning to catch the train from Toulouse straight to Barcelona but I had seen that the train stopped in Carcassonne which I recognised from a board game I used to play. This led me to decide to jump off the train here and spend a few hours. I found a hotel where I could drop my bag off for the day and headed over to the walled city on the other side of the river. The medieval city was absolutely incredible, it stood proudly on the hill looking over the rest of the town. Inside I headed straight for the main keep and got there as it opened. The museum tour of the keep was great as you learnt about the history of conquest of the city as well as all about the fortifications that had been added over the years. In its present form it had never been overrun and you could understand why as every aspect had been thought out. From the keep I then walked around the battlements of the city which gave you a different perspective. You could see the small winding streets of the walled city from above as well as look down on the rest of the city outside the walls. In the distance you could even make out the Pyrenees. I also saw some people practicing their jousting and horse riding, including doing crazy tricks from horse back as their horses ran. I ended my time in Carcassonne by looking at the cathedral and wandering the streets of the city until it was time to leave. I headed back to the station and jumped on the train to Barcelona, leaving France behind for possibly the last time on my trip.