Cassoulet in the Cité
September 21st
On our drive to Carcassonne we stopped at a picnic area just outside of the city and to our delight we had a fantastic view of the Cité (walled city) while we ate our lunch.
We checked into the charming B&B La Cour Carree, which is located on a lovely tree-lined avenue in the city center just 20 minutes walk to the Old Cité. Once we were settled Regis gave us quick directions and we walked to the castle hill. The walk was indeed UP hill but worth the time even though the old city was jammed with tourists buying all kinds of souvenirs.
A little bit of history...Carcassone was the seat of power of the Counts of Carcassonne in the 12th Century. Royal forces seized Carcassonne from 1209-1229. In the 19th century, the city was on the verge of demolition and was used as a stone quarry. Over a 50 year period restoration was done to give it back it's medieval appearance. It is the largest intact walled city in Europe, larger even than Dubrovnik in Croatia. The views from the hill are spectacular and we took ample photographs from every angle of the castle hill.
We had a recommendation from two lovely gentlemen from the Netherlands to make a reservation at Comte Roger located in the Cité...so we did. The restaurant is a Michelin reviewed establishment and it lived up to it's billing. The food was wonderful, the service very friendly and the cost was really reasonable to our surprise. To start we shared the foie gras which was sautéed and served over caramelized apples with a little salad atop. I normally am a little grossed out by what they do to a goose to get this delicacy but they had me at caramelized apples. Also it is a specialty of the region. Next I chose the cassoulet which is another famous dish in this area and Jay had the pork chop. Whenever we order pork we like to say we are supporting the Vogt family hog farm that our son-in-law grew up on in Minnesota. All I can say is...Wow! What a dinner and the atmosphere to match made it a very special evening!
Cruising on the River...Or the Canal
September 22nd
With only one day to ride on the canal out of Carcassonne we started in an easterly direction only to find the trail was too rocky and narrow. I had read that the Canal du Midi is best suited for mountain bikes because the terrain is very uneven. (Oh yes, very!) Once we turned around we found the trail to be a bit wider and had a smoother surface for the most part. As we came to one of the locks we overheard a couple speaking english while navigating their rental boat through the lock. I asked where they were from and wouldn't you know it they were from Mercer Island. They invited us on board for a cruise through the next few locks so we hopped on with the bikes and were off. We had a fun time chatting with Bob and Ann and exchanged contact info so we can touch base once we are back in the states. Bob is an FAA test pilot and has been working on the 737Max for the last several years. He assured me it is most likely the safest plane out there at this point.
Since we had some fairly mediocre meals in Sete (we've been spoiled by the delicious food we've had in France) I decided to do my homework for Carcassonne and read about a great tapas place that sounded good. As it turned out we walked right by it on our way to Comte Roger so stopped to make a reservation and boy are we glad we did. Agape is owned by a darling couple, Gaetan who is the chef and his lovely wife Charlotte is the server. It's very small and intimate and the only thing you get to choose is the table you want to sit at and the wine. All the other courses, of which there were 7, are chosen and prepared by the chef and served to you with a complete explanation of ingredients. This was so much fun and the food exquisite! We sat next to a couple from Northern Ireland who were a real hoot. Mark is from Scotland originally and Heather from Ireland. They live in Bangor, a beautiful coastal city near Belfast. One of the highlights of traveling is meeting "little while" friends.
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| Green Gazpacho |
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| Seafood Bruschetta |
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| Gnocchi in Gorgonzola Sauce |
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| Kabobs of Potato, Pepper and Chorizo |
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| A Savory Tart |
