La Garonne & Carcassonne

On a lovely warm Spring day in the South of France, the three musketeers hopped on a boat and traveled the River Garonne.

Marie waved to tourist-watchers on the bank, Gwen fretted about sun-kissed freckles, and I wished the boat would forget to return to shore.

We sat in here and waiting for the water to raise us up for the next leg of the river.
On the way back, the water drained, and we sank.

The adventure continued the following day to the medieval city, Carcassonne.


We packed up some groceries and talked about our dreams while on the train. After a stroll through the town, eyeing many wonderful shops, we walked over the Pont Neuf and found a picnic table surrounded by trees next to the river for our picnic.

The heat followed us up the slope into the fairytale structure. We climbed the old steps and gazed out into the rooftops of the ville basse (lower city).



Finally choosing one of the many old doors which led to the inner medieval town, we suddenly realized we were not in France anymore. We were not in the 21st century, nor in reality.

 

A disneyworld for adults, each shop and pathway and corner realized our sleeping imaginations. Shops with blocks of chocolate, shops with hundreds of lollypops, shops with white lace and miniature pillows filled with seeds, children's games of which I've never heard or seen, and glistening jewelry. Shops with ice cream, shops with multi-colored soaps and many smells, shops with 16th century dresses and knight costumes, shops with miniature porcelain animals which pleadingly gazed at us as if asking to take them home.

Stepping out of the whimsical dream, we stumbled onto some grass outside the cemetery, giving in to the persistent sun rays. We dozed lazily, as if under a spell.