The region between Provence and the border with Spain is one of incredibly diverse topography as well as being steeped in history. The landscape here really does have it all; the tranquil beaches of the Mediterranean Sea, rolling countryside, vineyards, vast cities and the majestic Pyrenees. It is home to some of the most visited cities and attractions in France, a few of which we’ve had the opportunity to visit on our way around the corner and into Spain.
I have already written a bit about our visit to Gare Du Pont in the Provence blog, so I won’t rehash it here, suffice to say it is one of the major historical sites in this region, and definitely worth a day of your time if you’re near. Another that we have been lucky enough to see on this trip is the Medieval city of Carcassonne.
Carcassonne is a castle and walled city the likes of which you are unlikely to come across anywhere outside of a fairytale Disney film. It is, according to UNESCO, an “outstanding example” of a medieval fortified town. Don’t be fooled into thinking the town has looked the way it does today since it was built though. It was actually the site of an unprecedented program of restoration works in the 19th century by Eugene Viollet-Le-Duc, one of the founders of modern conservationism. This hilltop site has been host to a fortified settlement since before the Roman Empire, and is now home to the larger city of Carcassonne, but it is the fantastic ancient citadel called the Cité de Carcassonne which really brings in the punters. You can enter the city and wander it’s quaint streets for free, exploring the cosy little shops and restaurants. But be warned, this city is basically one large tourist trap. The shops which line the streets here all sell a variation on the theme of “medieval” goods, which are extremely enticing to kids (and Americans apparently) and can be rather hard on the wallet. This is fine as long as you know what to expect, and we ended up with a wooden crossbow for Hunter and an overpriced, but very topical, pink crushed velvet dress for Bam, which actually resulted in some great period style photos at the end of the day. Luckily we managed to talk her out of a matching crown to go with it!
The restaurants are a similar affair, they all scream “authenticity”, but the actual content is pretty mediocre. I’m sure you can find an infinitely better example of Toulouse sausage or Cassoulet outside the city walls, and for way less money. But hey-ho, when in Carcassonne and all that.
Should you want a better understanding of the history, and sheer scale of this building, you can pay a modest amount of money which gains you access to the actual Chateau around which these walls have been built, and you also then get to wander along the ramparts for a medieval soldiers eye-view of the surrounding countryside. This is definitely worth it and the building is very impressive. Several sections are noticeably Roman with their red brick construction and shallow terracotta roofs.
Just enough time left after our rampart ramble for an afternoon snack. We realised that we hadn’t actually partaken in a Crepe since being in France, so we found a nice little creperie near the town entrance and recharged our batteries over a sugar break before heading back along the river to the campsite.
The following day we had a chance to visit a slightly more unusual site on our drive south towards the border. Near the small town of Ille-Sur-Tet, twenty minutes west of Perpignan, you can find a wonderful rock formation called Les Orgues. There is a decent car park at the bottom of the trail, and after paying the 10 euro entry fee, we follow the path upwards towards the site. Apparently this was a peach farm until the town purchased the site in 1992, and it does still feel like we are just wandering through somebody’s back yard until we finally catch site of the Orgues beyond the wooden entry booth. This bizarre place then opens up into a natural amphitheatre of tall sandstone pillars called “hoodoos” or fairy chimneys. This arena of sandy pedestals was formed by the erosion of sedimentary rocks around four million years ago, and their erosion has continued ever since at the mercy of the sometimes intense weather in this region. The columns are all topped with a thin layer of rock, and it is this layer of protection that stops them being eroded from above. However, as the weather gently wears away the delicate side walls, these rocky caps eventually lose their footings and crumble away. By their very nature these formations will not be around forever, and it feels as if we are at a privileged point in time to be able to witness them.
I decide to get a few aerial snaps of the site with my trusty drone, and we are happily snapping away when the peace and quiet is shattered by the gravelly shriek of the leathery faced ticket lady from the entrance booth. “Oooiiii…” she screeches as her eyes nearly leave their sockets “c’est interdit!”. Blimey, calm down! I quickly landed the drone. I didn’t mean to offend, our family of four literally make up half of the current number of visitors. I hadn’t seen any warnings in the guidebook about drone use, and my app hadn’t warned me not to fly, as it would usually if it was forbidden. But as it turns out, I might have missed the poster at the entry booth specifically stating no drone use. Ah well, I hung my head and duly apologised like a naughty schoolboy as we left. But I’d already had a good five minutes of flying before she located me among the throbbing crowds, so I had all the pictures I needed anyway! Back to the camper we wandered, and continued on our drive out of Occitania, out of France, and over the border into the next country on our list, Spain.