We arrived in France on May Day and, within 24 hours, I had already found my first patchwork store. I wasn’t even looking for it – honestly! After dropping our house exchange hosts off at the train station in Carcassonne, David and I made an expedition to to a large supermarket in a quest for David’s breakfast staple – bananas & Pepsi (the secret apparently to his youthful complexion). And there, immediately opposite the checkout counters was a small craft and needlework store. I didn’t venture inside but I know where to find it for next time!
While in Carcassonne, we took the opportunity to explore La Cite – an imposing, slightly Disneyfied, fortification punctuated by 52 stone towers:
Within the ramparts, there is a 12th century castle that we bypassed for the Basilique St-Nazaire which featured these wonderful Munchenesque (the Scream) gargoyles:
Back “home” (the yellow house next to the Aude River below) in the village of Axat, and we have already made two visits to the boulangerie/patisserie and are looking forward to our first market day in a nearby village tomorrow.
For our pre-dinner stroll, we went and inspected this railway bridge:
and enjoyed a little spring colour (and perfume!) of lilacs in bloom:
We have access to a computer and broadband here so I should be able to make more blog posts of our sojourn in the Pyrenees.
Elle says
Great pics! Thanks for sharing!
Amy says
Looks great! Can’t wait to visit
Françoise says
Glad to hear you arrived safely in Europe. Enjoy your holidays!