Caracassonne - the layers of a town

These three images are part of the perimeter of The Bastide. Top: Rue Barbes (yes, it made me smile, too) runs around the perimeter Below Left: Portes de Jacobins on the southern wall Below Right: Portes de Toulouse on the western wall

Carcassonne is a town/city composed of layers. There is the medieval castle and its walls that protected the original inhabitents about 1200AD. Then there is the Bastide on the other side of the RIver Aude to the castle. Surrounding both these are the suburbs of the city of the current era. We never ventured there. For the next few posts, I will show you around the Bastide, the centre of which is Place Carnet, and, as you know already, our apartment was very close to Place Carnet. It was fine during the day, but dead as a dodo at night.

The Bastide is very orderly and the streets, although narrow, are laid out on a grid-pattern. Generally, they are one way, with a partner street going the other way. Many of the streets could be blocked off by the council whenever. The council, may I say was very active and efficient. Place Carnet was clean and tidy about 30 minutes after the market had finished on the Saturday. I was impressed.

Assorted streets laid out in a grid pattern. The traffic is quiet in all of these. It did get locked up occasionally, but they were more patient than I would have been. They used the barriers extensively to restrict parking and to alter the flow of traffic.

Carcassonne - J'adore le peuple

In this, our final visit to the town markets, let me introduce you to some more of the people who live in and around Carcassonne. Some of these people are farmers and some are customers. The all seem to work in the sun and the rain, they are weather-beaten. One of their attractions, I feel.

Carcassonne is in the Languedoc-Rousillon department of La France. It is a hard-working, down to earth, unpretentious area.

Carcassonne - Birds-eye view

Place Carnet in the Bastide, Carcassonne (old city), on an overcast Saturday early afternoon. The market was already set up by the time I was looking out the window at 8am and by 5pm mot a skerrick of mess was left. The city council is very efficient. It was fascinating to watch it from above, although scarey as I had absolutely no confidence in the strength of the balaustrade!

It is a produce market, but also a social gathering. There was such a mixture of races. I think that Sydney is fairly mixed, but it pales in comparison to Frances. (Sorry, poor choice of word but I shall leave it there!)

Lots of babies and children, but light on for teenagers.

Embiggen photo 6 - it will take your breath away!

Carcassonne - paen to place

Although there were mid-week markets in Place Carnet, they were not a patch on these Saturday markets. We have been flying out of Sydney on a Saturday and arriving in France on the Sunday. This seemed to set up a pattern of having weekly accommodation that started on a Sunday. Hence, the best markets were the day BEFORE we left each place. What a waste!

This was an exclusively produce market. My preference. The markets in Italy had a combination of produce and goods, with the latter being mass produced and often made in China. Defeats the purpose of going to a market, I reckon. Carcassonne had excellent boulangeries and Chez Felix - on Place Carnet - had nice coffee and red wine. The red wine in France is cheaper than the coffee.

Carcassonne - beginning at the end

In September, I went to Europe for three weeks, spending a week in Paris, a week in Carcassonne, and four days in Barcelona. I am using my experiences in Paris to help me learn more French language. It can be found in 'à pied dans les rues de Paris'. My appreciation of both Carcassonne and Barcelona shall appear here until the end of 2010.


Carcassonne is a reasonably sized town midway along the Canal de Midi, from Narbonne on the Mediterranean across to Toulouse. It's main claim to fame is the magnificent medieval castle atop a hill. However, the thing that I was most taken with, was the Saturday market in the town square, just below my window. I will make a series of posts introducing you to the villagers who live in Carcassonne and its surrounds.


I wandered Place Carnet for over two hours, watching and absorbing and making up stories in my pea brain. The earthiness (and realness) of both the stall holders and their customers, entranced me. I watched this particular lady sell her wares for maybe 30 minutes. She had obviously been coming to market for many years. I guess her to be well into her 80s. Her customers were very patient and respectful. The black man, in particular, was going nowhere until he had purchased from her. When she toppled the box of tomatoes, he lept to her assistance, and then went back to waiting. Patiently.