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Carcassonne

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Lisa
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Carcassonne

Post by Lisa » Mon June 2nd, 2014, 1:09 pm

I'm just back from a holiday in the southwest of France, and thought I would share some of my photos of Carcassonne in particular. It's an amazing place to see - despite the fact that some of the renovations are a bit obvious, and some even anachronistic, it really gives you a feel of what it would be like to live in a medieval walled city.

The main gate:

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Some sights around the outer walls:

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And looking out from the ramparts:

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In the castle courtyard, the guide explained that we can see the building's progress through the ages by looking at the windows. The bottom arched windows are Roman, the mid-level ones with the pillar are 13th-14th century, and the square ones on top are 17th century.

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How cool would it be to live here? (Ok you'd have a lot of tourists looking into your garden, but still...)

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A view over the cathedral:

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A romantic view:

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And around the village:

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Anyway, there are too many photos to post, but if you'd like to see the rest of them, you can find them here :)

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yspe85a6jnf7 ... RawjLWNkea
Last edited by Lisa on Mon June 2nd, 2014, 1:15 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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Madeleine
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Post by Madeleine » Mon June 2nd, 2014, 3:05 pm

They're lovely Lady B, see what you mean about the modern parts, but at least they haven't destroyed the skyline with a high-rise monstrosity!
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Misfit
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Post by Misfit » Mon June 2nd, 2014, 4:06 pm

Wow. Thank you for sharing.
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princess garnet
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Post by princess garnet » Mon June 2nd, 2014, 7:31 pm

When I did a small travel group tour of France 2 years ago, we visited the fortress and stayed overnight in modern Carcassonne. During the 19th century, it was a fashionable resort and business destination.
Unfortunately it was raining at the time. Because of time constraint, I wasn't able to see much around the fortress. I did make it over to the cathedral and spent a few moments praying there.

Thanks for bringing back memories! :)
Last edited by princess garnet on Tue June 3rd, 2014, 4:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Lisa
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Location: Northeast Scotland

Post by Lisa » Tue June 3rd, 2014, 12:42 pm

Madeleine, about the modern parts, I'm not sure if you were maybe referring to the more modern city of Carcassonne outside the walls. Either way, I should specify, the medieval part (within the wall) is separate from the modern city, which is shown in pics 5, 6 and 10 down. Pics 8, 9 and 11 show the medieval city. Unsightly renovations to the medieval city include really obvious brickwork, anachronistic tiling on the roofs, and the following monstrosity in the castle courtyard, built in the 1960s, that almost cost the site its UNESCO Heritage status, according to the guide:

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But it's still a beautiful place to visit, and without its renovations it would have gone to ruins, or been demolished by now.

Misfit: I'm glad you like them!

Princess Garnet: That's a shame you didn't get a proper look around, but the cathedral was lovely, wasn't it? The windows in particular are amazing, especially since it's not that large. Also, off topic, but is your name from Final Fantasy IX?

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Madeleine
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Post by Madeleine » Tue June 3rd, 2014, 2:01 pm

Agh what were they thinking of? From your pics, I can see where some parts look "newer" than others, but I suppose over time they'll get a bit weathered and blend in a little better. That part in the photo you pointed out won't though - it sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb.
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Lisa
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Preferred HF: Any time period/location. Timeslip, usually prefer female POV. Also love Gothic melodrama.
Location: Northeast Scotland

Post by Lisa » Tue June 3rd, 2014, 2:08 pm

I know, I have no idea what they were thinking. At least most of it looks great though and as you say will blend in once it's been weathered more. And since it's been added to over the centuries anyway, not all the variations in stonework are modern.

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MLE (Emily Cotton)
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Post by MLE (Emily Cotton) » Tue June 3rd, 2014, 2:23 pm

What great pictures! Now I REALLY regret missing Carcasonne on my trip to Toulouse in 2010. I so wanted to see it we flew into Barcelona, and I had stayed up all night before my flight from California, thinking that way we would be sure to sleepon the plane and hit the ground rested.
That plan backfired-- we hit the ground 36 hours sleep-deprived, and drove by it mostly trying to stay awake and not cause an accident on the road until we got to our hotel in Toulouse and collapsed. :(

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