Arles and Carcassone

17-18th April - Arles and Carcassone
Our France holiday drew to an end and we delivered Sophie and Jessie back to Bergerac, and flew back to England to start study leave at Cambridge University.  On the way from Nice to Bergerac we stopped at Arles and Carcasonne.

Roman ruins at Arles

 Arles is famous for Vincent van Gogh living and painting there.

The Harvest - Arles

It was also an important Roman town before and around the time of Christ. The Roman Amphitheatre is still used today for various performances.

The Arles Amphitheatre

We stayed overnight at Carcassone.  Sue and I enjoyed a hearty cassoulet that rivaled our friend Hugh's outstanding recipe.  Cassoulet is a specialty of the region (duck, pork, sausage, white beans in a kind of casserole).

Sue, Sophie and Jessie on the bridge over the Rhone, with the city's medieval fortress in the background

Entering the fortress - lit up at night

The outer battlements and the next line of defense

Bergerac was a beautiful sunny day for us to say au revoir to Sophie and Jessie and return to England.

In 10 days we saw a lot in France.  However, we are glad that we didn't try to "see it all", or as some people say in that horrible phrase "do France".  This means we have good memories of the particular places we were able to visit and some of the people we met.  The man who told us about cassolet in Carcassone is one example, and joining in with Sophie's church in Bergerac is another.  We appreciated the hospitality of a wonderful couple in Sophie's church who had Sue and I to stay for three nights while we were in the Dordogne. So, while we gained something of an overview - it was the particular places and moments that form the memories.  I guess there is something incarnational about that.

Martin.