(From Jach): LAND CRUISE IN SOUTHERN FRANCE #6 Tuesday, - TopicsExpress

(From Jach): LAND CRUISE IN SOUTHERN FRANCE #6 Tuesday, October 14: How can I describe this day? The details: We had breakfast at the chateau and finally loaded up the cars and continue our journey by 10:00 a.m. Today we were heading to Cascasonne, which is another fortress Medieval City, the most well-preserved wall city in France. We arrived around noon and entered through one of five gates. It is an amazing place. I was totally enchanted by this city. Cordes Sur Ciel was wonderful but it was a preparation for Cascasonne. This city was a masterful fortress with outer walls and motes, inner walls with more motes, and a tightly woven village with narrow twisted cobbled streets and narrower ally ways. All the walls had fortified entry gates that were all double gates with gatehouses full of armaments. There were slits in the walls for shooting arrows and there were gutters for pouring boiling oil or water on approaching intruders. I was captivated by this city. It was intriguing and its history was fascinating but there was something other or something more about this place. I could feel an aliveness. Did I have a lifetime here? Maybe but that didn’t matter. It was what I was feeling in the moment that mattered. It all felt so vivid, so real, so present and so fascinating. I was taken by Cascasonne. I got goosebumps. Within the city, at its center: a castle that was the residence of the prince that was also doubly protected with walls, gates, bridges, and motes. Also key to the city, but not so fortified, it’s cathedral. We entered through one of the double gates and walked the streets. The city — this old city — sits high on the mountain overlooking the valley below. We had lunch and then we wondered the city for a few more hours. We entered the cathedral, and I was surprised by its beauty. The stained glass windows were immense in the front of the church and the pipes of the organ behind me were equally huge. I was surprised at the size of this cathedral in such a small village — city. Suddenly I heard voices, beautiful voices. I looked around. A recording? No. There were four men upfront, just this side of the Alter. A quartet. I sat down and got lost in the music. The acoustics were amazing. The tones echoed through the stone chambers and created overtones. My lower lip trembled and my eyes filled with tears. Beauty does that to me. I was there caught in a moment of reverie. I wanted to stay there. Suspended. I would like to return to Cascasonne, and perhaps I will. But for now, we had more traveling to do. Before I leave, let me tell you a bit of the history of how this town that sits high on the hillside got its name. I don’t know what this place was called before it was named Cascasonne, but during those feudal times, this place was under attack. Because this village was so well fortified, the enemy decided to surround the city and to just cut off all supplies. The enemy would barricade the city and wait until there was no more food or water. Then they would move in and take over. This strategy is akin to what ISIL does in the Middle East. In the village, a woman named Casca, convinced the people that they should toss a goat over the outer wall. The message to the enemy: We have so many supplies and so much food that we can afford to feed our enemy. The intruders, feeling that their efforts were ineffective, finally retreated. In grand celebration and to honor Casca, the city was named Cascasonne. A woman saved the city. I love it. We moved on. Our plans changed each day. For this day, we had decided to go on ahead to Avignon, to find a nice place to stay, and to stay there four nights . . . we could unpack, we could settle in, we could stay in one place. I was eager for this. One of our new friends who lives in Avignon went to work to find a place. Do we rent a house for four days, a stay in a hotel, what? He found an incredible place that is 18 km from Avignon — twenty minutes for the old city. We are staying in another 13th Century chateau. This one was more elegant with a richer history. It was originally the home of one of the secretaries to the Pope. During the 13th Century, the Pope had left Rome and the center of the Catholic Church was in Avignon. There is a Palace of the Pope (Palais de Pape) here. There were nine Popes who lived in Avignon. The center of the church was here for nearly 100 years. Our accommodations: Off the main road and down the narrow lane, we turned on to the tree lined drive and approached the chateau. Lou, the owner for the past 14 years, greeted us. We moved through the huge wooden doors into the interior patio. It was Romanesque. The Secretary to the Pope had gone to Rome and had seen a patio that he loved, so he replicated it at his home. It was the “new addition.” The chateau was build in the late 1200s and this new portion was added in the early 1300s. We entered the chateau and it was so luscious with thick stone walls and stone ceilings with huge ancient wood beams. The fire place almost covered an entire wall, and it was surprisingly light — lots of windows. To the left there was a narrow stone and wood staircase that lead up 21 steps to the next level and then down a corridor to another 28 steps to the top floor. We have two major rooms on that top level. The room for Enrique and me had an anteroom, a kitchen, a living room, and stairs leading to the loft where there was a king sized bed. Across the hall there was a huge living room with two bedrooms each with its own very modern bathroom. Three of our companions stayed there. The two other companions who lived in Avignon, when to their homes. All seven of us were comfortably housed for the next four nights. This is amazing place, it feels good. We went out to the grocery store near by and bought bread, wine, two different pâtés. We had dinner in our apartments. This is France. I have truly arrived! I fell so alive. Heaven. Photos: The first is the exterior of our chateau near Avignon. The second is the interior courtyard, and the final photos is the interior -- the dining area. Its a incredible place and the owner and her staff are wonderful.