Cory had to work today so Anna and the kids took us to see the medieval castle in Carcassonne, which was built in the 11th century. There were definite similarities and differences b/w this castle and that of the Tower of London. First, the rooms were all quite plain, made of stone. the towers and walkways were much the same w/ places for catapults and later cannons. A major difference I noted was that at the tower, history was preserved and revered w/ the inside of the Tower made into a museum. Outside the Tower was the complex for food and souvenirs. At Carcassonne, however, there were no tours and no one to ask for information about the castle and typical 11th century castle life. There was a man playing dual recorders simultaneously that was truly amazing. The boutiques (shops), including restaurants and hotels, were located within the walls of the castle. As we crossed a bridge to enter the castle, a woman was trying to drive her car out of the castle and over the bridge. Even though there were fifty people entering this gate, she zoomed in on me (probably b/c I was the only one who made eye contact w/ her) and started yelling in French. I got the jest of her tirade being this entrance was for cars only, not for pedestrians. All I could do was look dumbfounded at her. I need to learn some quick French phrases to tell people off b/c, unlike the Brits, the French are much more vocal and expressive w/ their emotions.
Despite the less than warm welcome at the castle, we had a wonderful day. Anna is so organized and prepared in packing food, water, diaper bag, etc., etc. It's obvious she's very accustomed to travelling w/ three kids. She's not afraid to just set off and go. She's much more the world traveler than I was at her age, and I'm sure she would've taken the cancelled and missed flights in stride. Such is the difference in age and experience.
I finally talked w/ Dad tonight through Skype. I created an account last week that allows me to talk to people through my computer to their phones........it's fantastic. I can tell that Dad was happy to hear my voice, and he got to talk to Lexi, Livi, and Cory. I could hear the relief in his voice in actually hearing that we were all okay, and to realize that we will be back in the States in less than a week. I can't believe we only have six days left in Europe. This vacation has been much like Christmas in that I've been preparing or it for so long that now that it's finally here, it's just flying by. I've made amazing memories, and I'd like to think that Mom is w/ me in all these travels. I'd better get some sleep, Mom, we're up very early tomorrow to set off for the Loire Valley to view lots and lots of chateaus.
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