Lady Carcas

There's an ancient tale telling that the name of the city Carcas sonne would come from the expression "Carcas sonne" (Carcas rings), from the name of an imaginary heroin, Lady Carcass. This Saracen princess supposedly ruled the Knights of the City in the VIIIth C, while the army of the emperor Charlemagne tried to reconquer the city.

Historians have proved the legend to be a legend.

As for the name of the city, it might come from the ancient name of the hill, Carsac...

The settlement has been identified as extremely ancient.

First signs date from about 3500 BC, but the site became an important trading place, with a fortified oppidum, about 6 centuries BC.

The Romans made it the colonia of Julia Carsaco, later Carcasum.

Roman towers and walls have been incorporated to the medieval fortifications.

Then Visigoths settled a dynasty here...

Later it was a a stronghold of the Cathars.

It got submitted to the direct rule of the kingdom of France in 1247, and became a border fortress.

The medieval city is surrounded by two outer walls.

53 towers.

One of which hosted the inquisition in the XIIIth C...

Carcassonne fell into disrepair during the first haf of the XIXth C.

Its mayor and the writer Prosper Mérimée, first inspector of ancient monuments, led a campaign to preserve the fortress as a historical monument. The architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc was commissioned in 1849 to renovate the place.

His work was criticized, even at his time...

But the result still has some more authenticity than Disneyland and most of the ancient villages, hôtels particuliers or small castles owned by people with more money than (self)education and good taste.

Let's say it's a great place to learn and teach history...

You get all the vocabulary.

It LOOKS authentic.

It IS beautiful.

Children LOVE it.

There are good restaurants.

Pay the price.

Touristic restaurants are AWFULL and one must dissuade them.

The center of the city is lovely...

And it remains upsettingly REAL.

Carnival day in Limoux

The town of Limoux, close to Carcassonne, his well-known for a delicious specialty, called the blanquette de Limoux... which isn't at all a meal (blanquette d'agneau!), but a pleasant white sparkling wine, soft and fruity.
The blanquette is far older than champagne wine (centuries older, clearly).

It inspired Dom Pérignon, who brought back the method in his abbey.

Good reason for going wine-tasting from January to March: the longuest carnival in the world.
Good preparation for the wine festival "Toques et Clochers"...

This carnival exists till the 14th C. (at least).
Nowadays, bands and Pierrots (fécos) alternate in the streets, all the Saturdays & Sundays.
You can see one or two bands a day (check the online agenda). 3 times a day, they turn around the main place, stopping in 4 or 5 cafés or bistrots.

 

We saw this year the Marvels heroes and the world's people.
Not the most traditionnal and ancient bands!

The first one might seem racist - the representation of the Africans is certainly poorly old-fashionned. 

 The Scots men and the brit red-haired sorry with their empty glasses were good enough, though...

 

As for the Marvels... Wolverine and Supermum were ok,

but globally, the musicians attracted more attention. 

Good advice: if you go, rather try the afternoon (Fécos too),

the night (more solemn and dreamy),

and the Sunday (traditionnal bands). 

 And look well at the goudils... masked people, alone or in pairs/trios, following the musicians, and possibly gently causing trouble (free speech!).

 Or of the carnival... Limoux is a charming old town, with an old enough

(wise and knowledgeable...) population.
You can find funeral services next to your restaurant...

Don't worry, than bands don't go fooling in the coffins.

It's also resisting to the tourism-orientated cheap trends...

The second meaning of 'pigeon' is the same in french and english.

Let's consider the hotel owners kept the complete name considering the third meaning (sure technology of communication).

Street art (n°4): Noon

Lovely realization in the Beaux-Arts (left bank of the Verdançon):

the decoration of the Nu-Bahia, by Noon.

Noon studied fine arts in Montpellier, and produced jewelry for about 4 years. Her jewelry line follows the now mainstream minimalist trend. Her drawings are more interesting, in my opinion. She mixes inspirations, gives to her organic models an intricate, sharp, cold enough style - she mineralizes the organic.

I can't help thinking about J.G. Ballards' Crystal World when meeting her strange half alive creatures...

NB: Above is a work by Kirrikoo...