We are back from our trip to France for some home improvement and a bit of vacation time. The weather was fabulous for late April through May and it was a great time to visit. The roses are in full bloom and plants are so far ahead of us in the Pacific Northwest. We were able to get fresh local vegetables as well as loads of cherries! Here are a few photos...
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| Typical breakfast...fresh bread and croissants daily...currently in withdrawal mode! |
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| The new kitchen |
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| Plenty of counter space (by European standards) for enjoying the local market foods |
Peyrepertuse: We just cannot seem to get enough of this Cathar castle. The drive to get there via Les Gorges du Galamus is not to be missed. Wear good walking/hiking shoes and be prepared for some light hiking and uneven steps.
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| The stairs carved from rock |
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| View of lower castle from upper castle |
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| Upper castle |
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| No railings needed |
A visit to the Viaduc de Millau. This is the tallest bridge in the world and was completed in exactly three years to the day (in 2004). It is about 2.4 km long and cost 400 million euros to build. Going from Paris to the south of France used to mean driving down to Millau, through town, and then back up. The bridge was built to avoid this extra time and congestion for the town and their tourism has increased dramatically as people like us go to view the bridge from all angles. For more info, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millau_Viaduct. The little float trip taking people under the bridge is well worth it as it is a beautiful area with lovely landscapes and birds.
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| View from the boat |
A side trip to Rocamadour, a town built on the side of a mountain (rock actually). This is a pilgrimage destination and an amazing place to visit (about 3.5 hours from Quillan)
A few days in Barcelona before we head home. The architecture here is beautiful and very different from that in France. The influence of Gaudi is everywhere and Sagrada Familia Cathedral is a site to see, although really over the top. The shear size of it is difficult to convey with photos.
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| La Sagrada Familia |
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| La Sagrada Familia |
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| Gaudi's bench at Parc Guell |
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| more Gaudi |
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| Paula de la Musica |
