Saturday 10.23.2010

Fete de Vin

There is a bit of overcast this morning as we roll into the breakfast room. Benoit introduces us to his mother who speaks virtually no English (but fluent Spanish) and goes through all the options spread out before us. It is a cold breakfast, but there is plenty to eat. We are joined by the only other guests, Phil and Amanda who are from the Midlands in England. They are on a getaway weekend with Grandma watching the kids. Our plan is to spend all day wandering the new and old cities in Carcassonne to get our fill of medieval France on our last full day here. Ben gives us the name of a restaurant for lunch (his buddy Xavier) and off we go.

It is market day in the "new" city right around the other side of the "old" city from us. The old city was a great natural fortress and when it was finally defeated by the "French" (from the north) in the 12th century they said the locals could stay around but had to move across the river. Hence the "new" city. We have been seeing signs throughout our trip for the big festival in this town or that town that is being held next week or was held last week. Today we actually hit one right on the date. It is the "Fete de Vin," a celebration of the wines of the region coupled with the normal hustle of the Saturday market which makes for a cross between the Fourth of July and St. Patrick's Day. There are thousands of people bolstered by the wine samples that are being passed out at dozens of little white E-Z Up tents, and they are here from the Basque country to the south (drinking wine, loud and laughing), from throughout France (drinking wine, serious and glum), from North Africa (dedicated market shoppers) and from the rest of the world (gawking and taking pictures).


The market and Fete are spread between three main squares encompassing many blocks of streets and spill off in every direction. There are small costumed marching bands (all horns and drums) spread throughout the area that play for a while in one place and then move along to the next. One all-girl (average age, 35) band showed the lifetime value of learning how to play the French horn in high school because they were having a very, very good time. We walk from one end to the other and then back again with the sights and sounds slightly altered with each passing. Can’t get enough of it.


We’ve spent three hours walking until now and think a lunch break is in order. It is a couple blocks to Ben’s buddy’s place (restaurant Divine Comedie) where we get a sidewalk table on a terrace that is enclosed in plastic today. We haven’t been partaking of the free wine this morning, but feel we should do our part and get the half-liter pitcher. We still aren’t all that hungry so Mary picks a very good French Onion Soup and John has the Potage of the Day. It turns out to be a serious stew of odd bits of meat, sausage wrapped in a cabbage leaf, white beans and veggies that was similar to, but much better than last night’s cassoulet. We pay our respects to Xavier and his parents and decide that this was one of our better dining experiences in France. Maybe the wine?


We finish up our tour of the new city with a stroll down past the train station and the locks on the Midi-Canal. This is a thirty-foot wide man-made canal built in the late 1600’s that stretches 155 miles from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. Apparently it was once used commercially, but now it is a fun ride for the tourists. Back across the Pont Vieux and into the old city.


We haven’t finished with our entertainment for the day. We stick our noses in the Basilica and find a male quintet standing near the altar singing ecclesiastical melodies like angels. In the almost empty stone structure the sound is incredible and we pull up a pew for a while of almost heaven. We spend another hour or two sticking our noses into shops and other assorted buildings, walking the ancient castle walls and doing a bit of shopping. There are a couple recommended restaurants we look at for tonight, but all are closed now so we will have to try for reservations later.


It’s now after five; the sun is shining on a beautiful autumn day which means we need to find an outdoor table in a square for a cold beer. A half-liter Heineken and an hour of people watching and it is definitely siesta time.

Our attitude definitely changes after a nap as we are tucked in our room at 8:00 with some cheeses and other assorted goodies in the car, a full moon and a view of the lit up castle walls. Why would we want to go back out for another dinner of beans, so we don’t. Staying in is the best way to put a nightcap on today. Days like this are why we came.


Today’s weather: Cloudy morning and clearing in the afternoon. Low 52, high 66.