Youngs Abroad!: More ABC Tours.....

4 Castles of Lastours - fabulous to explore..

Yesterday was a huge day and we were pretty exhausted after climbing mountains and exploring castles. We left the watermill about 8.00 am and didn’t get back until about 8.30 pm last night. Was a pretty amazing day though and well worth the effort.

We drove toward the south for about 2.30 hours to the Montagne Noire area, and village called Lastours. Along the ridges overlooking the village are four castles, the first known evidence of buildings dating back 1500 years BC. The castles were the administrative and military centres for the ancestral villages along the base of the valley. We climbed 300 metres up steep paths and steps and then walked along the ridge to view the remains of each castle. We were very thankful for the cloud which kept the temperature a little cooler than it had been, but there was also s avery strong wind, which wasn’t pleasant, especially walking along the exposed ridge. Apparently this area forms a wind tunnel and is all known for it. We had great fun exploring each castle and it was great to be able to access averting without parts being roped off.

We then drove to nearby Carcassonne and had another picnic lunch in a piazza in the city.

Ella managed a quick stop and bought a pair of shoes (think that makes three pairs so far!). We also spotted an Otago Rugby shop???

‘la cite’ in Carcassonne is an amazing example of a different styles of chateau (castles) some of which has been restored. Within the castle walls people go about their everyday business, among the narrow cobbled streets. Outside the old city are the more modern shops but the whole city is overlooked by the stunning watch towers and ramparts (Photographs do not do the place justice). We visited the main buildings, the watchtowers, ramparts and courtyard - amazing.

The trip back was via the motorways once again and is the most efficient way to cover lots of kilometres very quickly. We were happy to get ‘home’ and Herbert the cat was pleased to see us. Another great adventure.