The beauty of Carcassonne - and then back to the UK and home...
The weather was starting to turn so I headed north and back into France - heading for Carcassonne. On the way I rode over the southern part of the Pyrenees - which was stunningly beautiful. Carcassonne is a huge castle that was built on top of a rocky hill over two thousand years ago. The first castle was wood, but when the Romans arrived they built the first stone castle. When the Romans left, the castle was extended to what it is today, but still using much of the existing Roman castle. A whole town existed inside the castle walls, but in the mid 1800's the population started to move out when a modern town was being built below the castle, and alongside the nearby river.
Once the people left the castle fell into disrepair, but not completely empty as the Army used it as a garrison. During the mid 1900's work started to renovate the castle back to how it used to be. And what a wonderful job they made of it. It's superb, and one of the best medieval castles I've ever visited. If you are ever in this part of the world - please visit. You wont regret it. After a few days sightseeing the weather did turn, and after spending a whole day riding north in heavy driving rain, I arrived at Bilboa and caught a ferry back to the Portsmouth - and then rode back to Scotland.
I was lucky here as the following week, the whole area around Barcelona was devastated by heavy rains and floods. I wouldn't have stood a chance with my little tent.
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