La Cité de Carcassonne

In the height of summer, La Cité de Carcassonne oozes a plastic, Disneyland-esque quality, but on a quiet November day it still offers a bit of magic.











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Restaurant M'11

If you ever find yourself in Carcassonne and either need an escape from the crush of tourists in la Cité or just can't face another overpriced, mediocre restaurant, I suggest you hop in your car and head 15 minutes southeast to the tiny village of Monze.

There you'll find Restaurant M'11, an unpretentious, charming little place that offers a menu of regional dishes done with panache.

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Photo du Jour

Fava beans - les fèves - at the market in Carcassonne this weekend.
I adore them but they make you work for it. All that shelling, blanching and peeling before eating...a labor of love, I guess. Pin It

Photo du Jour

A lion's head fountain in Carcassonne. I wish I knew how old it is. Pin It

Photo du Jour - Carcassonne

The exterior walls of la Cité, the old, fortified city of Carcassonne, on a cloudy day.

A 2006 report states that this medieval, walled city is the most visited site in France, even more popular than Mont Saint-Michel. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is absolutely heaving in the summertime with visitors from around the globe. The rest of the year it is crammed with school children and visitors from around the globe.
The walls in the photo are not actually medieval. La Cité was slated for demolition in the mid 1800's until a protest led by the town's mayor halted the plans for razing the structure. La Cité was classified a Historical Monument and an architect, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, restored the site, giving it the medieval appearance that visitors currently enjoy.

The ''new town'' of Carcassonne, population around 45,000, is adjacent to la Cité. Pin It

Bon Anniversaire Monsieur Montagné

Prosper Montagné was born on this day in 1865 in Carcassonne, France.

Monsieur Montagné is best known for creating the great culinary encyclopedia, Larousse Gastronomique, which is an indispensable addition to any kitchen library.



Bon anniversaire! Pin It

Photo du Jour

A bistro in Carcassonne where we ate a delicious lunch on Monday.

The 11€ menu consisted of :

salade gourmande
moules frites
crêpe ou crème brûlée
1 verrre de vin
1 café

Pretty good deal, huh? Pin It

Saturday Morning in Carcassonne

I know I was complaining the other day about the cold, windy weather here in the Minervois, but Mother Nature has decided to be generous with us again. Today it is 70 degrees and sunny. Can't complain about that!


The Place Carnot in the center of Carcassonne hosts a picturesque, lively food market every Saturday morning. It is much bigger and more diverse than our little Tuesday Olonzac market, but quite a bit further to drive. Every time I go I wonder why I don't make the effort to go more often.



Strawberries were on offer everywhere. Big, fat ones from Spain and smaller, very aromatic French strawberries called garriguettes.









The Canal du Midi runs through the center of Carcassonne. The locks reopened last week so the holiday boaters are back cruising the canal. It is estimated that over 50,000 tourists take a trip on the canal each year, either by guided afternoon trips, barge hotels or self-piloted weekly boat rentals.



I came home with a basket bursting with carrots, tomatoes, asparagus, eggs and a baguette. Tonight's menu: asparagus gratin and salad with bread and wine. Pin It