French connections

In the air again with my two partners in crime, Alan and Russell, I arrive in Marseille on a bright Tuesday afternoon for a 10-day trip. It's a journey down memory lane, being exactly 50 years since I was last in this part of France. Where did the time go? Marseille is a lively city but hasn't completely shed its raffish air gained from the French Connection films and although we don't come to any harm, the streets are perhaps not completely safe at night. But the railway station is a monument to Gallic pride and the stay in Marseille is worth it probably for this alone. Three hours westwards and we are in the Languedoc.

A 10-minute walk from Carcassonne's railway station takes us to our apartment. On the one hand, apartments are less personal than hotels because we don't meet the proprietors and follow directions on the booking site (usually letting ourselves in via a code to the key box). However there's a sense of being in someone's home with living room and kitchen knick-knacks and sleeping on the sofa, as I do. We cut down on outdoor eating by getting provisions from the local Monoprix. And no two apartments are alike.

Carcassonne is two cities: the ancient part (the Cite) on the hill dates from Roman times and even the restoration by Viollet-le-Duc makes one appreciate the 19th century in its own right. The lower town, where we are staying, was created in the 13th century across the river on a grid pattern, when Carcassonne was split between France and Aragon. In the Cite, the basilica is especially beautiful. We enjoy a walk along the outer walls, which unlike the paying area of the upper walls, is almost deserted. The view from there to the lower town is particularly striking.Read more