Across Empires

Walking through 20 centuries of history—Roman arenas, Pyrenean trails, Moroccan souks—and savoring the flavors of Provence, Catalonia, Aragon, and the Maghreb, with wines from the Rhône to the Loire. Read more

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Trip start
August 16, 2025
Across Empires Traveler
Fields, Fences, and a Dusty F***er
August 16, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
Left our North Central Kansas home base and traveled to Longmont, Colorado on U.S. Highway 36.

We passed the geographic center of the US near Lebanon, KS and Dusty Farmer Motel in Saint Francis, KS - it has lost a few letters over the years 🤣.

✨Highlights: Known as the “Pony Express Highway,” Hwy 36 overlaps the famed 1860–61 Pony Express trail and paths once used by settlers, freighters, and stagecoaches heading west along the Oregon, California, and Mormon trails.

In Kansas, towns like Belleville and Smith Center grew after the Homestead Act of 1862 drew settlers to stake claims on prairie land. Farther west, the plains provided crucial grazing for cattle drives.

Crossing into Colorado, U.S. 36 connects with the historic Overland Trail, a safer alternative to the Oregon Trail. Longmont, founded in 1871 by the Chicago-Colorado Colony, grew into an orderly farming community at the foot of the Rockies.

Designated in 1926, U.S. 36 remains a quiet east–west route, echoing the resilience of the pioneers who traveled it.

📍 Location: Longmont, Colorado
📅 Day 1
🌤 Weather: Sunny. Low 24°C. High 38°C.
🍽️ La Bamba Mexican Restaurant, Oberlin, KS $33.77.
⛽️ $50.37
🛒 $40.36
🏔 Distance Traveled: 465 miles (748 km).
🏨 La maison de mes amis. $0.00Read more
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Across Empires Traveler
Last Minute Prep in Longmont
August 17, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
Today we hung out with friends, got some last minute items, worked on planning a special 2026 trip to Bonaire, and finished packing our packs for tomorrow’s flight.

📍 Location: Longmont, CO
🗓️ Day 2
🌤 Weather: Cool morning, 14°C, sunny afternoon 34°C.
🛒 $27.70
⛽️ $46.93
🏨 La maison de mes amis. $0.00

📷. The Great Western Sugar Mill—built in 1903 and operating for roughly 60 years before closing in 1977.

It was a powerhouse in its time—processing over a million pounds of sugar per day from local beets, earning the nickname “The Mother of Longmont.”

💭 What belief about security do you hold that might actually be keeping you stuck? How would your life expand without it?Read more
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Across Empires Traveler
Hacking Jet Lag
August 18, 2025 in the United States ⋅ 🌩️ 17 °C
We’ve implemented a few strategies to fight jet lag. One is to take daytime flights to Europe. Another is to use Apps like Timeshifter to shift our sleep in the days before or after travel.

Timeshifter is a science-based mobile app designed to help travelers and shift workers minimize jet lag and improve sleep patterns.

Using research from circadian neuroscience, it creates personalized plans with recommendations on when to seek or avoid light, sleep, nap, and use caffeine or melatonin.

The app tailors guidance to individual travel itineraries, work schedules, and personal preferences (like early riser or night owl chronotype), providing simple step-by-step notifications.Read more
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Across Empires Traveler
Denver to JFK
August 18, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
Today we flew from Denver to New York City.

We enjoyed some time in the Capital One lounge for lunch in DEN before our noon departure.

We were thrilled that there was no one assigned to the middle seat, so it served as a place to store the 1100+ page biography of Mark Twain I’m reading.

📍 Location: New York City
🗓️ Day 3
🌤 Weather: Partly cloudy. High 23°C, low 18°C.
✈️ Flight: $116.89 each, Economy Comfort, Delta
🍽️ $39.72. Dinner at TWA Hotel.
🏨 TWA Hotel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Deluxe Double Queen with Historic TWA View $346.08.

The TWA Hotel at JFK is a restoration of Eero Saarinen’s 1962 TWA Flight Center, a landmark of mid-century modern architecture. Its dramatic concrete curves, sunlit glass walls, and vintage details celebrate the golden age of air travel. The historic terminal now serves as the hotel’s centerpiece, flanked by two new glass wings with guest rooms overlooking runways.

Facilities include a rooftop infinity pool, observation deck, cocktail bars, restaurants, a 1960s Lockheed Constellation airplane turned lounge, and extensive exhibits on aviation history. It’s both a functioning hotel and a living museum of design and jet-age culture.Read more
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Across Empires Traveler
JFK to LHR
August 19, 2025 in England ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
JFK was not very crowded. Easy check in for our daytime flight from JFK to LHR. Smooth and uneventful.

📍 Location: London Heathrow
🗓️ Day 4
🌤 Weather: Overcast. High 26°C, low 14°C.
✈️ Virgin Atlantic. $899.00 each, Premium Select.
🏨 Hyatt Place London Heathrow Airport ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Standard Room Free Night.
🍽️ Free breakfast at Capital One Lounge.
🚍 £1.00 each
🍺 £8.50Read more
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Across Empires Traveler
London Heathrow to Nîmes, France
August 20, 2025 in France ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
📍 Location: Nîmes
🗓️ Day 5
🌤 Weather: scattered showers. High 28°C, low 16°C.
🚕 £59.46
🍳 £51.98. Full English breakfast, Eggs Royal, 2 Flat Whites and still water. St Pancras Brasserie & Champagne Bar.
🚆 St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord €144 each
🍽️ €49.00. Terminus Nord. Onion soup, chicken quarters on new potatoes.
🚆 Paris Gare du Nord to Paris Gare de Lyon €4.50 each
🚆 Paris Gare du Nord to Nîmes Pont-du-Gard €61 each
🚆 Nîmes Pont-du-Gard to Nîmes Centre €3.70 each
🏨 Appart’City Nîmes Arenes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. €114.20
🛒 €6.43
🧺 €9.50

Nîmes is a southern French city with outstanding Roman monuments, including a remarkably preserved amphitheater, the Maison Carrée temple, and the nearby Pont du Gard aqueduct.

Often called the “French Rome,” it blends antiquity with Provençal charm, featuring narrow streets, shaded squares, and Mediterranean light.

From London Heathrow, Nîmes is moderately challenging to reach. There are limited direct flights (seasonal and not daily).

We had to connect twice in Paris, then continue by regional train. With connections, expect 10 to 12 hours door-to-door.Read more
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Across Empires Traveler
A Day in Nîmes
August 21, 2025 in France ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
We spent a full day in Nîmes, a city known for its Roman monuments. We started at the Arène de Nîmes, one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheaters, then visited the Archaeology Museum, where we also had lunch at a small table overlooking the Arène. Following Rick Steves’ city walk, we covered the main historic sights on foot, including where the aqueduct entered the city in Roman times.

The highlight was the Maison Carrée, a remarkably intact Roman temple similar in style to the Pantheon. Nearby in the park, we saw the remains of the Temple of Diana.

In the evening we returned to the arena to watch a French-style bullfight. Unlike the Spanish version, this is a contest of speed and agility, with young men trying to grab ribbons tied between the bull’s horns.

Afterward, we joined the Jeudis de Nîmes, the Thursday summer festival in the park. The atmosphere was lively with music, food stalls, and families. We shared a bottle of wine, enjoyed the music, and finished the evening with ice cream.

📍 Location: Nîmes
🗓️ Day 6
🌤 Weather: Sunny. High 29°C, low 17°C
🏟️ Romanity Pass €41.00.
🐂 Two tickets for Course Camarguaise €30.00.
🍽️ La table du 2. Rice and tomato croquettes, filet mignon stuffed with herbs on ratatouille, and cheesecake. Glass of wine and bottle of sparkling water. €62.00
🛒 €59.97
🍷 €25.00
🍦 €5.50
🏨 Appart’City Nîmes Arenes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️€114.20.Read more
TravelerThat architecture is so cool
8/22/25Reply
TravelerYes, we really like to see these ancient ruins 😊
8/24/25Reply
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Across Empires Traveler
Saint-Gilles Abbey Church
August 22, 2025 in France ⋅ 🌬 23 °C
The *Abbey Church of Saint-Gilles, south of Nîmes, is a major Romanesque site and UNESCO World Heritage monument on the Santiago pilgrimage route.

Founded in the 7th century by Saint Gilles, it became one of medieval Europe’s most visited shrines, with pilgrims drawn to his tomb in the vast crypt.

Rebuilt in the 12th century under Cluniac influence, the church is famed for its monumental west façade, richly sculpted with biblical scenes and classical motifs, echoing Roman triumphal arches.

Once nearly 100 meters long, the upper church was reduced by wars and revolution but retains treasures like the “Vis de Saint-Gilles,” a rare cantilevered spiral staircase, and an 18th-century organ.

The 12th-century west façade of Saint-Gilles Abbey is Romanesque, built between 1120–1160. It resembles a Roman triumphal arch with three portals, Corinthian columns, friezes, and sculpted biblical scenes including the Nativity, Crucifixion, and Last Judgment.

Bus tickets: €3.70 each for all day
Crypt: €4.00 each
Lunch: €12.60Read more
TravelerA rich combination of lofty ideals and bestial instincts. I especially enjoyed the dogs lounging with heads hanging over the precipice above the floral images.
9/3/25Reply
TravelerWe keep going to these Romanesque buildings to be surprised by the creative stonemasons.
9/3/25Reply
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Across Empires Traveler
Pont du Gard
August 22, 2025 in France ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
The Pont du Gard, near Nîmes in southern France, is a three-tier Roman aqueduct bridge built in the 1st century CE.

Standing 49 meters high and stretching 275 meters across the Gardon River, it carried water over 50 km to supply the city of Nemausus (modern Nîmes).

Constructed without mortar, its massive limestone blocks were precisely cut and fitted, demonstrating Roman engineering brilliance. The structure once transported an estimated 20,000 cubic meters of water daily.

Its design is both functional and elegant, with arches decreasing in size as the tiers rise, giving strength and lightness.

Abandoned as an aqueduct by the 6th century, it survived by being used as a toll bridge in the Middle Ages.

Today, it is one of the best-preserved Roman monuments in France and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Visitors can walk across the bridge, explore the museum and trails, and enjoy the surrounding natural landscape, making it both an archaeological marvel and a cultural landmark.

📍Location: Nîmes
🗓️ Day 7
☀️ Weather: Sunny. High 29°C, low 17°C
🏛️ Pont du Gard €8.00.
🚍 Round trip to/from Nîmes €4.00 each.
🛒 €22.68
Appart'City Nîmes Arenes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ €114.20
🧺 Laundry €9.50Read more
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Arles: Markets and Cuisine
August 23, 2025 in France ⋅ 🌬 19 °C
📍 Location: Arles, France
🗓️ Day 8
🌤 Weather: High 31°C, low 16°C. Sunny and breezy.
🚆 Nîmes to Arles, €22.80 each round trip
🧑‍🌾 Farmers market goodies: €8.00
☕️ Second breakfast €10.00
🎟️ Librete Plein Tarif for Monuments and Museums of Arles €15.00 each
🛂 Pilgrim credentials for Camino in September €5.00 each
🍽️ Le Criquet. Veal stew, octopus salad, squid on mashed potatoes, floating island dessert, ice cream sandwich floating in Marc du vin. Beer and wine. €79.90.
🍷 Two bottles of wine €41.00. Maxime Mahon Métisse 2023 (Appellation Cornières Contrôlée) and Domaine de la Vallongue Garrigues 2022 (Les Baux de Provence Appellation D’Origine Protégée).
🛒 Groceries €14.76
🏨 Appart’City Nîmes Arenes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ €114.20.

The Saturday market in Arles is one of Provence’s largest and most colorful. Stretching along Boulevard des Lices, it bursts with stalls of local cheeses, olives, herbs, cured meats, and sun-ripened produce.

Vendors sell lavender, soaps, and linens alongside Provençal pottery and baskets. Fresh fish and oysters arrive from the nearby Mediterranean, while butchers offer lamb and game.

The atmosphere is lively yet relaxed, with locals and visitors mingling under the plane trees. More than shopping, the market is a cultural experience—an immersion into the flavors, scents, and traditions of Provence.Read more
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Across Empires Traveler
Arles Monuments and Museums
August 23, 2025 in France ⋅ 🌬 19 °C
Arles holds some of the most impressive Roman remains in France, each revealing a different facet of ancient life.

The Amphitheater, built in the 1st century AD, still dominates the city with its two tiers of arches. Once seating 20,000 spectators for gladiatorial combat and hunts, it later became a medieval fortress and today hosts bull games and concerts.

Nearby, the Antique Theatre, older still, was commissioned by Augustus around 12 BC. Though only fragments survive, including two columns and mosaic floors, it once staged dramas and poetry for thousands.

The Roman Thermal Baths of Constantine, along the Rhône, showcase the sophistication of daily Roman life. Their vaulted chambers, hypocaust heating system, and pools evoke a time when bathing was both a social ritual and a necessity in a Mediterranean city.

A short walk from the former site of the circus—the racetrack—stands the Musée Départemental Arles Antique. Among its treasures is a remarkably preserved 1st-century Roman boat, discovered in the Rhône in 2004. Nearly 100 feet long, the vessel carried goods and people along the river, linking Arles to the wider empire. Its survival, along with cargo and artifacts found within, offers rare insight into ancient trade and river life.

Together, these sites remind visitors that Arles was once a vital Roman colony. Here, arenas roared, theatres celebrated culture, baths refreshed citizens, and boats kept the lifeblood of commerce flowing.Read more
TravelerTwo millennia later, we're rediscovering the comfort of a room heated through its floor. Someday we'll rediscover passive solar heating and perhaps even the Arabs' use of groundwater and thermal drafts for air-conditioning and ice-making. Comfort with no motors. Even the Roman architecture holds secrets. Amazing concrete, and solid rock construction with no mortar.
9/3/25Reply
TravelerExactly!
9/3/25Reply
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Saint-Trophime Basilica and Cloister
August 23, 2025 in France ⋅ 🌬 22 °C
The Saint-Trophime Basilica in Arles is one of Provence’s finest examples of Romanesque architecture. Built mainly in the 12th century, it is dedicated to Saint Trophimus, the city’s first bishop. The church’s most striking feature is its west portal, a sculptural masterpiece depicting the Last Judgment with Christ in Majesty, apostles, saints, and vivid scenes of heaven and hell—meant to instruct and awe medieval pilgrims.

Inside, the basilica is austere, with a high vaulted nave leading to a semicircular apse and several chapels added later in Gothic style. It served as a key stop on the Camino de Santiago through southern France.

Next door, the cloister (12th–14th centuries) is among the most beautiful in France. It features paired columns with intricately carved capitals showing biblical scenes, saints, and fantastical creatures.

The Romanesque north and east galleries contrast with the later Gothic south and west galleries, giving a sense of evolving medieval styles. The cloister was the center of canons’ religious life, a space for prayer, processions, and contemplation.

Today, both basilica and cloister are part of Arles’ UNESCO World Heritage designation, celebrated for their artistry, architectural purity, and their role in medieval pilgrimage.Read more
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Avignon: Vin & Remparts
August 24, 2025 in France ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Avignon, in southern France, was the seat of the papacy from 1309 to 1377. Its centerpiece is the Palais des Papes, one of Europe’s largest medieval Gothic buildings, symbolizing papal power. (Details on that site in the other post of today.)

Avignon’s lively market, Les Halles, offers Provençal specialties—fresh produce, cheeses, olives, seafood, and wines.

The Pont Saint-Bénézet, or “Pont d’Avignon,” partially spanning the Rhône, is a UNESCO World Heritage site along with the palace and city walls.

Avignon’s medieval ramparts remain intact, enclosing a compact old town of cobbled streets, squares, and churches.

The Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms, next to the papal palace, dates to the 12th century with later additions.

With a population of about 90,000, Avignon is the capital of the Vaucluse department in Provence. Its economy blends tourism, education, agriculture, and wine, particularly Côtes du Rhône.

At Le Goût du Jour in Avignon, a Michelin-recommended restaurant, we savored the seasonal Menu Déjeuner. Each course was beautifully presented, highlighting fresh local ingredients with modern creativity. Exceptional value for the quality, nestled at 20 Rue Saint‑Étienne, Avignon, this is the culinary expression of local chef Julien Chazal,

📍 Location: Avignon, France
🗓️ Day 9
🌞 Weather: Low 16°C, High 33°C. Sunny
🚆 Nîmes to Avignon round trip. €25.40 each.
🎟️ Palais des Papes €17.00 each
🍽️ Le Goût du Joir. €132.50. Menu Déjeuner plus wines.
🏨 Appart'City Collection Nîmes Arènes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ €114.20Read more
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Palais des Papes in Avignon
August 24, 2025 in France ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
In 1309, Pope Clement V moved the papal court from Rome to Avignon. Rome was unstable, torn by factional violence, and under the influence of powerful families. Avignon, though technically not part of France, lay within the Papal States’ sphere and under the protection of the French crown. Its location on the Rhône, at the crossroads of France, Italy, and Spain, made it a secure and strategic choice.

Between 1335 and 1364, Popes Benedict XII and Clement VI transformed Avignon into a papal capital. They spent enormous sums on the **Palais des Papes**—today one of Europe’s largest Gothic buildings. Records show Clement VI alone employed over 800 workers at a time and covered vast costs in imported stone, wood, frescoes, and furnishings. Historians estimate the palace cost **hundreds of thousands of florins**, equivalent to many tens of millions of dollars today.

Before 1309, Avignon was a modest Provençal river town of about 5,000–6,000 people, important regionally but not internationally. The papal court multiplied its population, attracted bankers, merchants, artists, and scholars, and turned Avignon into one of Europe’s richest, most cosmopolitan cities of the 14th century.Read more
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Tossa de Mar, Spain
August 25, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
This morning we took a train from Nîmes Centre to Girona, Spain. Three hours, nonstop. €74.00 each.

Then we took a bus from Girona to Tossa de Mar. €6.95 each.

🗓️ Day 10

🌤️ High 29°C, low 21°C. Overcast with sprinkles.

🍽️ Sandwiches and coffee at train station. €18.00

🍽️ Padron peppers, mixed vegetables, fries, Caesar salad with shrimp, grilled shrimp, grilled sea bass, gin & tonic, sparkling water. €85.16

🛒 €23.37

🏨Hotel Esmereldas ⭐️⭐️⭐️ €123.72.Read more
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Tossa de Mar to Lloret de Mar
August 26, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
Today we took the Costa Brava trail from Tossa de Mar to Lloret de Mar. Then we took a bus from Lloret de Mar to Santa Maria Lloreres and walked back to Tossa de Mar.

Tossa, with its medieval walled old town and quiet beaches, contrasts with Lloret’s busier, resort-style atmosphere.

The road between them offers dramatic sea views, but the Camí de Ronda trail is the highlight—winding along cliffs, pine forests, and hidden coves. It’s a scenic hike, rewarding us with turquoise waters and rugged landscapes before arriving in lively Lloret.

A balance of history, nature, and beach culture makes this stretch a classic Costa Brava experience.

🥾 19 km
🗓️ Day 11
🌤️ High 28°C, low 22°C
🍽️ Sant Elm Restaurant. €60.00 for calamari, turbot fish and veggies, steak and veggies, sparkling water.
🚍 €5.40
🍧Gelato €7.00
🛒
🏨 Hotel Esmereldas ⭐️⭐️⭐️ €123.72
🧺 €10.00Read more
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Tossa de Mar to Saint Felix de Guixols
August 27, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
Today we hiked from Tossa de Mar to Saint Felix de Guixols.

🗓️ Day 12

This stretch runs largely inland, and climbs into wooded hills and viewpoints rather than hugging the coast.

The route rewards walkers with forested landscapes, dramatic vistas, and quiet inland beauty before descending into coastal Sant Feliu de Guíxols.

🥾 21 km
🌤️ High 27°C, low 22°C
🍽️ Arrels d’Empordià €33.00. Menu of the day.
🚍 €3.20 each
🛒 €60.34
🏨 Arrels d’Empordà Aparthotel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ €134.76Read more
TravelerI’m curious when you guys are in KS—do you walk a lot to maintain your endurance? Or do you have to work back up to it when you travel? We love hiking when we travel but Cincinnati is NOT a hiking destination so it can be tough to keep up the endurance. I guess more of a reason to travel—or at least that’s how I look at it! 🤣
8/27/25Reply
TravelerIn Kansas, we walk after every meal for 15-30 minutes. This week we’re warming up in Costa Brava for a three week hike in the Pyrenees starting 3 September. Main things we’ve learned: don’t start thru-hiking until 72 hours in the destination country, and don’t do more than 20 km a day until week two. (Unless it is totally flat, then we do more.) By week two, you can ramp up the mileage and elevation.
8/28/25Reply
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Palamos to Parafrugell
August 28, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
🗓️ Day 13

We walked from Palamos to Calella de Palafrugell on the GR92, then from Calella de Palafrugell back to our lodging in Palafrugell.

🌊 Palamós → Calella de Palafrugell
The Camí de Ronda gave us one of its best stages today. We left the port town of Palamós, winding past La Fosca’s broad sands and the ruined Castell de Sant Esteve de Mar, a stone shell of a castle above the waves.

The path narrowed into pine forest and rocky coves. At Cala S’Alguer, brightly painted fishermen’s huts still line the shore. Just beyond, Platja Castell stretched unspoiled — a rare undeveloped beach — with Iberian ruins hidden on the headland above.

We climbed and descended through cliffs scented with pine and rosemary, glimpsing secret coves like Cala Corbs and El Crit with turquoise water far below.

By afternoon, the trail softened toward Llafranc and finally into Calella de Palafrugell, a village of whitewashed houses and arched arcades right at the sea. Boats on the beach, narrow lanes, and terraces all around.

⛅️ High 23°C, low 17°C. Some light rain.
🚍 €1.90 each.
🥾 20 km
🍽️ Lunch L’Eatret €50.00
🍨 €11.00
🧺 €7.00
🏨 Arrels d'Empordà Aparthotel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ €134.76Read more
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Begur to Palafrugell
August 29, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
🥾 Begur → Calella de Palafrugell (GR 92). 19.5 km.

Followed the GR 92 coastal trail south from Begur. Passed through Sa Tuna, Fornells, Aiguablava, Tamariu, and Llafranc before arriving in Calella de Palafrugell. Well-marked with red-and-white signs.

🗓️ Day 14
⛅️ High 24°C, low 16°C.
🚍 €1.90
🍽️ Restaurant León, Llafranc. €88.66. Scallops, tempura battered calamari, monkfish, beer, bottle of Albariño wine, sparkling water.
🍨 €11.00
🏨 Aparthotel Arrels d'Empordà⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ €134.76
🛒 €24.36Read more
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Senderisme Platages Begur Area
August 30, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
Today we took a bus to Begur and walked out to La Gola del Ter and back along local hiking paths.

🚍 €1.90 each
🥾 18 km
🍽️ €30.00 MADAME Pizza de Fuego | Pizzería en Begur. Pizza, salad and drinks.
🍨 €11.00
🚍 €1.90 each
🧺 €7.00
🍽️ €33.00. Three course of the day for two, including drinks at Aparthotel Arrels d'Empordà
🏨 Aparthotel Arrels d'Empordà ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ €134.76.Read more
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Girona, Spain
August 31, 2025 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Girona, Spain, is known for its well-preserved medieval core.

The Jewish Quarter (El Call) is one of the best preserved in Europe, with narrow lanes and historic buildings.

The Gothic Basilica of Sant Feliu and Girona Cathedral dominate the skyline, showcasing Romanesque and Gothic architecture.

The Arab Baths, built in the 12th century, feature Romanesque arches and were inspired by Roman public baths. Walking the medieval streets reveals fortified walls, stone houses, and plazas that reflect the city’s layered history.

🚍 €7.95 each.
🍽️ Bartali Pizza Co. Pizza, burrata salad, bread, olives, drinks. €32.20.
🏛️ Arab Baths €3.00 each.
🍽️ Hotel Ultonia Patio Bar. Tapas and drinks. €54.00
🏨 Hotel Ultonia ⭐️⭐️⭐️ €100.30.Read more
Traveler Such an amazing picture
8/31/25Reply
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Carcassonne, France
September 1, 2025 in France ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
Today we traveled from Girona, Spain to Carcassonne, France by train.

Carcassonne, in southern France’s Aude department, is known for its fortified medieval citadel, the Cité de Carcassonne, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.

The site has origins as a Gallo-Roman fortified settlement and was expanded in the Middle Ages. It features double walls stretching about 3 kilometers with 52 towers, restored in the 19th century by architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc.

Key structures include the Château Comtal, the Basilica of Saints Nazarius and Celsus, and the Narbonnaise Gate.

The lower town, Bastide Saint-Louis, was founded in 1247 across the River Aude and follows a grid plan.

Carcassonne played a major role in regional defense during the Albigensian Crusade and the Hundred Years’ War. Today it is a major tourist destination, attracting several million visitors annually, known for its preserved medieval architecture, museums, and traditional regional cuisine such as cassoulet.

🍳 Hotel Ultonia Girona. Large buffet breakfast € 16.00 each.
🌦️ High 21°C, low 14°C. Light showers off and on.
🚆 €127.30 each
🥗 €6.95 at train station
📖 Le Chemin du piémont pyrénéen €18.40
🛒 €25.57
🧺 €4.50
🍽️ Restaurant Le Saint Jean cité de Carcassonne. Gizzard salads, cassoulets, desserts. €50.00
🏨 Le Logis des Remparts ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ €153.10.Read more
TravelerBeautiful. Are you fluent in the Spanish or French languages?
9/3/25Reply
TravelerI can read French at a B1 level and speak at an A2 level.
9/3/25Reply
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Across Empires Traveler
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Carcassonne Sights and Cuisine
September 2, 2025 in France ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
🗓️ Day 18
💭 of the day: Adventure is one of many ways to resist the fear economy, and to reclaim agency in aging.
☀️ High 26°C, low 13°C
🥐 €3.50 for two croissants at La Boulangerie de la Cité
🏰 Admission for two - includes day tour and night tour €56.00.
🍽️ La Demuere Du Cassoulet. Gizzard salad, Cassoulet, foie gras, bottle wine, water. €82.00.
🏨 Le Logis des Remparts ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ €153.10.

Carcassonne’s castle, the Château Comtal, anchors the medieval Cité, a double-walled fortress with origins in Gallo-Roman times and expanded through the Middle Ages.

Built in the 12th century by the Trencavel family, it includes towers, ramparts, a drawbridge, and a keep. Restored in the 19th century by architect Viollet-le-Duc, it showcases defensive architecture across centuries and is part of Carcassonne’s UNESCO World Heritage site.

La Demeure du Cassoulet is a charming restaurant tucked within Carcassonne’s medieval Cité. Known for its homemade Salade de gésiers confits and its award-winning cassoulet gourmand. Touted as the best cassoulet in Carcassonne by Tables & Auberges de France—it serves generous, hearty dishes in a warm, inviting atmosphere.Read more
Traveler Wow!
9/3/25Reply
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Across Empires Traveler
Pamiers, France
September 3, 2025 in France ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
🗓️ Day 19

We took a train from Carcassonne to Pamiers. We enjoyed the peace and quiet of Carcassonne in the early morning hours of early September. Tourist buses don’t arrive until 10:00 and school is back in session for most French students.

From the train, we could see a patchwork of maize and wheat fields, sunflower and rapeseed plots, grazing cattle and sheep, and occasional orchards, vineyards, and vegetable gardens.

At the Pamiers TI, we found more information about the GR78 than in Carcassonne. Agricultural products of the region were also highlighted. We were able to store our backpacks at the TI while we waited for our hotel to open at 16:30.

Pamiers’ economy centers on metallurgy and aerospace subcontracting (notably the Aubert & Duval alloys plant), tied to nearby Toulouse’s Airbus industry. It also serves as a regional hub for services and administration, with agriculture in the surrounding valley. Industry, not tourism, defines the town’s character.

💭 of the day: Excellence is the result of caring more than others think wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical, and expecting more than other think is possible.

📍 Pamiers
🚆 €23.90 each
☀️ High 29°C, low 17°C. Mostly sunny.
🍽️ Chez Les Bengals. Indian food: Samossa viande hachée, Dhal Soup- Soupe de lentilles, Bœuf curry, Dal ghoust bœuf, Gulab Jamoun, garlic naan, and Halwa. €42.00.
🛒 €32.70
🧺 €5.00
🏨 Hotel de la Paix ⭐️⭐️. €69.91Read more
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Across Empires Traveler
Montégut-Plantaurel
September 4, 2025 in France ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
🗓️ Day 20
🍳 €9.90 each buffet breakfast.

Leaving Pamiers, we climbed gently out of the flat valley and into rolling countryside. Fields of cereals, sunflowers, and small farms dominated this stretch, with views back toward Pamiers.

Most of the route was rural lanes, hedgerows, and patches of woodland with very few small hamlets with stone farmhouses and tile roofs. In one hamlet, a woman came out of her house and asked if we needed to use the toilet at city hall or needed anything to drink.

Livestock were cows and donkeys in pastures. At one pasture, a farmer had created a picnic area for hikers to rest, including free tomatoes.

Montégut-Plantaurel is a hilltop village overlooking the Plantaurel hills, named for the limestone ridges that mark this part of Ariège department.

Ruins of Château de Montégut-Plantaurel, a medieval castle that once guarded the area is barely visible.

Wildlife: Two roe deer, three ragondin, one pheasant, red kites and herons.

💭 Thought of the day: An unconventional life is a practical life when it aligns with your values.

📍 Montégut-Plantaurel
🥾 20 km
⛅️ High 23°C, low 11°C.
🏨 La Pause Nature )chambres d’hôtes). €71.72. Includes dinner and breakfast.Read more
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