May 20, 2026 – Capestang to Mailhac – 25 kms – Porte de Midi

May 21, 2026 – Mailhac to Rieux-Minervois – 34 kms – Studio L’Obrador

May 22, 2026 – Rieux-Minervois to Carcassonne – 29 kms – appartement cosy au près de pont vieux

May 23, 2026 – Carcassonne to Montréal – 25 kms – L’Échappée Belle Maison

Ruth: Our road to Carcassonne was dotted with delightful villages, each with a 12th-century church and a tight medieval core. Our favorite was the unique seven-sided Église Sainte-Marie in Rieux-Minervois.

My route usually braids through the landscape, on and off the official Grande Randonnée. At one point, I was admiring a poppy field when I spotted a large flower moving through it. Gordon’s orange shirt fit perfectly into the landscape.

Apparently, I had been to Carcassonne before, but some of the details of my European road trip at age four have been lost. It was with new eyes that I experienced “La Cité.” The current fortifications date back to the 12th and 13th centuries, but they are built on much earlier Roman foundations.

Overnight, summer has arrived, and temperatures are climbing above 30 degrees most days. We decided to eat before exploring the fortress, letting the crowds, and at least some of the heat, dissipate. By 5:00, it was no longer filled with tourists, and we had a wonderful wander inside and around the outside of this magnificent place.

There is more to Carcassonne than the fortified city. Cycling out along the Aude River, I was struck by the surrounding beauty of the area. Spaces for exercise, picnics, skateboarding, and bicycle training lined a treed park stretching all the way out of town. I suspected that one of the drawbacks to life in Carcassonne would be affordability, but apparently it is one of the more affordable cities in France. Overtourism is an issue, but the majority of visitors arrive in groups during the day and do not spend the night