The castle of Carcassonne

The grey and cold weather continued today but we persevered and visited the enormous medieval castle of Carcassonne. Actually, the oldest fortifications here are 1700 years old but much of what we see now was built in the 13th and 14th century and then extensively renovated during the 19th century. Very interesting.
I felt a bit sick yesterday and it continued today. I think I have a little bit of fever, so taking it a bit slower than usual.
After lunch onboard we left the harbour and continued towards Bram. The weather slowly grew a little bit better and the late afternoon was actually quite nice. We had dinner at the very simple yet charming restaurant Chez Alain - a full menu with three courses and free wine costed no less than €12,50!

Shifting weather on Canal du Midi

The 3rd of May started sunny and warm but grew darker and colder. But we warmed us with an interesting wine tasting at Commanderie Preissan, in the cellar of an impressive mansion.
We had a delicious French lunch on deck and then sailed along the canal to a small village. Now the sky opened itself and it poured down. The wind also picked up. So we stayed on the boat and cooked dinner and played games. Nice as well.
The next morning, the 4th of May, the weather was even worse. Very strong wind and torrential rain. We started driving West but after an hour or so the boat base called and warned that weather would turn really foul and that we should seek harbour. After a tough mooring manouver we found safe haven in Homps. More games, reading and socialising kept us busy. When you have such a nice bunch of people onboard the weather can't stop you from having fun. In the evening we ran through the storm to a restaurant for a great meal.
The next morning the sun was visible for a short time, the rain had stopped and the wind was somewhat weaker. Nice! So we continued Westwards through a number of cute villages. At every lock we were greeted by the lock dog who always seemed to be a very sociable four-legger.
The landscapes here are stunningly beautiful. Unfortunately due to the weather I don't have as stunning photos, but here are a few.
In the evening we reached Carcassone with it's large fortress. Of course we played the game Carcassone while being here :-)