Cimetière de la Cité | Carcassonne, France

Our fourth stop on our whirlwind road trip through France was Carcassonne in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. Carcassonne is well known as a 13th century medieval fortified city and is classified as a UNESCO heritage site. Markus and I haven't been to many authentic medieval places, so we decided to include the city on our trip. 

As we walked up to the entrance of the medieval citadel. We glanced to the left and saw the entrance to the Cimetière de la Cité. Since, we often don't see above ground cemeteries much less ones in a 13th century fortified city, we decided to take a look. The layout was very straightforward with just four aisles and mainly graves. I don't recall seeing any chapels or mausoleums. We explored for about 30 mins and saw a lot of flowers and decorations. There was a huge festival or something going on nearby and I remember hearing Bruno Mars playing quite loudly, so that was a bit strange and a memory I wont soon forget.  

Château Lamothe du Prince Noir | Saint-Sulpice-et-Cameyrac, France | Part Two

One of the best things about our stay at Château Lamothe du Prince Noir was the superb breakfast that was served on the gorgeous terrace. Breakfast was provided at every place we stayed in France and all were fantastic in their own ways, but I didn't whip out the camera for any of those mornings. Carla, our host, put a lot of thought and love into the menu. She even whipped up a couple fried eggs to order.  They were really appreciated especially during our long days walking through vineyards and cobblestoned streets. 

Château Lamothe du Prince Noir | Saint-Sulpice-et-Cameyrac, France | Part One

Previously, I posted about our stay at Château de Boucéel in Normandy and we were lucky enough to stay at another château in the Bordeaux region of France. While I was looking for places to stay in Bordeaux, I came across Château Lamothe du Prince Noir. I remember showing it to Markus and us both saying, it looked amazing, but maybe a little out of our league. So I kept searching for another place to stay. No matter how many acceptable and nice places I found, I kept going back to Château Lamothe du Prince Noir. So, in the end, that's where we ended up spending three magical nights during our time in France. 

I'm so glad that we decided to stay at Château Lamothe du Prince Noir. It was very different from Château de Boucéel, but it was just as lovely. The property is owned and run by Carla, a lovely woman from England. When we stayed there, her daughter and her family were helping for the summer and they both had amazing recommendations for restaurants and hot spots in the area. One of my favorite things about the property was the pool. On one of our days in the city, we left a little early because we just wanted to spend a few hours by the pool. It was definitely an idyllic afternoon. Later, I'll be sharing a bit more about the château, including our room which really was fit for royalty. 

Saint-Émilion, France | Part Two

As I stated in my last post, one of my biggest regrets on this trip was not spending more time in Saint-Émilion. Thankfully, I booked an afternoon excursion with Bordovino that combined a stop in the little commune and two wineries. Our tour guide, Soline, managed to pack in the greatest spots in Saint-Émilion before we left. One of these spots was this great view near the Saint-Émilion Monolithic Church. The church dates back to the 12th century and was carved from a single block of stone and is quite massive. I've seen a lot of churches in my life, but I honestly cannot say I've seen one as impressive and towering as this one. It was positively medieval and the perfect place to end our time in the beautiful and stunning Saint-Émilion

Saint-Émilion, France | Part One

As previously stated in my previous post, Markus and I decided to stop in Bordeaux to explore a bit of wine country.  I booked a half day tour with Bordivino tours where we stopped at two wineries and the beautiful Saint-Émilion.  One of the main reasons I booked this tour was because of our stop in the little commune.  I saw a few pictures and instantly fell in love.  It looked exactly like the little village from Beauty and the Beast.

Saint-Émilion is well known as a UNESCO heritage site as well as being one of the regions that produces wine. The area dates back as far as prehistoric times. Despite being an area steeped in history and popular with the tourists, it still manages to retain its charm. I loved walking along the cobblestone streets and exploring the cathedrals and ruins. It never once felt like a tourist trap and I regretted that we weren't able to spend more than a few hours there. I had few regrets on this trip, but this was definitley one of them.