Janet and I drove south over the mountains and hit some very icy roads so we decided to take the longer (miles) but safer and faster way on the autoroute. One of my best purchases has been my international GPS. With a quick change of course and a push of a button we were on our way again. After coming to France for so many years, renting a car and using a number of maps, I would say now the GPS is the way to do it. Technology at its best! After 6 hours on the road we arrived in Carcassonne. The view of the medieval, walled city as we approached was breath-taking. The fortress, the largest in Europe, consists of a fortified nucleus, the Château Comtal and a double curtain wall: the outer ramparts include 14 towers, separated from the inner ramparts (24 towers) by the outer bailey. The earliest sections of the wall were built by the Romans in the 1st century, were later enlarged by the Visagoths, and during the 13th century Louis IX and his son Philip the Bold strengthened the fortifications giving it the appearance it has today. We toured the entire city and had a great dinner that night (the regional speciality, Cassoulet, a delicious dish of pork sausages, duck confit and white beans).
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