The cutest places yet

Following some pretty extensive internet research  last night we decided on visiting three historic sites today.

The day started after nine, because it’s not dark until after 10pm there’s not much sense in starting too early, with another breakfast outside under a sun umbrella. Yoghurt, bread with ham and cheese, a croissant, orange juice and a cafe au lait, life is a bitch some days. I’m getting a bit of a tan and have not had a jersey on since we touched down in Paris over a week ago.

The GPS phone apps are proving invaluable because my natural sense of direction never works in the Northern hemisphere where the sun travels through the south.

Our first stop was the hilltop bastide town of Montflanquin which was a bit of a climb from where we parked. My knees work pretty well on the flat or going uphill but are not so good going down so in each place we visited today the return trip to the car was a bit of a hobble. Montflanquin was established in the 15th century and the buildings are either a whiteish stone or partly timbered and so cute, definitely touristy with bulk cafes, craft shops and lovely flowers in pots, hanging baskets and gardens.

Our next visit was to Chateaux de Bonaguil, a formidable, fortified medieval castle. Like most places there were several cafes, so it being lunchtime we sat under another umbrella and were serenaded by a hefty, elderly, eccentricly dressed gent who played guitar and sang a range of French and American songs. The lunch wasn’t bad either, Mark had the goats chese salad and I had a burger.

The castle was everything you imagine a medieval fortress should be with natural cave dungeons below, giant towers, some restored rooms and much of it ruined. Certainly one of the best I have visited. I sketched one of the towers and will try to add it to this post.

Our last visit was to Pujols, a smaller clone of Montflanquin but again with some lovely sites and great views.