Our next stop would be a quick one, with one night scheduled in the town of Carcassonne. Located in the Languedoc region of France, Carcassonne is a 13th-century fortress. Not one, but two city walls encircle the town. Almost 2 miles around, these walls still include 52 of the original towers.
When we got to town it was too early to check into the hotel, so we hiked around the walls and visited the city sights. Since our weather in the Dordogne was mostly wet and chilly, the kids didn't get much use of our pool. Luckily this hotel had an indoor pool so the kids were looking forward to retiring to the hotel early and swimming all night. So after our walk, we picked up dinner and headed straight for the hotel. One car ride from Sarlat to Carcassonne, one town crossed off the to-do list, and some pool time with the kids…another full day!
One big difference we find in Europe is the relaxed attitude towards potentially dangerous situations. In Europe, very unlike the U.S., people aren't afraid of getting sued and this walk along the city wall is a perfect example. A 3-foot wide walkway and a 20-foot drop with no railing. If something is too dangerous don't do it, if something is too hot don't drink it, and if you fall off a city wall it's your own fault. Easy as that!
