Au revoir France, Bienvenidos a ESPANA!
(by the way, sorry that last blog entry was a bit vague and rushed--I was in a hurry, and didn't have time to sit and7 type a detailed account on this tiny iPod screen.)
Today's the day--we made the 6 1/2 hour bus ride from Orange to Barcelona, with a stop in the medieval city of Carcassone. It wasn't too bad, seeing as our stop was for 2 hours, and it broke our trip into (more or less) 3 hour segments. It sure feels good to be in Spanish territory; France was positively charming and amazing and fun, however I do enjoy being able to communitcate and understand the language being spoken around me! It's good practice, since I don't speak enough Spanish at home to be 100% fluent.
We left Orange at 8:15am this morning, and arrived in the medieval city of Carcassone around noon. This place was breathtaking! The city is surrounded by 2 stone walls. As we walked inside the city walls, we crossed a drawbridge with a moat, and found ourselves on a tiny cobblestone street fuof tiny shops and places to grab a crepe or panini. It was decorated just like a medieval town--all of the signs and building decor reflected this theme. It reminded me almost of Disneyworld--except it was actually the real thing! (what. very American thing for me to say--but really, Disney does a good job recreating different places around the world).
My mom and I explored the city's interior. We stopped in a few stores (well...more than a few...) and bought several things. I got a pair of Espadrilles with stripes, so I can sport French products in the US! We took lots of pictures and marvelled at how intact the city still was. Most fortresses have been destroyed by war and such, but this one has remained for years and years. Why? Well, there are 3 secrets of Carcassone.
First, the city walls are not just made of stone. They are stone, but they are also brick. This made them nearly indestructible. Since bricks are softer, they gave the wall flexibility. When catapults were fired at the walls, they would shake, yes. But they would never break.
Second, the water system. They used several wells in the city to draw water from below the surface. This kept them alive and well hydrated when they were confined within the walls during attack. Enemies never knew!
Third, olive oil. This oil, like salt, does well at preserving flavor. They would use it to keep things tasting good after a long time of being preserved.
For lunch, we had a savory ham and cheese crepe (our last crepe in France!) that was absolutely delicious. The dough had rosemary and garlic in it, and the flavors were amazing. We also got sorbet--I got Cassis, which is a special flavor found only in the south of France. The cassis berry is special to the area we were in, because it is a local berry. It tasted like a cross between a blackberry and a cranberry. It was refreshing and very tasty!
We climbed back on the bus around 2:30, and headed out to Barcelona. We drove through Los Pirineos (mountains), and made our way across the border of France and Spain. Since both countries are in the union, we didn't have to stop for customs. Thank God for that--it wouldve taken forever, and we were about to hit bad traffic into Barcelona anyways.
After plodding along the autopista (highway), we made it to the city of Barcelona--POR FIN! I'm so glad to be back Herr. We ate a delicious dinner in the hotel, had some tasty sangria, and were off to bed to rest up for tomorrow.
We will be visiting Gaudi's very famous Parque Guell, and La Sagrada Familia, which is a cathedral that has been a work in progress for over 100 years. WOW! I also sense we will be shopping along Las Ramblas, a very famous street in the city.
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