Tag Archives: Carcassonne

Carcassonne 🇬🇧🇫🇷

Posted on April 7, 2026 by admin

Some cities get lucky. Carcassonne got strategic positioning. The result was two thousand years of invasions, crusades, and general unpleasantness—interrupted only by brief periods of prosperity and the occasional flying pig. Click here to find out more…

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Canal du Midi, Carcassonne, Cathars, Crusades, Fortified city, French castles, French history, Historical blog, History with a twist, Humorous history, Languedoc, Medieval architecture, Medieval history, Occitania, South of France, Travel France, UNESCO World Heritage, Viollet-le-Duc | Leave a comment

Canal du Midi 🇬🇧🇫🇷

Posted on April 7, 2026 by admin

Before the TGV, before the motorway, before even the steam engine, one obsessed Frenchman carved a 241-kilometre waterway through the south of France using nothing but a battered compass, 15,000 workers, and his entire family fortune. The Canal du Midi … Continue reading →

Posted in Travel | Tagged * Canal du Midi, 17th century engineering, Boat trips, Canal travel, Carcassonne, Countryside, Cycling routes, French heritage, Nature, Occitanie, Pierre-Paul Riquet, Relaxation, Scenic routes, Sète, Slow travel, South of France, Toulouse, Travel photography, UNESCO World Heritage, Vineyards, Walking trails | Leave a comment

The great winter escape 🇬🇧🇫🇷🇩🇪

Posted on January 5, 2026 by admin

They say timing is everything. Whoever ‘they’ are clearly weren’t talking about my recent departure from Germany – which happened to be exactly three days before Mother Nature decided to dump enough snow on Hannover to make front-page news. Coincidence? … Continue reading →

Posted in Seasonal musings, Travel | Tagged * Germany, Carcassonne, Christmas, cold weather, Cozy reading, France vs Germany, Hannover, Missing out, Pyrenees, Snow, Winter, Winter 2025 | Leave a comment

The week that was 01/2026

Posted on January 4, 2026 by admin

My luggage divorced itself at Charles de Gaulle, I won a music quiz without answering a single question correctly, and I’m about to start a diet that nobody asked for. If this is what 2026 looks like, buckle up—it’s going … Continue reading →

Posted in Lifestyle, Travel | Tagged AdultingFails, AirportStories, Carcassonne, CDGAirport, ChristmasMarket, FamilyTime, FirstWorldProblems, FoodieLife, France, FrenchCuisine, FrenchLife, Germany, GinAndTonic, Hannover, HolidayTravel, LostLuggage, LuggageWoes, NaillouxOutlet, NewYearsDay, NewYearsEve, NewYearsLunch, NoResolutions, RealLife, SouthOfFrance, Toulouse, TravelFails, TravelHumor, WeekInReview, WeeklyRecap | Leave a comment

The week that was 49/2025 🇬🇧🇫🇷

Posted on December 7, 2025 by admin

December kicked off with a bruised rib, nightly pilgrimages to the Christmas market, enough mulled wine to forget the pain, and one unforgettable cassoulet eaten under the bittersweet news that my favourite restaurant is soon closing. If you enjoy laughter-through-the-winces, … Continue reading →

Posted in Weekly Journal | Tagged Bruised Rib Chronicles, Carcassonne, Cassoulet, Christmas Market, December Adventures, Expat Life in France, Festive Season, French Food, Local Restaurants, Occitanie Life, Retirement News, Storytelling, Weekly Recap, Wine & Friends, Winter Tales | Leave a comment

A yearly tradition 🇫🇷🇬🇧

Posted on December 6, 2025 by admin

Every year in early December, our quiet corner of Occitanie suddenly fills with Spanish laughter, overflowing shopping carts, and enough Catalan energy to power Carcassonne’s Christmas lights — all thanks to a holiday most French people forget exists. Why exactly … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged * Spain, Carcassonne, Catalans, Christmas season, Constitution Day, Cross-border tourism, Cultural quirks, December 6, Humour, Local life, Neighbours, Occitanie, Shopping trips, Weekend getaway | Leave a comment

Retirees and digital IDs 🇬🇧🇫🇷

Posted on November 19, 2025 by admin

Between the sudden winter chill, a swarm of hyper-motivated retirees, a Christmas market rising from the ground, and the glorious failure of France’s digital IDs, my morning turned into a full-blown administrative comedy. Come read how, at 72, I managed … Continue reading →