Careful where you point that! Medieval jousting in Carcassonne, France

I just posted a new gallery on Flickr of some shots from our recent weekend away to Carcassonne in the South West of France.

I had been through Carcassonne Airport several times en route to Montpelier for work, but had never visited the city. After reading Kate Mosse’s “Labyrinth”, it was high on my list of places to visit. It has a lot of history, having being the centre of the Cathar religion, and it is blessed with the weather!

Some travel details:

1. We flew Shannon Carcassonne with Ryanair out on a Saturday and back on the following Monday. This went as smooth as ice. Many complain about Ryanair, but I find them fantastic, and long may they have a huge presence at Shannon Airport.
2. If you are only visiting Carcassonne and not the surrounding countryside, there is no need to worry about renting a car. Indeed, I have found that to be a trial at the airport there in the past. There is a bus just outside the tiny arrivals hall which does a circuit of the city and all the main hotels for €5 a head. Just let him know where you are going when you get on board.
3. We stayed at the Mercure Hotel, which is less than 100m from one of the main entrances to the medieval Château Comtal. As it was our wedding anniversary getaway, I ordered a bottle of Champagne, which the Hotel duly obliged. They were nearly embarrassed when letting me know the price… Let’s put it this way, I couldn’t buy in an off-license at home what they thought was expensive for Room Service in a Hotel in France.
4. We spent most of our time ambling around the Château Comtal, and took in the Medieval Jousting. That was great for photos, so don’t miss it.

On to the photos: