Castles and cassoulet *sigh*

1pm

We're on our way to Toulouse after a fantastic 4 days and nights in Preixan, 10 kms from Carcassonne. Yes, we went to the amazing medieval city and yes, we had delicious cassoulet, but the best part of this week has been our experience at Sidsmums. We knew it would be good, because the website gives a very good sense of the place. But it was GREAT. Marie, Ian and Joanne (UK, Canada and Ireland respectively) who were looking after the place while Jan was on holiday for a week back in the UK, were so friendly and hospitable. Ian and Joanne have actually been there since July as volunteers, and are staying til December.

There was the most lovely dog, George, whom the little people just adored. He is a patient, peaceful big dog and seemed to really enjoy Henry and Bella's little games with him. We took him round the corner to the boulangerie in the mornings, Hen and Belly went on walks with him at night with Joanne and Ian, collecting snails and playing fun games with Ian's torch. It was just so nice. We had local baguette for breakfast, made good meals in the evenings with lashings of local red wine and had lunches out. We even scampered up like mountain goats to the castles at Lastours - so peaceful, so old and really very cool.

The other guests were wonderful too - Leon and Malakai, Marie's partner and 15 month old son; Izzy and Bron from Cornwall; Peter and Dee from Townsville and their lovely sons James and Joseph (15 and 12 - whom Hen adored even more than George!). We had great games of speed scrabble, people built castles with Bella, Hen ran around like a knight on speed with the sword (!) that James and Joseph bought him specially in Carcassonne. We all had a ball.

And we made more plans!

First, to fly to Marrakesh mid November after our time in Germany (from Frankfurt). Eek! Brave - I will be doing much research in coming weeks. We hope to leave the bulk of our stuff in Furth and travel very light, so we aren't distracted by our luggage.

We will then head back up to Spain, to Seville, and then probably fly back to Frankfurt and collect our things for the cold weather. Then I have booked the lovely little house of garden guru and author Mary Moody from Dec 8-15. It is in a wee village 2 hours north of Toulouse. Yay! I read a few of Mary's wonderful books last year, about her time there, so it will be very cool to stay there ourselves : )

So Hen will have his 6th birthday with the camels, and Bella back in France - in the snow perhaps!

10pm
I managed today, at Toulouse Railway Station as my laptop was almost out of power, to book us into an apartment hotel a metro and loooong bus ride from Toulouse - whoops! On the plus side it is excellent value and the apartment is v nice and there is free wireless in the lobby, but I think we may be in walking distance of a supermarket, and not much else...duhh. Peaceful anyway : )

Au revoir St Cyprien Plage, bonjour Carcassonne

Yay, we are leaving this ghostly place! We are picking up a car in Perpignan and heading in land to Carcassonne - amazing medieval village. We are staying in a wee hostel about 10kms out, run by some people who were inspired by small, friendly NZ hostels they had stayed at! Cool. We have a little chalet to ourselves for two night. It will be great to be somewhere with friendly people who can gives us tips, too, on where is nice to stay etc.

St Cyprien Plage has been a bit like Taupo off season, but with almost nothing open, no buses and very few permanent residents. And lots of poos on the beach - eeeuuw, but you've heard enough about that... We have managed to avoid it thus far thanks to Bella's and my superior spotting abilities.

So we are happy to be getting on the road and exploring this lovely region (Languedoc-Roussillon) a bit. We drop the car in Toulouse on Friday, and may take up the offer of the lovely French couple we met in Portbou to come and stay with them, perhaps for the weekend.

Onwards and upwards!