With both Olivia and James in the team, the move was made from the lush area of Aveyron to the warmer and drier south. Both the geography and accents changed as the team travelled south. A stop over in Carcassone near the Spanish border broke up the driving. A wonderful medieval walled city. Stephen had visited 30 years ago but remembered little (apart from the rain) of the splendor of the fortified city built to hold off the Moors (the 100 Year War and English didn't make it this far south). We had time to check out some areas of Provence before Olivia flew off for Sevilla on Jan 19th (after Stephen's stern warning about cute Spanish Gypsy men) and James headed back to work on Jan 20th.
Olivia has decided to do some travel with her pal Chloe who she met up with in Sevilla and to put the Uni of Qld acceptance to the Law School off until next year. She is pondering whether to start semester two 2012 with some history study - it seems the trip reignited her passion for the subject. James finished his longest break in a few years and returned to work in Oxford. Stephen and Paulie look forward to staying with him and Neil again before heading back to Australia towards the end of February.
Off to our next borrowed house in Provence/Drôme
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Picnic stop outside of Albi
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Back on the road
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Over the mountains
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Where it is a bit colder
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To attack thy father, or not?
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best done when he is not looking
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Arrive at our fab B &B in Carcasonne
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a comfortable apartment
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Dinner in the old city
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Into the old city to explore
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Kids in a candy store
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The Roman arena in Nîmes
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James is up for a gladitorial scuffle
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Pont Du Gard - started in 19 BCE by son-in-law of Augustus to supply water to Nîmes
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