Carcassonne Begins, Carcassonne, France

I’m sitting on a second train after connecting in Toulouse. We’re not moving, and I’m trying to grab a clue from the French coming over the loud speaker. I ask the young woman sitting next to me if she speaks English. Yes, she says there’s an issue with the tracks ahead and we’ll have about an hour delay.

I arrive in Carcassonne after dark and an hour before the hotel closes. It’s not the most interesting hotel of the trip and the concierge does not speak English. But the room is adequate and it’s a 4 minute walk from the train station, which will make a smoother 6 AM departure on my final day here.

I wake up the next day exhausted, and my shoes and bag are breaking. I toss a repair kit into my day tote and drag myself out the door for my reserved spot on a docent-led tour of the walled city.

It’s about a 30 minute walk up the hill and over the Pont Vieux, the picturesque pedestrian bridge that crosses the Aude River. Built in 1320, it was the only link between the medieval walled city and the Bastide Saint Louis until the 19th century. At the foot of the bridge is a little chapel that is closed. The river looks low and is filled with algae; I spot a solitary swan swimming among the ducks. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).