The Little Words Mean the Most

France: Day 8 -- Toy vehicles

France: Day 7 -- Salses

Fort de Salses. Next to the sea, in the Corbiéres. A Vauban creation. This squat, dense fort on the Catalan border marks the transition from medieval- to renaissance-period military architecture. Old-style castles with their tall curtain walls sought to survive catapults and archery. Thick Vauban-style forts, with their criss-crossing fields of fire, were designed to withstand concentrated cannon fire.

France: Day 7 -- Queribus

Queribus is a Cathar castle. Later, it helped guard the French-Spanish border before a treaty moved the national division line to the summit of the Pyrenees (in the distance). Castles were sited on steep stone outcroppings so that siege equipment would be hard to erect nearby. The catapult and trebuchet, medieval equivalents of today's artillery, were fiercely effective at tearing down stone walls. Dysentary was the besieged real best friend. The besieging army often succumbed to disease (poor hygiene, basically) before the walls were breached.

France: Day 7 -- Signs

France: Day 7 -- The car that stole my heart

France: Day 7 -- Eating at dusk

Evening temp: 75 degrees Farenheit. After a long day tramping the military architecture of France. Today's news: sad stories. History's news: sad stories. This is Marilyn and Paul's last evening before they depart; alas for us, alas for them. A carefree week, top-to-bottom entertaining. A final EZ meal on the terrace, with fresh "produits de regionaux" (spelling?) and a wine we tasted in Salses. Then reading by spotlight under no-cloudy, starry skies.

France: Day 6 -- Scenic route, thru Margon

France: Day 6 -- Lazy day in Pézenas

France: Day 5 -- Car grill lovers, unite

France: Day 5 -- Portraits