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South Central France

We stayed at a beautiful French estate called the Domaine de Maran - now a B&B. The home had been occupied by a Nazi officer during WWII. Our hosts Henry and Alix were so interesting and helpful by giving us good directions to sights along the way of our next leg of the road trip. As a result, we saw a canal that was built about 400 years ago by King Louis XIV to connect the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea. They directed us to the medieval walled city of Aigues Mortes which was built in the 13th century to launch the 7th crusade. We also saw black bulls and white horses - famous in the Carbonniere area.
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The valley near Carcassonne.
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The valley near Carcassonne.

  • Our beautiful B&B - the Domaine de Maran. It was occuppied by a Nazi officer during WWII. The French owner had to vacate the home.
  • Henry and Alix were our hosts. Very knowledgable people. They visit southwest Florida in the winter.
  • Spiral staircase at our B&B.
  • A sign for Alix's chicken yard.
  • Alix and one of her four "happy chickens".
  • The names of the four happy chickens. They provided brown eggs for our breakfasts each morning. I like the name "Polka".
  • In the hills above Carcassonne.
  • The valley near Carcassonne.
  • A lock on the Canal des Deux Mers (canal connecting the Atlantic and Mediterranean - by King Louis XIV - from the 1600's)
  • A modern sculpture at the lock on the Canal des Deux Mers. The Lock Master seemed to have a side business of metal sculptures.
  • The medieval wall around the town of Aigues Mortes.
  • King Louis IX launched the 7th Crusades from here in the mid 13th century.
  • Tower along the walled city of Aigues Mortes.
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  • Within the walled city of Aigues Mortes.
  • A lookout post. Very similar posts are located at the fort in St. Augustine, Florida. These are typical of medieval forts.
  • An ancient lookout tower in the Carbonniere area. We climbed the tower just as black bulls were brought through by horsemen on white horses.
  • The Carbonniere area is famous for its black bulls used in a fighting game (non-lethal to bulls or men). We were very fortunate to see these from the tower at the very moment they were driven by.
  • A horseman on one of the white horses famous in the Carbonniere area. Note the spear with the tip - a symbol of the area.
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