Our road trip continues

Ted. On leaving Andorra, we made for one of the most famous sites in southern France, the walled city of Carcassonne. It has a fascinating history, so check it out on the internet. 

Ben and I walked along the walls that night. 

My alltime favorite photo of me

The next day, we stopped for lunch and a brief walk around the city of Béziers. 

Then it was on to Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert which is a place I will not soon forget. Officially designated “One of the Most Beautiful Villages of France,” it seems relatively unchanged since it grew up around an abbey built by William of Gellone (Guilhem is the Occitan word for William) around 800. William was a fabled knight and cousin of Charlemagne who laid down his sword, became a monk and was ultimately named a saint. For more information, feel free to read up on him and the town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

By the way, if you have visited The Met Cloisters in New York, you have seen some of the columns which were built for this abbey. How they came to New York is another matter. 

  "Honeycomb" column capital

Returning to Montpellier, we bid a fond farewell to good friend Ben who traveled home to Prague. We all look forward to another rendezvous, on down the road.