Carcassonne Adventure: Church

We "fell back" here last night, so now there are only 8 hours and 5 hours time difference between here and the west and east coasts...until the US "falls back" next weekend. I guess that means it is going to get dark earlier tonight.

Today is spectacular, again--sunny, warm, no humidity, shirtsleeve weather. How wonderful for late autumn. I don't know if it's usual weather for here, but I won't look a gift horse in the mouth. I have been outside enjoying it most of the morning and will return once I get this post finished.

A beautiful day in my Carcassonne neighborhood.

I found the Protestant church here. It's a very short walk from the apartment and took me in a direction I haven't yet really explored, so I set off early. I got there in plenty of time for the service, and had a chance to chat with some of the parishioners. What a charming little building! It is home to a very small, very informal congregation . The hymnals are as worn as the seats. I was greeted warmly by people who speak little to no English, which was great for me. I had to speak French. The hour that I spent there this morning might have done more to improve my language skills than just about anything else I have done thus far.

The guy in the back with the beard led the service. Notice the absence of cushions!

I found that I had a hard time filtering out the background noise-the creaking of the wooden seats, the wiggling of the children behind me, late entrants' footfalls on the stone floors all made it harder to hear the speaker. And unlike some speakers I have listened to, I actually WANTED to hear what this man was saying. It was much better once everyone settled in. There were probably 18 people in the church for the service. Once the woman who seemed to be in charge found out that I was from the US and spoke English, she introduced me to a Swedish woman who spoke some English. Then she brought over a woman from the UK, Linda, who lives 15k north of Carcassonne and is a regular attendee. She sat with me and gave me some pointers about getting absorbed into Carcassonnaise life.

Impressive, but not used. The guy led the service from down on the floor, with the rest of us.

There was lots of singing--all a capella. They have a Yamaha keyboard, but nobody to play it. The good thing about singing with no accompaniment is that people sing in a key that's comfortable for them. That's not a bad thing. I was able to fully participate during the singing part. Even though the hymns were vaguely familiar, I was able to read both the French words and the tune, so I fit right in with everyone else.

White marble altar table, and three candles, obviously used from one week to the next.

I liked the service. The people were friendly without being overbearing. It's a beautiful spot to meditate and think about my purpose in life. This parish is socially conscious, and is heavily involved in feeding the hungry. It obviously does not spend money on unnecessary frills for the building, but tries to take care of what it has. I will go back next Sunday.

I took the long way home. Stopped at a brasserie and treated myself to a glass of white wine and some lunch-cote de porc dijonnais. (pork chop with dijon mustard sauce) The majority of the people there were locals, and seemed to know one another and the wait staff. The dog came in, too, for lunch. I could sit as long as I wanted to and write. Nobody pushes you to move on so they can "turn their tables." It's a great way to spend a Sunday. It's a great way to spend any day.

Park on the way home

Always good to know where these are located.

I suppose that others may have already mastered the city by this time. But the luxury of six month's time is allowing me to discover it at my own pace.
When I get tired, I come home.