Bare Bones

Saint Michel's bell tower through the trees

Today after church, I took myself over to Le Dome for lunch.  The special today was boudin noir--a dark sausage made with pig's blood.  I am not a great fan of sausage, so I took a pass and had a salad instead.

That restaurant doesn't get many stars, I think, because it's not fancy.  There's not much "ambiance" but I have always found the food full of flavor.  Apparently, so do the locals, because it is always busy with obvious non-tourists coming in after church for lunch on Sundays.  People greet one another, bring their families, read the paper, visit and linger. I like it and the waitress recognizes me now and treats me like a local as well. 

Then I went for a little walk.  I love Carcassonne at this time of the year.  It's stripped down to the bare bones.  The trees are leaf-less and this allows for better views of the buildings.  The streets are empty of both tourists and traffic on Sundays.  The amusement rides of the holiday festivals have been put away, and the public spaces have a stripped-bare look to them.  It's as if the city is revealing its bones to me.

I guess he liked his pipe.

I notice something new almost every time I go out on a Sunday.  I can dawdle in the intersections if something catches my eye, since there's scarcely any traffic.  The stores and restaurants are almost all closed, so I am not distracted by the colors and smells. Today, I discovered a sculpture dedicated to one of France's military heroes.  The carving is done out of the famous red marble of Caunes-Minervois.  The French paratroopers are stationed here in Carcassonne, and he was one of theirs. 

The view of Saint Michel's bell tower through the bare trees along Rue Barbes  also captivated me. I suspect that this is a very different place in June, July and August.  One day I will find out for myself just how different it is.