Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-07-26
CARCASSONNE.
BY MAY CROMMELIN.


Where is Carcassonne? And what is
1t when you get there-a town, village.
castle, seaport? SO English readers
may e1claim. But if any of you have
n French friend acquainted with the
southern geography and traditions of
his pays du midi, ask this question.
and see if n smile does not beam broad
on your ignorance.
Carcassonne! Why, it is q house
hold proverb in France as an unique
sight. Who has seen it may rise sr-
perior to envy when travellers prate Of
Nuremberg. and Rome, or Granada.
$50 madame Is going to Carcassonr c!
All, she has .jOiineRt ralSOn" ex-
claimed my hotel keeper at Pau on
hearing my destination, and he grin
ned. Two bystanders laughed gaily.
1t was irritating to feel out of the DE D.,
but light or serious enquiries as to
rhy my goal seemed risible only pro-
duced shrugs of the shoulders. al
don't know" "Nor 1; but 1t is the
cnstom to make merry about Carc.s-
sonne," all three could only tell me.
"There is a well-known story about
it, however," cried one. "It is of an
old peasant who lived in the country
not many miles from there, and every
year he said he was going to see Car
cassonne, like other folk; till in tho
end, being eighty, he died and his lust
words were of regret that he had
never got to Carcassonne after all.
1t is made INTO a funny song they
sing in the cafes chnntants--''Et.j" j." MAI
pas uu CdrdS,Onec!" Jhereupon g
otf ers chImed in, echoing the refrain,
that had a despairing Tilt which was
really very comic.
Well, as to 1Chdt it is after all this.
1t is city, if you please the old, old
city of Carcassonne, containing at pres
eDt about twelve hundred inhabitants,
living behind its moat and massive
ramparts and watch-towers, little less
shut in from the onter world than in
their ancestors feudal days. Earlier
still, during the Saracen sway, 1t could
not have been very different, or in still
more hoary background of time, m
der the Visigoths' stern rule. Think
of It'll
Having to journey from Pau, with
its glorious view of the snow-clad
Pyrenees, to Ai1-les-Bains, nestled
among Its mountains by the blue-green
Lake Bourget, L decided to stop at
Carcassonne. An hotel acquaintance
had impressively told Inc there were
wonderful old-world fortificatIons
there. Bledeker added that Simon de
Montfort lay buried by the altar of its
church. Beyond this knowledge [ had
few ideas or none concerning Carcas-
some, but it was enough. So, leaving
Pau about noon, pleasant journey
through a wooded country all green
and fresh in the opening May tiTe,
brought me towards six o'clock to my
destination. \ good station, fairly
large ,wu, and some awaiting omni-
buses dill not look old world. In one
of these vehicles / was ratified for three
minutes over the bridge of the Aude
River, which gives its name to the De-
partment, past a shady place planted
with plaue-trees, to my hotel of ST.
Jean Baptiste.
Its name had flavor of antiquity,
borne out by polished red tiled floors,
q shallow, wide staircase, and massive
balusters. Even the large and empty
8dLOn upstairs had its expanse of floor
all square-tiled, while stiff Empire
furniture was ranged round the walls
Dinner was so we'll cooked it made up
for the loneliness of seeing no other
guests except n departing group of
stout Frenchmen, probably bachelor
townsfOlk, who seemed 10 turn in for
taoIC d'hOts as a matter of custom, ani
the fare plainly agreed with them. The
host was most obliging; also enthusi-
astic, even revereut, in praise of tn G
cite, which he quite understood | had
come spec al Y to see. Many people
did the same. mostly Americans passing
from MsrseilIcs to Pau or Bordeaux.
The only wonder in his mind was, that
sightseers did not flock in thousands.
Why, he held ''the city" w8s incom-
parable! here we're now two other
guests in the house, and they were get
ting up at half-past five to visit the old
city before their train started. What
n pity / could not share their carriage /;
1t would be more sociable to go in
company. However, finding It was
really only a twenty minutes walk, |
cheerfully resolved to go alone. So,
on a grey windy morning | started
forth, With the landlady's directions
following me down the pavement =
"You will get to the old bridge, and
then the ramparts will be facing you.
That is the most striking view"
1t was one, indeed Battling with
du st swirls down wide streets, aud un-
der long double avenIe of planes, L
was mompEtarily confused among mar
row rough paved alleys, owning ancient
fountains and statue or two. Then
came a fine old bridge over the brown
river-one made with angular manholes
on either side, in which foot passengers
could take refuge when n procession or
troop of men-at-arms was passing by.
Raising my eyes TO the hill-slope on
the right, / fairly started. The ram
parts were indeed looking down on me.
ones eyes and feel transported back to
the year of our Loru 1200-Day, earlier.
It was living dream.
There rose a ring of grey, cmbattled
walls. studded with watch-tOwcrs, each
crow ned with pointed tops, excepting
one square, high one. That Is the Sar-
acens' Tower. Carcassonne was truly
a strong city IN days OF yore.
There are but two city gates and
some postern doors. The eastern gate,
the Porte Narbonnaise, is the princl-
pal eutrance, and the only one acces-
sible for vehicles. To reach 1t, some
rather squalid and rather tortuOus
streets in low-lying quarter between
hill and river must needs be passed.
Even in olden days these probably
existed as fisher-huts and poor folks
cabins unworthy the shelter of the
kiugly burgh above. Above these, on
the hill, the little city stands alone,
clear of faubourg. A round-paved
road winds upwards, no whit changed
from days when mail clad knights and
horses clanked over its stones. On one
- 4ha daen prass.groHn city moat;