Greece goodbye, on to France

In the morning we headed off for Igoumenitsa to catch our ferry to Italy. It was a decently long drive, and we broke it up on the way with a spontaneous stop at some Roman thermae we stumbled across. It only cost two euro and was an enjoyable wander as we were the only ones (there except the lady selling the tickets and her tiny kitten that ran wild through the ruins and was adorably distracting).

Upon arriving in Igoumenitsa we didn't end up having time to stock up on sandwiches and so boarded the ferry foodless, knowing that the food on-board would be unpleasantly dire (we were correct). After a long night on board, we disembarked in Italy at Ancona and set about driving for France with as few stops as possible, aiming to hit France that night. The next few days were a haze of long driving and skipping past the horrendously expensive French Riviera, before arriving at our first destination of note, Carcassonne. I had heard a lot about the city but never been there, so I was rather excited to finally set eyes on it.

Although extremely busy (and due to this I recommend going early in the morning and before/after summer) Carcassone was an awesome city to explore. Inhabited since Neolithic times, its strategic importance saw its fortifications get bigger and more impressive throughout history. Although the city has been surrendered in warfare, it was never taken through conquest, and thus is still considered impregnable. Most notably, it failed to be taken during the hundred years war. 

The old city is not large, and really only requires an afternoon to wander around. However it's worth getting dinner at one of the many restaurants, as watching the sun sink behind the rampants is rather lovely. 

Not to mention their love of rugby! Carcassonne is great.

After our morning visit, we headed for the region of Dordogne, one of my favourite in France due to its numerous castles, medieval villages, honey-coloured stone architecture, long history and beautiful nature (think green hills and fields and rivers).

As it was getting late in the day by this point, we found some accomodation for the night online and booked it, driving through the narrow wooded roads as the sky darkened. Even so I couldn't help but take a photo of this gorgeous chateau as we passed it by.

The next morning we stopped in the nearby town of Sarlat, which has always been one of my favourite towns to visit, even if it is thoroughly on the tourist map. We were lucky enough to arrive on Market day, and wandered for a while taking in all the stalls and smells.

A stop in Sarlat would not be complete without going to the best Patisserie I've found to date, L'Atelier du Gourmand, by Bernard Decaix. This is a place I've been going for years on my occasional trips to France, and it's stayed ever popular. Every dessert is perfect, and mind blowingly tasty.