Montsegur Mementos

Pink and grey

Blurred by the rain

Thunderstorms greeted us in the parking lot at the foot of the pog in Montsegur.  It wasn't a violent storm, like I have seen here in Carcassonne with lightning flashing and the air cracking before the thunderclap, but where there is thunder, there is lightning, and we didn't want to risk being a rod so high in the hills  Therefore, a climb to the top of the ruins was not possible.  However, I enjoyed the gentle rain and the overcast light offered good photo opportunities.  I was able to find my tall pussy willow tree again, and the markings for the St. Jacques de Compostelle pilgrimage walk showed up brilliantly in the rain.  

Path markers in the town "square"

Put up the "convertible top"

I have just learned about these markers--a pair of parallel lines, one white over one red, that mark the trail that leads to the pilgrimage site on the Atlantic Ocean side of northern Spain, in St. Jacques de Compostelle.  Often there will be an accompanying scallop shell to mark the path.  Now that I have learned about them, I see them everywhere.  Here in Carcassonne, they are all along the Aude, and on Boulevard Barbes, where the Arab market is held on Saturday mornings.  I did not realize that I would find them in Montsegur as well.  

What a classy truck

Some other sights of the day included a restored vintage truck.  Its bright yellow paint job made it a beacon among the grey water-slick stones of the day.  There was a gathering of "kit" cars in the parking lot. These cars are made for sunny days; the drivers had to ad-lib a top to keep out the rain.  Beautiful ferns sprouted from the rock crevices near the communal spring and water basin. In addition to the pilgrimage way signs, many homes flew Occitan flags or had the Occitan symbols on their front entrances.

Hollyhocks and the Occitan flag

Connection to the outside world

A lone pay telephone booth provides a link to the "outside world."  I was happy to see that La Patate Qui Fume (The Smoking Potato) is still open for business.  The village of Montsegur, although remote, looks prosperous--well-kept houses, lots of renovation projects underway, beautifully tended flower beds.  Perhaps the summer-only residents have arrived.

Still open for business