A Trip to Carcassonne, Aude, France - 7th August 2018

The 4.30am start takes its toll on Fred at Dublin airport

Harry and Isobel (right) queue up for the bus

The old control tower at Dublin airport

Touchdown in 35° at the tiny airport of Carcassonne, sometimes known as Salvaza Airport

The River Aude is outside the back of the house - Harry has an explore

Isobel and Harry explore the rocks

There's a water fountain in the nearby park

The street round the corner

We stop off at a newsagents for a cold drink on our first trip to the Cité

An art installation of concentric circles has been stuck to the mediaeval walls

Fred, Isobel and Harry

The crowded streets, looking towards the Porte Narbonnaise

Someone's doing some outdoor embroidery

Harry and Fred on a stage

Fred does the crab

Our first café drink is sooo sweet

Harry and Fred listen to some music

Clouds darken over the Basilique Saint-Nazaire

Fred takes a photo as Isobel points

Everyone is intrigued by the storm clouds

More creepy clouds gather over the café Le Saint Jean

End-of-the-world clouds gather over the Château Comtal

We wander around for a bit before it starts lashing

After the rain, the boys run around on the terrace at Le Créneau restaurant

Harry has a bit of a doze

Fred and Harry mess around in the wet square

Green-lit cobbles

The rain means that this was the one and only time this view could be seen without millions of tourists

Derelict shop

It's breakfast time in our rented house

Fred explores the garden

Some bright street art on a nearby wall in Jardin Bellevue

Fred's amused by a house almost completely covered in ivy

More dereliction

Notre Dame de la Sainte

Tiles of thanks in the church

Fred peers over the side of the Pont Vieux

Isobel and Harry on the Pont Vieux

Harry looks around whilst Isobel buys something in a shop

Interesting fish-head drain spout

Some Segways roll around

Nice wall murals on the Rue Trivalle

It's busy at the Porte Narbonnaise

After a trial visit, the boys splurge their money on 'astro jacks', and in the case of Harry, a four-headed dragon

Fred practices his new craze: Astro Jacks

Fred looks excited to dig into a massive sausage, seconds before deciding he doesn't like it

Nosher's dish-of-the-week is about to become Couteaux en Persillade (razor clams)

Fred in the stocks

Isobel joins in at the Museum of Torture

The kitchen of the rented house is unchanged from the 1970s (or even late 1960s), including this vintage dispenser

1960s design touches

Down in Carcassonne town itself, there's an artwork display featuring hundreds of umbrellas

Colourful umbrellas hang suspended from wires

There's a ghost of an old shop sign on a wall

Isobel, Harry and Fred wander under the parapluies

A nice bit of stonework on the Societe Generale's office

Harry and Fred hang around

We stop at a small hut to get some pizza

The pizza shack

Small boys love pizza

Harry and Isobel wait outside