Cordes sur Ciel - a fitting name for such a place.
Cordes is a medeival town that was built in 1222 on top of large conical hill. It's old and crumbling in some places, and almost appears to be clinging to the rocky outcrop. It's almost as if its hanging on for dear life, trying to maintaing it's place in the sky, its place close to heaven.
I read that on a cloudy day the town can sometimes be seen clearly above the clouds, like it was built upon their lofty airy foundation.
Cordes in Heaven, a very fitting name indeed.
Cordes is located in the Occupanie region of southern France, somewhat close to Toulouseand and Albi.
Getting up to the Medeival village is a bit of a challenge but it's well worth it. The road is winding, narrow and steep but it is drivable if you choose to go that route. There is even paid parking just outside the old city gates. You can also park in the small town at the bottom of the mountain and hike to the top like we did. It takes only about 20 minutes or so to walk but the non-stop incline is a bit of a work out.
Old cobble stone streets spiral their way up to the top of the mountain. Cut through a narrow staircase to save yourself some time but be mindful that you are being watched by a few sinister characters perched way above your head.
Some have evil in their eyes and bad intentions. It's best to keep moving at this point and certainly don't make eye contact with any of them.
Walk through the old port gate and into another world. One full of artisinal shops selling wine and local delicacies, clothing and handmade leather goods.
It is also full of artists working away in their studios selling their creations out of their attached galleries.
In the center of town is an old church cathedral that has been converted into a museum. The Medeival gothic architecture on the outside aligns perfectly with the overall feel of the entire village.
Narrow streets make the abnormally tall buildings give the impression of old timey scrapers.
More than a few lookout spots are scattered around the place as well. They offer a nice glimpse of the surrounding landscape that would be very beautiful on a nice sunny day.
Even on a cloudy overcast day the backdrop is quite stunning though.
Smack dab in the center of town is a large covered plaza with outdoor restaurant seating. We ate lunch in this exact location, right under the red umbrella shown in the photograph below. As you can see from the photos the day was a bit dreary and it was also cold and very windy. I ordered cassoulet for lunch which ended up being both a blessing and a curse. A blessing for the heat and taste but a curse because of the long wait we had to endure in the cold. We were freezing sitting there in the wind in our light clothing and cassoulet takes a long time to prepare. The waiter typically warns you after you order it to be prepared to wait a minimum of 15 minutes for it to arrive at your table. We froze while we waited but eventually it did arrive in a piping hot dish. The warmth of the dish made it all the more satisfying and we scarfed it down just for the heat. It happened to be delicious as well, which at that point was just an added bonus.
Luckily it's never too cold for ice cream because the pistachio flavor I got in town was the best I've had in France so far. It was really amazing.
We wandered around the streets for a while after lunch then exited out of one of the city gates and made our way back to our car.
We stopped in Cordes a few weeks back now, during our drive home from Carcassone. It ended up being our last stop during our trip to Southern France but overall we really enjoyed the small city.