THE RIVER AUDE

October 7, 2007

The final stop of today's busy travels was the discovery of another true jewel and one we had not taken the time to enjoy to this point. Our visit has been spent mostly in the Department (district) of the Aude. The Aude is a beautiful river which criss crosses this part of South West France. Alet-les-Bains is one of the most beautiful and best preserved village of Languedoc. Today Alet is still a thriving spa and after a day like today we could have done with some thermal treatment.

Winding down after a busy day, we enjoyed a brief reprieve at the hotel in Alet, actually the former Abbey. Just behind the hotel runs the River Aude. The river comes rushing over the rocks, stones and boulders as it has for centuries. The water is pristine clear and begs for you to come down for a sip or to dangle your toes....but is is much to chilly for a swim. The sinking sun makes the water sparkle like a million diamonds and the rushing water tells you secrets of days long, long ago.....just listen.

Today Alet bottles water to clean out your digestive tract and runs a casino to clean out your pockets. We left with our Euros and memorable visions.

Judy