Carcassonne

Carcassonne, Aude, France. 5:43pm. 18 September 2011. David reflects on his favourite pictures of Carcassonne and explains how much time and effort was required to get a shot as inspiring as the location itself

- DAVID NOTON

Carcassonne is one of those places that looks best from afar. The view we catch fleetingly from the A61 (whilst whizzing from Toulouse to Narbonne) of the fortified Cité high on its mound, commanding the valley of the Aude, takes some beating. But setting up the tripod on the hard shoulder of a busy autoroute was not really an appealing option, so, back in 2011 as we pitched camp on the banks of the river, I knew the task of finding the definitive viewpoint would be the hardest bit; a task that would likely take many days.

After much scrutinizing of maps, cycling of lanes and plodding of footpaths, I systematically narrowed down the options and eventually found myself lurking in a vineyard to the south of the Cité as a late summer afternoon turned to evening, pacing by the tripod, waiting for the light, savouring the view.