• Our route to the home of Roquefort cheese, the site of La Couvertoirade, and Villeneuve-les Maguelone, Julia and Stéphane's home village, where we had a delicious dinner at a local restaurant.

• Roquefort-sur-Soulzon is a commune in the Aveyron department, in the region of Occitania, southern France.

• Our group was served an excellent lunch at Restaurant La Caves des Saveurs

• Société des Caves de Roquefort, where 60% of Roquefort is aged, are open to the public year-round.

• Larry, Julia, and Kathy

• According to archaeologists, the cheese making process in these caves dates back to 900 C.E.

• To be legally termed Roquefort cheese, it must follow the rules laid down by the federal standards of the Appelation d’Origine.

• La Couvertoirade is a medieval walled city in southern France. The well-preserved fortified town was built by the Knights Templar in the 12th and 13th centuries C.E.

• The Knights Templar were medieval monks dedicated to ensuring the safe passage of pilgrims to Jerusalem during the Crusades.

• After the dissolution of the Knights Templar in 1312, La Couvertoirade was taken over by the Knights of St. John, also known as the Knights of Malta.

• On our way up to the ramparts

• On one of the ramparts, a designated historic monument at this site

• An overview of La Couvertoirade from the ramparts

• The Commandery of La Couvertoirade, in the upper right quadrant of this photo, is another designated historic monument.

• A view into one of the town's streets from the ramparts

• L-R: Kathryn, Carmen, Julia, Kathy, Larry on the ramparts

• Kathryn and Doug on the ramparts of the Couvertoirade.

• Dried cardabella flower heads were attached to many of the doors in the village. It is said they ward off evil spirits.

• The stairway to the church

• The church of Saint-Christol

• The interior of the Saint-Christol church, another designated historic monument at the site.

• A cross and baptismal font in the church's sanctuary

• The graveyard is another designated historic monument.

• This hotel is another designated historic monument.