Grave Hunting Is Not Fun (Sentences I Never Thought I'd Say, Vol. 872)

It started so innocently. A lovely comment on our #Saissac post from one of our wonderful readers informed us that the legendary Monsieur Eugène Poubelle was laid to rest nearby in Carcassonne.

Yes, the bin man. The literal man who gave France the word for the rubbish bin (la poubelle).

Naturally, we thought: Road trip!

"Where Ya Wheely Bin?"

Our first stop was at Jen and Bob's for coffee, where the rubbish puns absolutely flew.

“Oh, you’ve bin there, done that!”

“Where ya bin?”

“No, no — where ya WHEELY BIN?”

Absolute scenes. There were tears of laughter. I can confirm we were still finding this hilarious as we wound through the most gorgeous, vineyard-lined roads of the Aude, debating the eternal question of pedal bins versus swing bins. The bar was high. The vibes were immaculate.

And then... we arrived at the cemetery.

When the Cemetery Vibes Hit

The grand gate creaked open. And just like that, the giggles completely evaporated.

It turns out that wandering among the graves looking for a specific historical figure hits rather differently in real life than it does in theory. Who knew? (Well, everyone. Everyone knew except us.)

However, we did eventually find him. Monsieur Poubelle’s final resting place is genuinely grand. It boasts the most beautiful view in the entire cemetery, framed perfectly between two trees. Honestly, it is quite fitting for a man who left such a lasting legacy on French daily life.

The somber ice was finally broken when Lee, with complete sincerity, looked up and asked whether the tall tombs were designed for people who wanted to be buried standing up. We completely lost it. Bless him!

Photos were taken, but we drew the line at filming any video—because, well, cemetery etiquette and all that.

Discover More Around Carcassonne

It was an unexpected Sunday adventure, to say the least! If you are exploring the Languedoc-Roussillon region, Carcassonne is full of these fascinating, hidden histories if you know where to look.

Bon dimanche, everyone! I hope your weekend involves considerably less grave hunting than ours did.

🗺️ Over to you: Have you ever gone on an unexpected adventure that turned out nothing like you imagined? Tell us below! And if you know any hidden gems or quirky history around Carcassonne and the Aude, drop them in the comments—we’d love to explore more!

Jenna xx