There is hardly any information about the little village of Arques in guidebooks. However, through Kathleen McGowan’s book, ‘The Expected One’, I was familiar with it. In this book Arques plays an important role in connection with written records, which Mary Magdalene is supposed to have compiled. This is why I have visited the village, bringing back photos which you can see in the slide show. At the entrance to the village is the Cathar castle ‘Château d’Arques’, which has had to resist enemy attackers since the 12^th century.