Narbonne

Narbonne Market

Next time you head to a large market, take your chef with you! Alexandre was a treasure trove of information for everything we saw – and tasted. They shop there for the barge trips weekly, so he knows the people we were talking to (well…they were talking and interpreting for us). We tasted olives, tapenades, cheeses, breads, and learned about the abundance meats (well, they did anyway). There are quite a few fruits and veggies that I had never seen before – and Alex bought a bit of all of them and incorporated them into our meals for the next few days. Black radishes, Lulo frute (Naranjilla) and the tamarillo – delicious! It was great fun to try new things – now to see if they’re available anywhere back home – Portland most likely.

Old city from the canal

Cathedral from the top

We walked (above) the old Roman Road that traveled through the metropolitan city of Narbonne. At one time it was an important trading post and port city but over the years the port filled in and it is now 15 km or so from the sea. The Archbishop’s palace, a large Gothic structure, houses a number of interesting museums…as well as the entrance to the tower. We, of course, had to climb to the top for a fabulous view of a cathedral and the town of Narbonne. Sadly there was little time to explore the city because it was already lunch time. We were treated to lunch at a local restaurant. Even though Alex wasn’t our chef today, he still made sure that the restaurant knew about our needs and they prepared a wonderful meal (though not as good as Alex’s if I do say so).