Excursion to Narbonne

Not a motorway

Narbonne, ancient Roman capital, on the Via Dolmitia (see earlier reference to tunnel of Malpas), requires a diversion to the south along two canals but the books reassured us that the bike paths were practically motorways. Not true, at least in this year of exceptionally cold wet weather but certainly passable. At the end of the first canal we were glad to arrive at our camping ground early, gates welcoming open, sited in full (rare) sun, ready to have a relaxing afternoon. What does this notice mean: Fermé, merci? This is supposed to be open. Says so on internet. We ring the number indicated on the gate. Sorry, we’re not open. That’s that, then.

The canal passes through the centre

On to the next canal. Maybe. No way of crossing the wide river without taking the main road, so we and three Norwegian sisters, even more confused about the route than us, since they had downloaded very specific directions (incorrect), try to go across country. Marginally successful but we still end up on the busy main road, just a few kilometres further on. No clear markings or arrows mean that we miss the turn-off to join the good canal path on the right bank and have to follow the not-so-good one on the other side of the canal – no bridges. A puncture, second one of the day, holds us up slightly but we do indeed arrive in Narbonne, where there is a cycle path right through the centre, since the canal passes right through there too.

Our hotel was in the street to the left

By the time we reach the centre it is getting dark and we are tired. We opt for a small locked door hiding a two star hotel, the Hotel de Paris, no less. The guy in charge is really helpful and our bikes go into a room right by the front door. Bonus! Our room is fine, looks out over the narrow street, has shower, toilet, table, wardrobe, towels and soap. “Correct”, as the French say. 39 euros plus 1 each for the bike. Fallen on our feet, as we find out the next day that the Narbonne camping ground isn’t open either. Our kindly hotel person lets us leave all our gear with the bikes next morning while we explore Narbonne – the old Roman road (via Domitia), the cathedral, the archbishop’s palace, the central city with its medieval streets. We thought that if we were a transplanted rugby player, it would be a nice place to live.

Via Domitia

Cathedral

Archbishop's palace

Then it is off further south to stay the night. Past the closed camping ground we had been warned about and on to an open one the same person told us about – along to the lock, across the bridge, double back on your tracks on the main road, turn right at the crossroads, and there it is on our left – a splendiferous camping ground, twice the normal price but worth it just to see all the facilities – a large number of chalets, nay a HUGE number of chalets (called mobile homes in French), huge swimming pool complex, enclosed entertainment area with restaurant, another restaurant, shop, games room – most of these facilities unfortunately not available as it is not yet ‘the season’. Still, the shop would open at 5.30. That was good news. And there would be pizzas at 6.30. And the people staying in the camping area were all lovely, mostly travelling in cars, camper vans or caravans with bicycles and dogs. The dogs often had a chariot to travel in, as it is too far for them to follow their owners on long (eg 40km) treks by bike.

Neighbour's dog mounts guard

Neighbour - well set up

Dog chariot in back

The main thing we enjoy in a camping ground is talking to fellow campers. This tends not to happen in hotels, though it can and does happen that we strike up a conversation with people in hotels too. This is the truly enriching space – sharing stories of life and just being us. Just this lunchtime, as I was setting up the computer, we fell into conversation with some cyclists we had met briefly earlier and directed to the one open food shop in the nearby town. (It’s Wednesday and the boulangerie is closed, so no bread available from there. The grocer has some though). The older cyclist is 84 and cycling with his granddaughter, who looks to be in her twenties. They have come from Bordeaux and are heading for Toulouse. He feels a bit too old for tents (unlike the 79 year old we met two days ago), and they stay in hotels and eat at restaurants in the evening. He used to teach history/geography and as I told him about some of our Young Adult students he told me about a group of what we would call ‘alienated’ students he had worked with. During the course of the year they prepared for a two week stint in Senegal, helping in a village in the hinterland. The preparation was an opportunity for learning in many areas and the two weeks in Senegal went well.

Back to the flash camping ground…a great jumping-off place for the beaches and the lake, fantastic toilet facilities with a huge glass window…, everything you need for self-contained entertainment in the wop-wops, and for us and the people there pre-season, a good place to meet like-minded and interesting people. 

The next day it was back to Narbonne, back to the canal junction (Sallèles d’Aude), where the camping ground still had welcomingly open gates, though this time the notice indicated it was opening that very day. Phone calls on behalf of ourselves and a Dutch couple, also biking, finally got someone over to see us. Just as well, as they warned us that a party of 30 schoolchildren was arriving that night and suggested a good corner for us to camp in. Truth to tell, the school children were lovely. They were on the last day of a 5 day bike ride and would be returning by train the next day. Dinner was brought in for them, and although they had a high energy level, they were all well behaved. We loved our time at this little (15 site) campground. A lovely spot and the weather was fine.