Wednesday May 15, 2019

St Just from the Canal

Total relaxation day with not a whole lot to do. We sleep in and then go for a stroll along the Robine Canal. There are boats docked alongside. Many people sail boats along the canals of France. They have to go through a series of locks and then visit small towns along the way often docking overnight or for a few days. Sounds like a leisurely way to enjoy the country. After a mile or more, we turn around and return to the main part of town. We had debated on whether to visit the Archbishops palace here as well as the archeological museum, and a tower.

Locks on Robine Canal

The day is pleasant and we decide we have seen other fine examples of these things so we will skip it and walk the canal the other way. We see other boats, a fleet of rental boats that you can sail yourself and quiet neighborhoods. We end up at a set of locks with an old gatekeepers house. We turn around and stroll back to our place. A very relaxing day indeed.

Will it be Grand

What about food, you ask? Well we have purposely avoided eating anything after breakfast as we are going to Les Grand Buffet tonight. We had read about this and reserved a table about two months ago as it can fill up. It opens at 1900 and we leave our place at 1815 as it supposed to be a little over a mile from us and we will be navigating without a map of the area as our map ends where the tourist center ends. We traverse through a residential area of town and then along a busier road which connects to a larger road. Our destination is in site inside of a sports complex and across the road from Le McDonalds. We have about 20 minutes until they open so we sit and wait. More people arrive and promptly at 1900, the doors open. They ask what language we speak ( do we not look French?) and then give us a tour in English before taking us to our seat.

King Lobster

They have lobster, prawns, clams, oysters, and other seafood. There is a foie gras and pate section. Another area has cooked to order steaks and other meat. Let’s not forget 110 different kinds of cheese to try and then a whole array of desserts.

Lobster, Prawns, Squid

Where to start? The answer is lobster and seafood. I even try the oysters usually not my favorite but these are very good and clean tasting. Next up steak while Carol wrangles up a cheese platter.               Then cheese for me, a little foie gras, quiche, and a few other assorted goodies.

Cool Way to Serve Sorbet

Then I start to eye the desserts and start with a lemon sorbet served in a real lemon shell. Carol sees this and wants one. She returns with one and coconut sorbet in a coconut shell. Many desserts later, we finish and they bring us a free aperitif to help with our digestion. We are glad we have to walk home as this will also help. Narbonne has been a great city to introduce us to France.

Expenses
Les Chambres de Barques 45E
Dinner at Le Grand Buffet 85.80
Walked 8 Miles