Narbonne, where a single local bus fare and 20 minutes will see you at a beautiful, seemingly endless expanse of sandy beach on the Mediterranean, has a lot of appeal. Its covered market won the “best market in France” award just a few years back. It’s a very appealing market (“Halles”) not only for the raw food, but also for the very popular restaurant stands. For around 18 euros you can enjoy steak or duck with a bit of salad and fries. Add a glass of wine for a couple of euros and enjoy the hubbub, likely with a chance of engaging friendly strangers in conversation even though many people are with groups of friends or colleagues.
What I especially love at the Halles is being able to buy fish caught the same morning in the Med, usually from Gruissan just south of town. Prices are as reasonable as I’ve seen in France and the quality is superb. So, fun as lunch at the market may be, I’m really happy to get fish to cook wherever I’m staying. Rouget – red mullet – is a variety I love to keep experimenting with. And the larger fish are wonderful.
I had started my new-home search in the south of France, along the western part of the Mediterranean coast, starting from the Rhone. Ruled out Avignon, Montpellier and Beziers as well as Carcassonne in the interior. But Narbonne held my interest longer. I first visited in June 2022, returned briefly in September, experienced winter in January 2023, and came again in April 2024. So, clearly, I was interested. Parts are beautiful, like the Palais-Musée des Archevêques. Avignon has its not-to-be-missed palace of the Pope, from the days when a pope in France competed with Rome. Narbonne has this archbishop’s palace. Not as imposing, naturally, but a relic of the past that adds a lot of charm. The city hall is in this building, as well as an art museum. And Narbo Martius was, after all, the first Roman colony in Gaul. Plenty of history to discover here, then, including Roman galleries and warehouses which can be seen in the museum known as the Horreum. The Roman road ,Via Domitia, which connected Rome to Cadiz, passes through the center of town.
A far more recent route through the center of town is the Canal de la Robine. Nearly 22 miles long (36.5 km), the canal connects the Aude river to the Mediterranean, and it connects to the Canal du Midi. Houseboats and small rental boats line the sides of the canal in town, and on shore there’s no shortage of sidewalk cafes, plazas and small parks. It’s not as attractive as a clean, fast-flowing stream or river, but with its bridges and canal-side walks, it does add a lot to the city’s appeal.
So, when I started visiting houses with an eye to buying – already back in April 2024! – I made appointments to see several properties here. A couple of the affordable ones would call for (to me) horrendous amounts of rehabbing. But in a quiet neighborhood within walking distance of the Halles, I visited a house I nearly made an offer on. What most charmed me was its openness from the kitchen and dining area to the private and big-enough fenced back yard. But later that evening, when I shared photos with friends in NYC, they nixed it. And I listened, and have no regrets. They weren’t happy with the interior quality upstairs nor convinced of the neighborhood. And in fact, while I was tempted, I wasn’t really convinced that I want to live in Narbonne.
Why not? A number of perhaps minor considerations that, in sum, don’t give me a “home” feeling. Bit far to airports (train and bus to Carcassonne, or train and more connections to Montpellier, ditto Perpignan). LOL come to that, no elevators at the train station! How can a city that wants to attract tourists skip that accessibility upgrade? Makes one wonder about the town planning, financial resources, etc. The city center is, not unusually or surprisingly, a mix of interesting architecture and a lot of shabby buildings needing renovation. Then, the surroundings. The southwest countryside is a bit scrubby and desert-like. I react to it a bit like I do to Florida or South Carolina: interesting, sunny, but missing the lush greenery and the flower gardens I’ve loved since childhood. And I’m not that comfortable on the roads – highways – leaving town: winding hilly routes with a lot of exposure to strong winds; I think I wouldn’t be very comfortable exploring this region by car. And one shouldn’t be fooled into thinking this is the warm, sunny south. The winter winds are fierce and cold.
So, I made no offer, and headed north to the Loire valley.
But I will visit again. Love the beach, les Halles, and I must sometime try Les Grands Buffets. This is a one-price, all-you-can eat restaurant with multiple buffets, touting the menus of Auguste Escoffier. Foie gras, lobster, fine meats, cheeses, desserts, all for around 66 euros, and wines sold at producer’s prices. It’s booked up many months in advance, so there’s no going on a whim. But sometime I’ll plan for it!