The plan had been to take the wine back, freshen up a little and then head out again. However, we managed to cover most of what we wanted to do in the morning and the one thing that was still on our to do list was not due to reopen until 15:00. So in the end we decided to have a nap as we were both tired. We ended up waking up again just after 16:00. We both had a quick shower and then we headed out again. This time round we found the shortcut from our hotel to the cathedral and from there we had no issue to find our next destination.
The last thing that we wanted to see was the Horreum. This is the only Roman structure in Narbonne that is open to the public although we did find out there are actually quite a few similar sites, one of which is very close to our hotel. There is no hard evidence on what the structure actually was, but based on historical records of the general area and some of the artefacts that were found in the vicinity, it is probable that it was a subterranean warehouse complex.
We paid our admission and then we headed downstairs. Only a fraction has been excavated. The whole complex originally consisted of four galleries around a square area. Only two of the galleries have been excavated, but even with those there are other areas that are still covered in rubble. Another complication is that some of the pathways have been blocked off by the foundations of more recent houses. Still, what can be seen is utterly fascinating. The horreum was only discovered in 1838. Prior to that, the local residents were aware of this and used the horreum as cellars. The first area we got to was set up as a wine cellar. For the most part, the horreum just consists of the vaulted rooms, but some artefacts that have been found during the exceptions are on display and there are also some displays showcasing what probably was there when this was still in use. Graham said that the tourist guide said that this was missable, but we both disagreed. I thought that this was very neat and I am glad that we did make the effort.
Once we got to the end of the excavated galleries, we headed back and went back upstairs. They had one room that was set up as a museum. There they had a huge map showing both modern Narbonne and the city in Roman times with known landmarks. There were photos from other Roman sites in France and more artefacts like coins and ceramics were on display. We then headed out to the Garden were various sculptures and monuments were on display. Then we headed out again.
I had done some research on restaurants in Narbonne that serve Cassoulet the previous day and found one that seemed to be not too far from the hotel. When we had gone to the Horreum, we crossed the street on which the restaurant was located. So I wanted to check out where the restaurant was. We had no trouble finding this and checked out the menu. We came to the conclusion that this would do nicely. We carried on walking a bit further and came to a beautiful square. According to the map we had seen earlier, this used to be the centre of the Roman town. There is no evidence of this now, but it was still worth seeing.
Untitled by
dolphingirl47, on Flickr
After this, we backtracked through the town towards the canal. Graham wanted to take a walk along the canal in the opposite direction that we had been in the morning. I was fine with that idea. So we set off. The initial experience was very similar to the morning. The canal path was very scenic, but once we got to the outskirts, it got kind of bland. However, this time we carried on and we were rewarded for this. Soon the canal turned into a river and that was rather pretty. This was also very well used. There were people out fishing and families riding their bikes on the path. We heard some birds, but did not see many. What we unfortunately saw loads of were insects. As I am allergic to insect bites, we played it safe and turned around.
When we got back onto the canal tow path, there were seats around so we sat down for a while and just relaxed. After a while it got a little chilly and we headed back towards the town. We had spotted a restaurant in the morning that Graham remembered from reading the tourist guide. This is meant to be the best seafood restaurant in Narbonne. Graham likes his seafood, but there were also other things on the menu that I found quite tempting. So we decided to give this a go. When we got back to the square in front of the market hall, it was 18:30. The restaurants in Narbonne don’t open until 19:00. So we found somewhere to sit on the square and watched the world go by. It was obvious that some people had spent the day drinking. They were all harmless enough, but a little silly. Two saw our cameras and insisted that we take some photos of them. By that time it was starting to get really chilly. 19:00 came and went and when we went over to the restaurant, they told me that they were not opening until 19:30. We did not want to wait that long so we headed back towards the cathedral and went to the restaurant we had checked out during the afternoon.
Le Coq Hardi is a real gem. It seems to be a family affair with the wife acting as hostess and server and the husband is in charge of the kitchen. It is a tiny place with maybe 10 tables or so and it is in a beautiful old house. The menu is pretty short and simple concentrating on local food. Actually, the wine list is longer than the menu. They did not have any house wine so we decided on a bottle of rose wine from Corbieres. I wanted to try the Cassoulet and Graham decided that he would go with this, too. We were warned that this would take about 30 minutes and we were happy with this. We were brought some crackers and some olives that I am sure were local while we were waiting as well as our wine and some water.
We tried the wine, which was very nice. I figured it was probably not a good idea to drink too much on an empty stomach. So I stuck with the water and the nibbles until our food arrived. The cassoulet was everything I hoped for. It is a stew made from various kinds of meat and white beans. Ours had braised pork belly, bacon and two kinds of sausage in it. Perched on top of it was what I initially thought was a duck leg, but have since realised that it was probably goose. I don't eat meat on the bone so I passed mine to Graham. The rest of the dish was delicious. It was full of flavour and the ultimate comfort food. It was served with some fresh bread.
Once I had finished my cassoulet, I was pretty stuffed, but I could not resist the Crème Brûlée. I am glad that I had it. It was absolutely delicious. While we were eating, the restaurant had filled up a little. About half of the tables were now occupied. Our server still had time to come over to have chat with us. I think she noticed that I had taken a photo of the room we were in and she proceeded to tell us that the building dates back to the 13th century. I was absolutely awestruck. We talked for a bit longer and then paid and made our way back to the hotel. Once we got back, I checked my emails and checked train times for the following day and then we got ready for bed.
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