Walking the Canal

Canal de la Bobine in Narbonne

After a month here in Narbonne, we will be moving up to Argens-Minervois, where we will be meeting up with our son and his partner and renting a boat to travel on the Canal de Midi. If you have been following my posts for a few years, you will recall that we did this in the UK a number of times (September 2015 and September 2017) on the unique narrowboats used in the UK. Here in France the canals are wider, the locks bigger and the boats are not so “narrow”. I will of course be posting about that part of the vacation, but today we decided to walk down to the canal which runs through Narbonne and connects to the Canal de Midi which we will be experiencing. 

The canal system in France was built to connect the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean through France in the 1600’s and completed in 1681 and has been operating without interruption for over three centuries.

Boats Moored in Narbonne

The canal here in Narbonne is called the Canal de la Robine, and it connects the town to the canals running north to Toulouse and south to the Mediterranean. We found the canal on our first day exploring the town as it runs right past the Halles Market and many days an open market is held along the banks of the canal. Just down from the Market is a famous bridge which was built with houses on it, and now contains an up-scale shopping area.

Walking the Canal

We headed in the opposite direction out of town following rows of boats moored alongside the canal in the town. As in the UK, these canals were originally built before the days of railways and boats towed by horses were an important means of transportation, so the canals usually have a “tow path” running alongside the canal which are maintained today as nice smooth, flat recreational trails. In town these pathways are paved, but once you leave the town they become gravel, but are widely used and we encountered many walkers, runners and bicycles. 

Plane Trees along the Canal

The canals here in this area of France are famous for their stately plane trees lining the banks. These trees provided shade along the canal and in many places it was like driving through a tunnel of leaves. Unfortunately it is thought that during the war, American ammunition boxes introduces a disease called Canker Stain which is slowly killing the trees and many have had to be cut down. In places where the disease has killed most of the trees, new planting of varied species are being carried out and the mixed types of trees should avoid this in the future. 

We walked about two kilometres along the canal and in minutes we were out of town and walking in the French country side. In many ways these French canals are not so unlike the ones we were accustomed to in the UK and provide a relaxing and unique way to see the country. I am looking forward to exploring further in the boat we will rent. Stay tuned!

Modern Highways and Ancient Canals Coexisting

Travelling with Technology

When you went exploring the wide world in the “Old Days”, and I am old enough to actually recall the old days, you would try to locate a nice appropriate post card to fill your news into the limited space and send it back home to your family and friends to tell them where you were and what you were doing. On my first real grown-up vacation, I took a road trip with two friends to drive to Montreal, but we ended up down in the USA instead, where I suspect no one back home had any idea where we were. There were no cell phones, and you would’ve had to find a pay-phone and pay long distance charges (Could you even do that on a pay phone?), but I suspect we just merrily went our own way until we ran out of cash and returned home. 

Not so today; with the chat app on my ‘devices’, the children knew when we took off from Halifax and I bought a SIM card to give me data on my iPad using cellular data, and as soon as I landed in Paris, I inserted the SIM in and instantly had Internet service to inform the children where their parents were presently spending their inheritance. We bought train tickets at a ticket machine and they were e-mailed to me . . . . . . well that was the plan - not all technology works, and we had to go speak to a real person to get paper tickets; the virtual tickets never appeared in my inbox. 

Then. On the train, we were not sure if we would have to change trains or certain of the exact route, but the map app on my iPad allowed me to follow the train in real time and know exactly where I was. We did not have to bring paper books, we simply loaded out iPads with literature of choice and relaxed with a book while the train sped through the French countryside. Then off the train, Google Maps brought us right to the apartment, although I had used “Street View” to virtually walk the route, so I hardly needed the map. 

We are now using Google Translate to buy groceries and check instructions. You simply hold the phone up to the French writing and the app instantly translates it into English. It even can translate script. The apartment has lovely new appliances, but the only instructions were in French. We used Google Translate to read the French instructions, but then I simply went on the Internet and downloaded the manual in English and Regis has a delicious desert in the oven cooking. 

I have three or four capable and expensive cameras at home, but on this trip they are still collecting dust in the cupboard while I am snapping pictures on my iPhone (Hand-Me-Down from my daughter), and the pictures can be uploaded to the Family Chat or the Google Nest Max shared photos to display on the children’s screen almost instantly. I even brought a Google ChromeCast which allows me to watch my local TV on the TV here, including shows I have scheduled to record on the DVR at home. I do not miss my NASCAR or F1 races anymore. 

Translate this  . . . . .

Oh yea, I am also able to see Regis’ sister coming and going to check the house and water the plants through my Video doorbell. But when someone drops their handy paper guidebook onto the tile floor, the screen does not break . . . . ain't technology great. 

Making sure the children know where we are

Out and About

When you spend a month in a foreign town, you can take your time exploring it and you do not have to rush to fit all the important sites into your schedule. If we were spending month in Paris, we might need a month to see everything important, but we usually stay in smaller towns rather than large cities. As a result we can take our time and leisurely visit all the historical and significant places in the town. 

 We spent two days just finding our way around, locating French patisseries for breakfast treats, finding the town’s markets, good grocery stores, and tourist information offices. Now we can mostly find our way around, the fridge is stocked, wine is on the counter or cooling in the fridge, so we can perhaps start exploring what the town has to offer. 

Well maybe in a day or so, since our landlady’s “English Friends” want to come to meet us and to help with phone connection issues, and she has invited us for coffee and to see her “French” house. Welcome to living ‘French style’. 

 Here are some general pictures of the town that I took while out and about “finding our way around”.

A very Cool Street Lamp

Church behind the market

I do not think this actually works

The Town Hall

Apparently this is not the Canal de Midi, it is the Canal de Robine which go to meet the Midi.

A back alley food truck

Our 'Home' in Narbonne

Welcome to Narbonne

On this trip, we are spending a month in the town of Narbonne in the south of France. The original plan was to do a canal boat trip on the Canal de Midi, and this town is on the Canal. We normally like to rent an apartment or house with a view of water, but discovered in Italy when we stayed in Lecce, that it was also nice to be in the centre of the old historic part of the town. We were unable to find an affordable spot with a view of the canal, so an apartment in the historic part of the town was our next choice. 

The Canal de Midi

Originally back in 2020 we had the Canal boat booked for a week and the apartment in Narbonne booked for a month, but then along came COVID and everything was put on hold. When we decided to try travelling again, we rebooked the boat, and then contacted the friendly woman who had the apartment we had originally booked. Unfortunately she had since sold that apartment but had two others we could rent. One was too far away, and the other was too big with three bedrooms on two floors. She was however anxious for us to rent one, so she offered us a good deal on the bigger but centrally located apartment which we decided to take. 

It really is a quite nice apartment although we only use the top floor. There is a bedroom with a walk in closet, toilet room and a shower room on the first floor along with a huge garage ( I could have brought my Alfa Spider with me . . .). On our floor there is a large living area, a nice “European” kitchen (Translation . . . small), two good sized bedrooms, a tiny toilet room and a nice shower room. Out back there is a huge private patio area with tables, chairs, and lounges, surrounded by stone walls and with two large shade screens. 

All in all, a very comfortable place to spend a month in France. Here are some photos of some of the interesting decorating features of the apartment. 

Settling In

When we travel, we tend to settle in one town for a month and explore around that area. We usually pick a town that is not a “tourist meca”, so it is more authentic to the area, and we see and experience the locals not the usual USA or British tourists (apologies to my American friends and my British ancestors). On this trip we are spending a month in Narbonne, a town in the south of France on the Canal de Midi and close to the Mediterranean. 

Art in the guest bedroom

A five hour flight to Paris, a 4.5 hour train trip to Narbonne, and a 15 minute walk (In the dark) to the Apartment on 13 Rue de Barcelone (No we did not accidentally go to Spain), and after travelling all night into a five hour time difference we were ready to settle in. It was dark when we arrived, so the apartment on a quiet street did not look especially attractive, but after a good meal at a local Irish Pub and a much needed eight hours sleep, we woke to an interesting 3 bedroom apartment in an ideal location with a lovely large outside patio area. Anything looks better in the light of day, especially when it is south of France sunshine bringing the light. 

Halles market

Because we cook rather than eating in restaurants every meal, one of the first goals is to find a market and a grocery store. The Market here in Narbonne is spectacular, a historic building with anything you might want, from fresh seafood to exotic spices, and it easily matches anything I have seen in any other city (and I am an expert in markets; ask Regis). A good grocery store is a bit harder to locate in many European locations, because the locals tend to shop in small neighbourhood stores, but we have already found one good spot in the area. 

After a couple of trips to stock up the fridge and cupboards we then start exploring the neighbourhood. Today we found the local craft market and a new French Panama (If that is possible) hat joined my wardrobe, and we began to view some of the sites of this interesting town. 

Loving this place so far!

French Lessons

I am not a very good student of languages, and although over the years I have traveled extensively, I have never learned more than a few words of Portuguese, Spanish, French or Chinese even when I spent a while in countries where these languages were spoken. I did learn simple greetings, such as “hello”, “good by” and “thank you”, as well as important things like how to order a beer, but not much else. 

I did have to study French when I was in Jr. High in New Brunswick, and I did actually pass the class at least one year, but only with the teacher keeping me after school for days drilling it into me, and I must admit none of her hard work stuck. After a few poor experiences in Quebec with the language (Although I will readily admit it was during the 70’s when I was young and Quebec was in crisis), I tended to avoid the province completely, going so far as timing my trips to visit the children in Ontario so I could drive right through without stopping. I have to admit that my attitude has improved and Quebec has improved to the point that I now quite enjoy visiting the province, but mostly because they have become more tolerant of us “English speakers”. 

 We did spent a week in St Pierre & Miquelon

An Irish Pub in France - should be english here

, the French Islands off Newfoundland, but because of their proximity to the rest of Canada, I found most folk there understood and spoke English reasonably well.

 And now here I am in Narbonne France for a month, followed by a week on a rental boat on the Canal de Midi. Like many of the places we visit, it is not a major tourist centre, and we quickly discovered that there is very little English to be heard or seen. There are some signs in English, but even those are limited, and products and information is all just in French. In other places we were able to ask for an “English Menu” in restaurants, and usually a tattered and slightly out of date one was found; not so here, I am going to have to translate if I eat out. 

 Unfortunately, although we did invite our good friend who is proficient in French to come and act as guide, we failed to convince her. 

The Hale Market . . . not a word of English

 Fortunately I do have good old Google, and their Google Translate will read almost anything and give me a translation. We have already used it to set up a SIM card for our phone, for finding ingredients in grocery stuff, and to read instructions for the oven in the apartment. It will be handy to have. 

 Hopefully, having to actually live and communicate in mostly French, I will learn a few more words and expressions. Well, we will see . . . . . .

Walking The Labyrinth

Walking down to a hardware store to get materials for one of my chores when I come to visit Ryan & Ben here in Toronto, we decided to make a morning of it and walk around the downtown area of Toronto. With no serious goal in mind, we were just exploring and looking around when I noticed a sign saying “This way to the Labyrinth”. I certainly did not expect a labyrinth in downtown Toronto so we followed the signs to a lovely park with a large circle made with paving stones in the shape of a labyrinth. There was a sign explaining the history and the story behind the labyrinth so we decided to stay and explore the site. 

Toronto City Hall

I did not know exactly what a labyrinth was and thought it was some sort of maze. However, a labyrinth is not a maze. There are no dead-ends and false trails, you simply follow a complicated route, twisting and turning from the outside into the centre. The path you follow is supposed to be soothing and contemplative, and it was suggested you think of and issue that you need to think about as you walk the pathway through the labyrinth. I really did not do this and I just walked the pathway, but it is sort of interesting and relaxing. The labyrinth is not that large, but pathway through the labyrinth actually takes a while to complete as it constantly turns back on itself, and covers all of the labyrinth twisting and turning back and forth. As we walked the pathway with another guest who had started before us, you often converge and pass each other over and over until you get to the centre. 

Walking the Labyrinth

All in all it was an interesting experience and I was intrigued about the concept of the labyrinth, so when I got home, I decided to look into it on the internet. I discovered that there is a labyrinth Society that maintains the site but also is part of a larger network of labyrinths over Ontario. I discovered that there are almost 150 Labyrinths scattered over the province and this particular one is based on a labyrinth outside Paris France. I found that most of them are located close to or in churches. Many are public but there are also quite a few private labyrinths. Many, including this one, are paved with coloured paving stones, some are painted or decorated with tile and other ornamentation. Some are done in grass and gardens and one was constantly updated and changed with chalk; that would take dedication . . . .

At the Centre!

I’m glad we found this interesting Toronto attraction, and I am sure that the homeless tenting around the outside of the labyrinth get some enjoyment watching tourists like us walking back and forth, in and out, going nowhere except to the centre.