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| Narbonne sunset. |
This was the forerunner of another beautiful sunny day. Still very windy here, but able to get on with washing things like the mooring ropes (!), Tashi's bedding and rugs. When the wind drops I can begin on the curtains.
Our tame carpenter, who we were so pleased to find back in December, hasn't lived up to expectations. He has two (of the smallest) window frames since January and they still aren't finished. We took two more to him, expecting to collect the first two. So now he has 4 of our frames. It doesnt look like they are going to be all done before we leave in a months time. Such a disappointment! We thought he would be pleased with the commission for 16 frames at €162 per frame, but apparently he doesnt need the work.
I spoke too soon - the window frames.
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| Before restoration. |
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| After restoration. |
He's made a beautiful job of them, but sadly he wont have time to finish all needing treatment (another 7) as we have to leave by 1st April before the summer mooring rates of €30 per night kick into force. Now all we have to do is keep them condensation free and revarnish every year!
What
strange happenings here in Narbonne. We were woken at 7.30am by loud
speakers being tested out on the plaza above us. Then crowd control
barriers were noisily put in place. All this so that the hundreds of
local school children could jog over the passerelle in front of us, up
one side of the canal, across the Pont des Marchands, and back to their
starting place. The tannoys kept up a running commentary. Then at lunch
time they all packed up and went back to school! We were told by a local
resident that it was an annual 'ceremony', 'to greet the Spring'!!!
On the evening of Good Friday we witnessed the ceremony of 14 Stations of the Cross, re-enacting Christ's Passion.
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| 14 Stations of the Cross |
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| Quai Mirabeau, Narbonne |
I had thought there were only 12 Stations, but our more observant Catholic neighbour counted the whole 14.
We decided to hire a care for a couple of days to go and buy the 'heavy' things, before we left Narbonne. We even managed to spend time at the beach. Tashi really enjoyed the day out, as she ran and ran, then lay around exhausted for the next two days! We also were pleased we went down there before we head off inland on our summer cruising. We loved the salty smell and sounds of the huge crashing waves.
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| Port-la-Nouvelle, Narbonne |
One of the few which can be entered from a canal, and the seventh largest in France.
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| Virtually empty beach, Narbonne Plage. |
