Slow Travel: From Norfolk to Aude by Train
I had 5 days after visiting family in Norfolk before the start of my first housesit in France. I might have been able to do the journey in a day, but instead I broke it up into 3 stages with less than a day in Lille, 2 nights in Marseille, and 2 nights in Narbonne. It helped that I was familiar with 2 of the cities and could find my way around easily.
I took a bus from Fakenham to Norwich and walked (oof! maybe not such a great idea) to the train station from the closest bus stop. By transferring trains in Ely, I ended up at London King’s Cross, across the street from St. Pancras train station where I could catch the Eurostar. This was not the obvious route from Norwich to London, but it meant a super-easy transfer in Ely rather than shuttling across London on the crowded underground.
Premium Economy on the Eurostar meant I had a seat on my own, a glass of wine, and a light meal (well worth the extra money). Once in Lille, I walked to the hotel and went straight to bed as it was 10:30 pm. I wandered the next day, starting off with a bakery, an organic grocery store, and a couple of bookstores (no surprises there). I had forgotten how lovely the architecture was in Lille. I wish it had been a bit warmer, but I still had a good time, picked up 5 books in French, and a sim card so I could use my phone in France (it’s a pain changing sim cards every time I change countries, but it works).
I took the TGV (train à grande vitesse) from Lille to Marseille, arriving again at 10:30 in the evening, but at least this time I’d been in the same hotel room for 2 nights. (In both cities, the train station is centrally located and I chose nearby hotels.) I headed down to the Vieux Port on the Sunday morning and enjoyed my first pain aux raisins of the trip while watching the leisurely Sunday crowds. A big crowd was watching people playing chess and there were several street musicians.
I was really looking forward to visiting MUCEM (Musée des civilisations d’Europe et de la Méditerranée) as they had a special exhibit on Alexandria. The ancient city, with its immense library, has always fascinated me, but I know nothing about the modern city. The exhibit combined archeological remains with modern-art interpretations of Alexandria. It was probably fascinating if you were familiar with the full history of the city. As I wasn’t, it fell somewhat flat. I hadn’t realized that Alexander the Great established the city due to its potential as both a Mediterranean and inland (up the Nile) port even though the city has no source of drinking water! Models of the water system they developed reminded me of the mosque (now Catholic cathedral) in Cordoba. Given water’s importance in a hot climate, it seemed appropriate.
I visited a much better exhibit at Narbo Via, Narbonne’s new museum dedicated to the city’s Roman past. There were films, models, maps, and all sorts of resources that really brought the city’s history as a major Roman port to life.
I also visited the art museum in Narbonne and was surprised, particularly after my recent stay in Stoke-on-Trent, by its large collection of ceramics. When I asked, the guard said everything in the museum was donated. One room was decorated to match the artworks, which were all of France’s former North African colonies – it was quite dramatic!
I hadn’t realized that Narbonne had a “pont des marchands.” Originally a Roman bridge, shops and houses were added in Medieval times. From a distance, you can tell it’s a bridge, but you’d never know it when walking over it.
I highly recommend the Hôtel de France where I stayed in Narbonne. It’s a family-owned hotel with a friendly, helpful owner and clean, comfortable rooms.
My last train journey was short and I was met in Carcassonne by people I’ve now housesat for on 5 different occasions. A very pleasant arrival.
Stay tuned for my next travel adventure. I’m scheduled to travel from Carcassonne to Massy TGV station on Saturday, April 1, on a series of 3 trains. Given the ongoing strike situation in France with 3 out of 5 trains cancelled on strike days, it could be interesting. However, I have some alternate travel ideas in mind, and I just saw on Twitter that the next general strike day is scheduled for April 6, so fingers crossed I’ll get lucky and make the journey without too many headaches.
See Also
Journal of a Day’s Journey (Cheshire to Cornwall)