Wake up at 7:30. Catch 8:34 train from Carcassonne to Narbonne. TGV trains seem to always have assigned seating, but it appears to be a free for all like the TER trains this morning, so we sit where we could find some seats as we were getting off at the next stop anyway. Arrive just after 9:00 to a very windy and chilly Narbonne. Look for hotels around the large church but are unsuccessful, so we go to the tourist office in order to get more info. Find a nice 2 star Hotel de France, we are told that we could only have the room for 1 night, and perhaps for longer, but that we would have to wait till the afternoon to find out. Later we’re told we can have it for the the 2 nights, and dad extends it for a few more days after I’m gone. 62 euro/night. Since the weather is so bad we rent a car for the day and go see castles in the nearby countryside. We rent from Avis a Nissan Micra for 55 euro/day, which runs on gas (an anomoly in Europe). Diesel is cheaper than gas here and gas is 1.43 euro/litre.

We head to Cucugnan Chateau de Queribus. Eat lunch here. Dad doesn’t want to walk up the hill to the castle so I borrow his jacket to survive the windy conditions. Tour ruins where the winds gusts must be 100km/h or more at the top, I could easily get blown over if I’m not careful and going through the entrance was a struggle as the wind was so strong. Then Duilhac Peyrepertuse Chateau de Peyrepertuse. Villerouge-Termenes. Then back to Narbonne. We used 197 out of the 200 free kms.

Check into the hotel. Then grab a sandwich dinner and eat in the hotel room. Have an Entre Deux Mers white wine which is quite good.