Narbonne

Narbonne is historic capital of the Roman province of Gallia Transalpina.

The Aude River originally ran through Narbonne, but diverted, so canals were built.

Narbonne's Les Halles is where the locals buy their fresh groceries.

There's also many small restaurants inside.

The Palace Museum of the Archbishops was originally built in the 1200s.

Part of an old Roman road was unearthed in front of it.

Narbonne Cathedral was never finished because it would have required demolishing part of the city's walls.

D. Parron was here

Somebody was related to the Sforzas.

The ideal 1600s Frenchman

Instead of having yearbooks, cardinals would commission paintings of themselves with a Christian notable they liked.

Putti

A sumptuous roof

An extremely distressed lion

The Palace had a well presented collection of North African and Islamic art.

A mini Cordoba

Narbonne Cathedral is adjacent to the Palace.

An Islamic container from Cuenca made in 1030.

The tomb of a cardinal from the 1500s.

An unfinished portion of the Cathedral.

The highlight of Narbonne is the Grand Buffet. We don't recommend walking from downtown.

No trip to the Grand Buffett is complete without a drink at Private Bowling Pub first. Yes, it is an extremely fancy bar in an otherwise normal bowling alley under the Grand Buffett.

Your table awaits!

The Grand Buffett must be booked months in advance unless you are extremely lucky. 

Highlights include this duck dish made with a traditional duck press.

They have nine types of foie gras and a massive oyster bar.

The kitchen makes a rotating selection of French dishes on request.

I missed eating Lyonnaise Quennelle in Lyon, but luckily they were making it on demand that evening.

The Grand Buffett has the World's Largest Cheese Selection. If you are overwhelmed the cheese sommelier will help you pick some.

And they have a fountain of lobsters! The Grand Buffet is a must if visiting Southern France.