At Sea on our way to Barcelona and disembarkation to go to Bordeaux

27th and 28th  November 2025

Our at sea day was another perfect day on the water with little swell and moderate winds. We were obviously making good time as you could feel the ship slowing down to target an arrival at Barcelona for 6 am.

Our last night on board was spent having a quiet drink in the Explorers Bar, our favourite watering hole and enjoying dinner with some new found friends from Sydney. 


Explorers Bar 

At 6 am on 28th we were berthed at Barcelona as planned and we were up to see the sunrise, which happens quite late here at this time of the year.


We disembarked at 7.45 am, and caught a taxi to Barcelona Sants Railway Station to start an adventure that was way beyond our expectations. We have booked to take the train to Bordeaux for a few days before we start our river cruise on 1st December. It seemed such a good idea, the TGV to Narbonne, changing to an Intercity Service from Narbonne to Bordeaux. We have heard many good reports about the French Rail system and out travel agent enthusiastically encouraged us to do this, instead of flying.

What we discovered, is the French rail system is inherently unreliable. Our departure from Barcelona was delayed by 45 minutes. This effectively wiped out the 25 minute time to make our connection to the Intercity train in Narbonne. Also everyone was left standing in a line at Barcelona Station for an hour.

When we reached Narbonne, thats when the chaos really started. Many people had missed connections, and all lined up at the understaffed ticket office at Narbonne station to find out what happens next. After a  long wait and no progress in the line, it became clear they didn't have a solution. We were told that the next service ran in 2 hours time and that we should turn up on the platform and controller would be there to allocate us seats.

Of course this was all bullshit, and talking to people on the platform, they told us that each car had a controller, and they would be able to tell us if they had seats available or not. Despite the fact we had a 1st class ticket, it seemed it was every man for themselves.

Anyway, the train arrived, we piled onto the 1st Class car, occupied some seats which may have been booked by others and never saw a controller anywhere. Fortunately the seats we pick stayed uncontested for the 4 hour journey to Bordeaux. A few shots from the train window below. The countryside we travelled through was not prime agricultural land.




Narbonne where we missed our connection




 


Snow capped mountains in the background



We get regular glimpses of Canal du Midi





Sunset before we reach Bordeaux 



On the Intercity train from Narbonne to Bordeaux



Arriving in Bordeaux 

Arriving at our  hotel in Bordeaux at 6.15 pm, it has been a long day travelling, no thanks to the French Railway system. We are thirsty and hungry and get a local dining recommendation from reception before heading just down the road to Bouillon St Jean, and excellent local French restaurant with good food at reasonable prices.


                                      Entree and drinks are served

       


The confit duck was amazing


Our first taste of the local wine

Not surprisingly we had no trouble getting to sleep tonight. Tomorrow we explore Bordeaux.

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