Just a short distance outside Narbonne, on the Étang de Bages-Sigean (a lagoon connected to the Mediterranean), is the small town of Bages. On Saturday we went there to start our first hike in southern France. We parked near the water and enjoyed the view across the lagoon:
There was a cool breeze as we headed out of town, but the sun was warm. It felt great to start going uphill – Narbonne is so flat!
We took way too many pictures of the town from various angles during our hike…
To the west, through the haze, we could see the Pyrenees, and to the south, the Mediterranean.
Vineyards are everywhere. I’ve often read of chalky soil leading to good wine – it certainly looks plenty chalky here, which may explain the good local wines we’ve been enjoying!
It’s hard to believe we’re at the same latitude as Concord, NH (which is having a snowstorm as I write this), as more and more plants are starting to bloom. The vineyards here are filled with these white flowers – are they a weed, an ornament, or something helpful to the vines? We don’t know…
The town hall in Bages… perhaps the mayor used to give speeches from the balcony but now they just broadcast it from those horns?
Our French Adventure 
The scenery looks beautiful.
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