Little and large

A frustrating day. I had to take the red car to the Fiat dealer in Narbonne for a service. When I arrived just before ten, they'd told me it would take about 2 hours, so I thought I had just enough time to walk along the canal into town, have a leisurely coffee, pick up S's newly framed photo, and walk back. 

I got back to the dealership on the stroke of 12. "It'll be ready at 2:30," the receptionist told me brightly. Hmph. I'd already walked 2 km into town and 2 km back, and now I was burdened with a framed picture, so I wasn't going to do another 4 km round trip (public transport in Narbonne is less than ideal). 

However. Ristorante al Porto. I crossed over to the out-of-town shopping centre and had a leisurely and quite good lunch on a pleasantly shady terrace well away from traffic. Then I got my watch battery replaced and had a browse around the books in Cultura. 

Back to the dealer just after 2:30. "It'll be half an hour." I ended up cooling my heels in their "lounge" (a plastic sofa surrounded by cars) for another hour and a quarter. If they'd told me before lunch how long it was going to be, I'd have organised my day quite differently. Still, I got four new tyres at 40% off and a complimentary car wash (it was filthy when I arrived, thanks to the starlings and the volcano).

Finally leaving at nearly four o'clock, I improved my day by a) stopping at Picard for some easy food, and b) driving home via the scenic route on back roads, rather than the motorway

Blip: one of the fake Roman columns commissioned by former mayor Hubert Mouly (statue) -- he was also responsible for the ridiculous amphora roundabout. One thing he was not responsible for is the new museum, NarboVia, which you can see in the background.