After my daytripping Iowan friend departed, I thought it was the perfect time to take a longer excursion, starting with an overnight in Pau mainly to check out another restaurant before other friends arrive in late April, and then onward to get a vibe of Toulouse.
As usual, I only did some very brief and preliminary research before landing at my destination of Toulouse. Obviously I had not grasped the concept that it might be a huge city of half a million people, and at first it became overwhelming with crowds of people everywhere milling about on a Saturday. After feebly attempting to pop into a restaurant, I was firmly reminded that it was reservation only, which of course I did not have, nor did I have the patience or perseverance to attempt anything more elsewhere, but instead went to a grocery store to buy bread, cheese, fruit and some regional champagne before returning to the swanky industrial loft on the eighteenth floor overlooking the city to settle in for the night before traipsing ten miles around Toulouse on my first full day following.
Toulouse is a very vibrant city filled with history and stunning ancient architecture, much of it constructed of a specific shade of red brick, lending to its storybook quality. The open air market into which I stumbled felt very old world, packed with vendors selling local produce, cheese, and meat, and of course primo patisseries, softening the snail’s pace of the throngs of elbow to elbow patrons.
I very much enjoyed the engineering feat of Pont Neuf, or Pont de Pierre, a bridge constructed in the 15th and 16th Centuries, its completion complicated by the unstable nature of the subsoil and violent floods of The Garonne River. Many people congregate around it in the evening to witness the sunset as it ushers in nightfall over Toulouse.
I also found the adjacent area of Daurade fascinating due to the massive cathedral, originally constructed in the 5th Century by the Roman Emperor Honorius as Paganism led way to Christianity with an ode to Apollo.
Despite its massive size and the initial overwhelming experience, Toulouse ended up a very enjoyable city and although I wouldn’t want to live in the bustling central core filled with hordes of people, I did find some quieter and more majestic and stately neighborhoods filled with gorgeous brick buildings alongside a massive peaceful park complex, Grande Ronde and Jardin des Plantes.
I will definitely visit Toulouse again! Great city!
Check the vibe:
