Toulouse, the Rose City

Judy.  Before leaving France, we decided to spend our last 24 hours in Toulouse. From there, we'd get a better flight to London and on to Atlanta. It also gave us a chance to check out a city we'd always been interested in seeing.

If Montpellier's buildings make a golden city, Toulouse is known as the rose city, because all its edifices are build of a pink stone. It's warm and inviting and truly beautiful.

Arriving mid-morning, we were able to check into our hotel and get a recommendation for the best restaurant to eat cassoulet, a peasant bean casserole we first heard about from our old friend Felix De Greef about 47 years ago. Long time to wait to taste it, but never found it before. It's "home city" is near Toulouse, so it seemed a good place to try it. 

Le Colombier is famous for its cassoulet

We were sent to Le Colombier, which turned out to be exactly what we wanted. Our host there explained that this recipe had  been used there since 1947, and then steered us to the best wine. Cassoulet is a bean stew made with whatever meat is available--rabbit, sausage, goose, ham, whatever! This one had sausage, ham, and a goose drumstick, and was well worth the wait! Furthermore, dessert was an apple tart with armagnac ice cream.

From there we explored the city, starting with the Capitoline, a government building with stunning murals inside. While the outside was beautiful, the building was closed to visitors. Ugh. On to our next site.

The Capitoline and the market in the square

The rose color is evident in this building across from the Capitoline

While walking to the Couvent des Jacobins, we took in the charm of the medieval city. Streets were not as narrow as in Montpellier, but the buildings were definitely impressive.

The Couvent  is the birthplace of the Dominican Order of Preachers, of whom St. Thomas Aquinas is arguably the most famous. Central to this spare room is an altar covering the relic of St. Thomas. More impressive, however, is the colored light streaming through the windows onto the walls and the "palm tree columns", a distinctive aspect of the church. There's also a cloister where lots of people go to relax, but it cost, so we didn't go.

Palm tree columns reflect the light from the windows

The light reflects around the simple altar

St. Thomas Aquinas's final resting place

From there we headed to the Garonne River, and on the way, located the Basilica Notre Dame de Daurade, which housed a Black Madonna, so we ducked in. It was the complete opposite of the couvent--roccoco to the max! A plaque reminded us that the restoration of the artwork was done with the help of the French Heritage Society, Atlanta Chapter! There was artwork everywhere, and in a side chapel was the Madonna in her fancy blue gown. Legend says she has 23 outfits, and the presence of one of her dresses on the bed of a woman giving birth guaranteed a safe delivery.

The Black Madonna

That night we walked to the river to see the lights. What a sight! We took an elevator down to the river level and walked past dozens of university students enjoying the evening. 

The next morning we packed up, stored our luggage, and stopped at Monsieur Madeline for a breakfast of madelines and coffee. Another treat hard to get in the US.

This time we headed to the famous Japanese Garden. Now I've seen many Japanese gardens, but this one was in a class all its own. It's small, but has many nooks and crannies where you can observe the beauty there from different viewpoints. None of our photos do it any justice.

We headed next to the 12th century St. Sernin Basilica. Once again, the church was not like any others we'd seen. At the altar is the elaborate gold tomb of St. Sernin, but other than some ancient murals, it's a pretty simple stone Romanesque building. What it's noted for is the over 300 relics in the church! Other than the tomb of the saint, the most famous relic is in the crypt--a thorn from the Crown of Thorns. There's also a piece of the True Cross. Yes, I do have my doubts. Still, this pilgrimage church, with all its relics, is oddly peaceful. A side door was used by pilgrims, and, yes, the Camino (or Chemin de St. Jacques) runs through this city as well.

The crypt houses the thorn from the Crown of Thorns

Lunch was at one of a series of restaurants above the indoor city market, another recommendation from our hotel manager. I went for steak tartare, something I seldom find in the US. On our way out we passed an Art Deco building that took our breath away!

Certainly not part of Medieval Toulouse!

There was so much more to see, but we had a plane to catch, so we cut our losses and caught the bus to the airport. We definitely recommend Toulouse!

What's not to like (or dislike) about France

Ted. We fly to London this afternoon, so I am enjoying my last café allongé at our final stop in France, the charming city of Toulouse. I am also reflecting on what draws us back again and again to this beautiful country while reminding myself of those quirks of the culture that bug me. 

Like - Lots and lots of pedestrian zones 

Dislike - Inconsiderate people on scooters and bikes racing through crowded streets 

Like - well behaved dogs in restaurants 

Dislike - dog poop all over the sidewalks 

Like - cheap efficient pubic transportation which allows us to easily wander within and between towns 

Dislike - pushy, rude young people elbowing their way on and off trains and buses never considering to yield a seat to the elderly 

Like - Farmers markets and flea markets 

Dislike - scooters/bikes racing through the markets (yeah, even here) 

Like - tipping and tax included in restaurant prices 

Dislike - rising expectations of additional tips 

Like - slowly becoming a cashless economy 

Dislike - continuing expectation of cash by smaller businesses 

Like - efforts to reduce single use plastic 

Like - old churches 

Like - the importance of good food and wine 

I could go on and on. An overall theme, though is that the French, possibly more than any other Europeans, continue to believe that one should work to live and not live to work. When they strike (which is often) it usually has to do more with quality of life issues than money. The joy they find in slowly walking along the sidewalks with a friend or family member and then sitting at a café for an hour becomes contagious. We find ourselves slowing down to match their pace and that is probably the biggest reason we will continue to return. Bordeaux - we’ll see you next year!

Our road trip continues

Ted. On leaving Andorra, we made for one of the most famous sites in southern France, the walled city of Carcassonne. It has a fascinating history, so check it out on the internet. 

Ben and I walked along the walls that night. 

My alltime favorite photo of me

The next day, we stopped for lunch and a brief walk around the city of Béziers. 

Then it was on to Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert which is a place I will not soon forget. Officially designated “One of the Most Beautiful Villages of France,” it seems relatively unchanged since it grew up around an abbey built by William of Gellone (Guilhem is the Occitan word for William) around 800. William was a fabled knight and cousin of Charlemagne who laid down his sword, became a monk and was ultimately named a saint. For more information, feel free to read up on him and the town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

By the way, if you have visited The Met Cloisters in New York, you have seen some of the columns which were built for this abbey. How they came to New York is another matter. 

  "Honeycomb" column capital

Returning to Montpellier, we bid a fond farewell to good friend Ben who traveled home to Prague. We all look forward to another rendezvous, on down the road.

Road trip

 Judy. A couple of days after we arrived in Montpellier, our good friend Ben arrived from Prague for a road trip we'd been planning to take together. For some reason, I was curious to see Andorra, and our friends Björn and Malou had recommended some beautiful French towns to visit along the way.

We rented a car easily at the airport and headed first to hike up to some of the Cathar castle ruins, destroyed during the Albegensian Crusades. The views were said to be spectacular. Unfortunately, a thick fog had settled over the mountains, so instead of seeing two castles, we decided to go for one, Château de Quéribus, possibly the last one to fall. We arrived to see this scene:

It's there--somewhere

So. On to more adventures. Lunch seemed like a great option, and just might lift our spirits, and at the next little town we managed to find a mom-and-pop restaurant filled with locals. The food was fine, but watching the family of owners deal with their friends and customers was worth it all.  

Ben and I felt better after lunch

Ben, who is a tour guide and a great planner, had a surprise up his sleeve to make up for the castle disappointment, and drove us to the Gorge of Galamus for a gorgeous view of the river and mountains and an Ermitage tucked neatly into a the terrain.

A great place to be a monk

The guys hiked down into the gorge and to the Hermitage, but I decided that I was better off enjoying the scenery. The fog hadn't quite left yet...   

But it was beautiful!

So off we drove again through the countryside and into the Pyrenees Mountains. The fog lifted and from Col du Chioula Pass we had a sweeping view of the mountains ahead, as well as the grazing cattle, whose cowbells seemed to ring in harmony. Ok, that was cheesy.

More cowbell!

A few short kilometers later, we were in the spa town of Ax-les-Thermes. There were two spa pools that cost--a lot--but there were also free pools to soak your feet and springs fed by the hot waters mixed with cool ones. Ted took a nap, but Ben and I took advantage!

Steam rising from the hot water

People soaking feet in this hot springs pool, dating from 1260. It was for lepers...

The following morning we headed higher into the Pyrenees and over Envalira Pass, which is the highest paved road in these mountains, and into Andorra.

Envalira Pass

I have to admit, our first impression was that the entire country was a string of ski resorts. Couldn't even find a cafe for a much-needed coffee! I was ready to turn back, but Ben said, "Let's just go a little further." We reached the center of this tiny country, and--voilà! We found a nice cafe in the town of Canillo. The coffee was inexpensive and delicious, and, since we had paid for parking, we decided to walk around the town a bit.

What a surprise! Its history goes back hundreds of years, and some of the buildings have been preserved--a mill, by a stream, and a lovely church, San Serni de Canillo. I don't know who San Serni was, but the church was simple, rebuilt in the eighteenth century over a medieval church.

San Serni

This mostly bare stone church held a medieval baptismal font and three elaborate 18th century retable. Outside was the so-called "Boundary Cross of Charlemagne," defining two other towns. Oddly enough, there were strange symbols in the street, which we found out were old cattle brands, which matched up with the same brands on houses. You knew whose cattle were whose!

A salute to times past

With that, we decided we'd seen enough, and the parking meter was running out, so we left Andorra to head back into France. And that's a story for Ted to tell.

Ski chalet over Canillo

On to Montpellier

Ted. The temperatures in Brussels were beginning to drop so, with a bit of sadness, we boarded a train to France. 

After an overnight stop in Paris (Darn, do we have to?) Judy and I continued on to Montpellier which would be our home for the month of October. 

Why Montpellier? This sort of goes to the heart of how we make our travel plans. Our eternal conflict is whether we should explore a new country or return to one that we know and love. France falls squarely into the latter category, aided by the fact that we are very comfortable with the language. Though we go there a lot, we now try to explore a different part of the country each time. 

In early 2023, while discussing possible destinations for the next year, we realized that we had never been to the region of France called Languedoc. Lying in the southwest, it has an interesting history and culture, beautiful scenery and consistently pleasant weather so we dug a little deeper. 

The city of Montpellier made sense as a base. Several friends had spent time there and loved the city. With a population of about half a million, there is plenty to do. It also serves as a regional transportation hub so day trips into the surrounding area would be simple. 

So, now it is a year later and here we are! We just need to find a grocery store and bakery, adjust to sunny days in the low 70’s and get used to the view from our new apartment.

Fun with family and friends (old and new)

Ted. We have met a lot of new and interesting people this year. We really enjoyed getting to know our VRBO hosts in Brussels  - Yolanda, who is Dutch and her husband Simon, who is Lebanese. The four of us enjoyed a fabulous meal together at their favorite Lebanese restaurant.

Judy & Yolanda at Al Barmaki

But it has also been nice to reconnect with long time friends. 

Back in the 70's, I worked on an American Army base in Germany with another young American named Don. He eventually  married  a French woman named Catherine and they settled down in a small French town on the border with Belgium. We have visited them every few years for decades now. 

Don & Catherine at Château Beloeil

We love eating great food and catching up in their beautiful old home but Catherine also arranges for us to take interesting excursions in the area.

Roman Ruins at Bavay, France

Bell tower at Mons, Belgium

A visit to Europe just isn't complete without a visit with our American nephew, Chris. He has a somewhat similar story to Don. Chris's company transferred him to Germany over 10 years ago and that insisted that he learn German. Darned if he didn't end up marrying his German teacher, a beautiful young woman named Dilyana. After postings in Italy and Hungary they are now settled back in Germany. We like visiting Chris and his family at their home but this year, Chris announced that he, Dilyana, and their sons Nicky and Mike would drive to Brussels to hang out with us.

Frederic Blondeel Chocolate Factory

Nicky's hot chocolate moustache

Mike works out in the park

After spending so much time traveling on our own and getting to know new folks, it has also been wonderful to be embraced by people that we already know and love.