Toulouse

It is interesting to land in this fairly large city - population just over 1M, home to Airbus and a passionate rugby scene - as we had no intention of every going to Toulouse on our travels. We had planned Dusseldorf, another middling European city. The plan was to head east, to Marseille via Montpellier, as Marseille was a good place to fly back to Heathrow. Chuck and Margot suggested Toulouse which is as good a hub and gets me a shorter train ride to Bayonne and from there a short hop to the start of the Camino. What I find interesting is that on arrival at a new city or town it is of course disorienting both physically and psychologically. There are no touch points - places to buy groceries, restaurants or cultural way points that root the place. It takes little time to establish those and here in Toulouse one feels comfortable after successfully navigating your way 'home' in the evening without having a phone as your guide. Or successfully renting a city bike and riding along the canal to a nice picnic point in a park. We have been blessed that everywhere we have stayed on this trip we have enjoyed and settled in.

The train ride here was easy and flew by and we landed at our very quirky Airbnb - up a winding stairway six floors in what appears to be a renovated building that dates back to who knows. Dates of things are a blur. It could be 1200 or 1700. Judging by the old wood beams and the slope of the roof on my side of the bed, the ceiling on which I hit my head every time I get up, the building is old.

Arriving on a Saturday Toulouse seemed very crowded and lived up to its 'touristy' billing. Lots of young people flowing down the streets lined with buildings and into the large square- the Capitole - a stones throw from where we are staying. Our second day we ventured out on bikes and discovered the University and its environs. Again tons of young people and great outdoor squares with bars all around. This would be a great place to go to school.

Yesterday was our second full day here and we caught a train to Albi a small, quaint town about an hour train ride. It is known for two things; the largest brick cathedral in the world and the Toulouse Lautrec museum. Alas being Monday the museum was closed but the church was awesome. The brick gave the outside a smooth, unified appearance. The rounded, tapered corners looked like Saturn rockets. Inside it was the usual overwrought spectacle with a lurid mural of naked men on one side and women on the other desperate to avoid falling into hell that was depicted below them and heaven populated by a few above. Interestingly the women were depicted in an orderly array with song sheets (I guess you sing you way to heaven) held carefully while the men seemed to be lying willy nilly with the odd song sheet floating in the air. The high point of Albi was a walk across the river across a beautiful brick bridge to a small courtyard where we had a beautiful view of the town. There we sat in the warm sun, had a picnic and sketched.

Caught the train back to Toulouse and headed over, by city bike, to a wonderful studio and shop owned by the loveliest woman, Annette Hardouin, who creates her own dyes from yellow blossomed plant that creates the signature bleu of the Occitaine region that encompasses Toulouse and Pezenas. Sue had scoped out this shop that was in an obscure residential area and when it was closed on our arrival I was dubious. Annette and her husband arrive within 5 minutes and we had a fabulous time learning about her craft and trying to restrain ourselves from buying everything in the shop. She was so warm and after we bought a few things she gave me a bracelet she had made that has the signature shell of the Camino. It was one of those encounters that defines a place and we will always associate her with Toulouse. Her web site is www.ahpy.eu.

We are soon heading out for Sue's last hours in Toulouse before she heads to Heathrow. I am simplifying for the Camino and will let go of this laptop so that's it for the blog. A bientot. Its been a blast.