Last Sunday our son, Brian, and one of his soccer buddies drove Joan and I to Vancouver BC to catch our Air France flight to Paris, connecting to Toulouse. All went as planned and about 16 hours after taking off from Vancouver we were aboard "Juniper" sharing a cold bottle of Rose with our Seattle partner Tom before he took off to catch his flight back to Seattle
Fortunately for us Tom and Mary left us wine, cheese, bread and some leftovers of a southern France special, Cassouelet a dish composed of white beans plus chunky pieces of duck and sausage. From there it was a well deserved night's sleep after being awake for over 30 hours.
The next three days have had us exploring the back alleys and tourist sights of Toulouse. Stopping for coffee, wine or beer at a street side cafe, as well as getting lost multiple times as the back alleyways twisted and turned. It's like cruising in the San Juans, you have to always know where you are and where you're going. Once we got in the habit of checking where we were at each intersection we had a blast.
For our boys - The Capitole. Now the city hall decked out in preparation for the EuroCup coming to Toulouse for several games. There are banners and sculptures all over town. Looking forward to finding a soccer pub to watch France play.
A closeup of a smaller banner. Lots of excitement for this upcoming event.
The inside of The Carmelites Chapel - from one of our self guided walking tours. Built in the 17th century this chapel features painted decor covering both its vaulted ceiling and its walls. History has it that the artist was inspired by the Sistine Chapel's painted ceiling.
A back alleyway - hard to believe we are in a city of over 1,000,000 people and it's 2016. These narrow streets go from empty to bustling as you go from one "place" to another. Lots of little sidewalk cafes, tea shops and pubs to stop at.
The Chapter House at the Jabobin's Convent dates back to the 13th and 14th centuries. The building is typical of French southern gothic architecture. During the revolution this beautiful building was taken over as a barracks for soldiers and horses. While now the property in the Marie of Toulouse, the remains (relics) of Saint Thomas Aquinas still reside under the main alter of the church.
Inside the main church at The Jabobins Convent - The alter on the left has St. Thomas' remains in it.
More interesting architecture as we find our way back to the boat from a day of sightseeing
Beautiful tile work on the face of another house we pass. So much history, if only we had time to explore even the surface. At least we're able to take in the beauty and appreciate it. In so many ways that was all that was expected when it was built.
Back aboard "Juniper" after hours of walking - you can certainly tell which is the young one, and she's even been cooking our delicious dinner while I sat and wrote this post.
