Feature Image: Street Art in Toulouse

French Immersion

Our workaway route developed as a south to north adventure, so we had to pick a starting point in order to get used to the cold climate, and start nibbling our way through the mountain of cheese we had planned for this trip.

It was a toss up between Marseilles, Montpellier, and Toulouse – and although Toulouse hadn’t been on our radar prior to this trip, except for sharing the name of an iconic impressionist painter, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, it won due to it’s central location.

We didn’t have strenuous plans to explore every inch of the city and sightsee our socks off. Instead we wanted to meander around the old town, hopping from coffee counter to bistro table, drinking strong coffee or red wine, and dusting off our basic French. We wanted to ease our way into the French way of life, before heading off to start our first workaway assignment near the town of Millau.

Our Toulouse Accommodation

We booked an Air BnB studio in the heart of old town, and although we tried to get a taxi at the train station, we ended up walking because some of the roads were block off in preparation for demonstrations about the pension reform that was causing the rail strike, and the taxi drivers said it would be easier for us to walk or take the metro.

It took about 25 minutes to walk from the train station to old town. It gave us a good chance to get our first glimpse of Tolouse and orient ourselves to the neighborhood, something we couldn’t have done on the metro.

Our AirBnB

I’m not averse to staying in boutique hotels, but there’s something about having your own front door that makes you feel like you’re having a local rather than a tourist experience.

The studio apartment was ideal for our two night stay, and was actually larger than expected. The little table and chairs in the kitchen area was ideal for our breakfasts and cheese and wine forays.

We’d brought our projector with us, and the living room had a large enough white wall to project Netflix onto.

And best of all, the shower was a real power-shower. Nothing better than being sand blasted by water to kick start your day. That, and a cup of coffee and we’re set to go, no matter how cold the weather is outside.

Exploring Toulouse

There’s more to the Toulouse than the old town, but if you’re only here for a couple of days, then that small area of the city is more than enough to keep you entertained and enthralled.

Our AirBnB host recommended we explored the Couvent des Jacobins, located at the end of our road. From the outside it looks like a austere gothic church, but from the inside the stained glass windows add a luminosity and light to it’s brick structure. 

This building soon became our compass, and we knew that when we headed towards it we were going in the right direction for our accommodation. I went for an early morning wander (in search of our first fresh croissant) on Sunday morning, and walked all around the local area looking for sign of life and the whiff off a bakery.

I didn’t think 9:30am was early rising, but many places didn’t start to open their shutters for business until 10am. But I wallowed in the tranquility of my misty Sunday morning stroll.

Rue Pargaminières had been buzzing the night before but was deserted when I made my way towards the river. No sign of life. No  coffee shop. No bakery.

We’d spotted the girl on a swing by street artist Mark Jenkins under the Saint Pierre Bridge the previous day, but it took on an eerie and forlorn slant in the morning mist.

There’s a Cafe des Artistes in Paris that was often painted by the Impressionists, so when I saw a similarly named cafe here in Toulouse, it caught my eye. Still no sign of life.

Having spent so many years in the States, it’s still a shock to the system when Sunday has a heavy impact on retail. Although some places were starting wake up at 10am, many shops and restaurants remained closed all day.

I walked full-circle and stumbled across a bakery a stone’s throw from our apartment, that I would have found sooner had I turned left instead of right. But what’s the hurry? Sunday’s are made for a slower pace of life. And my warm, flaky croissants was move enjoyable because of the wait.

In Search of a Toulouse Street Market

We love a good market, and I found an online resource that had 6 nearby markets listed.

But the first one near the Basilica of Saint-Sernin, wasn’t happening (maybe because it was the first weekend after the new year), but at least we discovered this fabulous former abby in the process.

It was only a short amble to the next market on the list. It wasn’t outstanding, but I do love wandering amongst the locals and watching their buying habits.

It was pretty low-key, but there were plenty of cheese stalls. We bought a few rounds of a mild goats cheese, that didn’t make it to the next day. It was locally produced with a really creamy texture, and slipped effortlessly onto the crust of a freshly baked baguette. I can see we’re going to have to watch our cheese intake if we want to avoid excess weight charges flying home!

The rest of the day was spent wandering around the town taking photographs and absorbing the rhythm of our first French weekend, before heading home for a nap before we ventured out for a celebratory last night in Toulouse.

Toulouse Night out

There were plenty of places open around Place du Capitole, but we ventured off down the side streets looking for somewhere less touristy and with more local spirit.

We wanted a light dinner at a bistro that was as good as our recent Paris meal, but there was very little open that was open or looked appealing, until we stumbled across La Comtesse (20 Rue Peyrolières).

A lively tapas bar, with a bubbly and enthusiastic server, and a good selection of non-meat tapas options. Creamy hummos, grilled haloumi with a spicy red pepper dressing, and smoked salmon with a horseradish dressing. Plus I loved that they put cucumber in my gin and tonic.

The music was international and varied, and they welcomed our playlist suggestions. Although it was Sunday, the place was packed and noisy, and we made friends with the party at the next table, and also did some complimentary shots with the server. Who said French hospitality was dead?

This night out made our trip to Toulouse complete. We’d had a relaxing and enjoyable time up to this point, but the friendliness of the locals at this bar really cemented some good memories.

Our escape was thwarted by another train strike delay, so we actually had to spend another morning in Toulouse. We were able to check out backpacks at a local hotel (there’s no left luggage at the station), and then we went clothes shopping. Although we were only a few days into our three month trip, I realized that I needed another pair of shoes, and I’d better buy them while we were in a town big enough to have a discount shop. Mission accomplish. And then it was time for more cheese and wine before heading back to the station to get a train half-way to our destination, and a bus the rest of the way.

I have a feeling that transport challenges are going to become a theme for this trip, so there’s no point stressing about them. Time to go with the flow, and enjoy the hurdles these train strikes and delays throw in our way.

Read about our 2020 Workaway and Travel Adventures:

1. French Train Strikes won’t stop us in our tracks
2. Toodling around Toulouse
3. Exploring the Castle at La Couvertoirade
4. Meandering around Montpellier
5. Our Workaway at an 18th Century Flour Mill
6. Chilling in Clermont Ferrand
7. Our Workaway at an 18th Century Chateau
8. Lingering in Lyon’s 1st Arrondissement
9. Our Self-Guided Walking Tour of Lyon
10. Making the most of Montparnasse Paris
11. Our Workaway at a La Rochelle BnB
12. Our Workaway at Ile D’Aix
13. Video: Our Workaway adventure through France
14. Our Memorable Food and Wine Adventures in France
15. …. the rest of our trip TBD because of the virus – but planning Bordeaux, Lille, Bruges, Antwerp, and Amsterdam