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Day 29, Friday, Toulouse

The continental breakfast at the hotel was good. I’ll rate the hotel 10. Today is our full day in Toulouse. We thought about going to the end of Metro line B and taking the 37 bus to City l’Espace, but it would have taken up most of the day. Instead, we went to the Musee Saint Raymond, with its relics of Roman settlement of Toulouse (Tolosa) and Narbonne (Nabosa). On the way there we visited the Basilica of St Sernin.

Ancient olive near the hotel

Unusually in a very old church, some of the original decoration is still visible.
Built mainly of bricks, not stone, it turns 1000 this century.

Urn at top left still contains ashes of several people. The lowest part of the museum here is among the Roman foundations discovered in the 1990s near the basilica. there are two floors above containing statues, mosaics, lots of Roman relics.

Our next objective was the Museum of Old Toulouse, on the far side of the Place de Capitole. We never did make it.

Place du Capitole, the very centre of Toulouse. It looks empty in this panorama, but all the tables were occupied and a market was going.

We discovered the little train just as it was leaving at 14:00. The info board said every 45 minutes so we returned at 14:45, no train, but now the board said next train 15:30. So we had about half an hour to use. Anne has a penchant for buying souvenirs. En route to Place Wilson, her reconnaissance reached a denouement when we ran out of time. An impasse. I had that deja vu feeling. Que sera sera, c’est la vie.

We caught the 15:30 Little Train. One hour ride took us many places we hadn’t trudged through yet.
We waved back.

We didn’t have the energy for another museum, so sat around for an hour in the Place Charles de Gaulle behind the Capitole. Many others seemed to have the same idea. We don’t need to see all the sights of Toulouse, just get the flavour of the place.

Place Charles de Gaulle
Don’t try to enter during the toilet’s cleaning cycle, or catch the door as the previous occupant leaves and spend the wash, spin cycle inside.
Rue d’Alsace Lorraine. Toulouse is a very young city with a large population of students. Too many of them smoke, unfortunately.
We found this Indian restaurant in a tiny lane south of the Place Capitole, and returned at 7pm. Indian Kingfisher beer brewed by Heineken in the UK, consumed in Toulouse. Not too many beer miles though. 33cl bottle. I’m tired of tiny 25cl bottles in restaurants. Yes, I could buy two, but that’s $13 worth of beer.
Place Wilson

We quite like Toulouse. With its many narrow streets and plazas with cafes and bars it has the intimate feel of the Melbourne CBD’s narrow lanes, but over a much larger area. With its young population it feels vibrant. Shopping is good  too. I bought a 40cm x 60cm pillow on special. Really.

We had been thinking of driving some 2018 Tour de France stages, in the opposite direction. Next opportunity now would be Carcassonne to Millau. I think we’ll go to Millau, but not sure which way.

Frame taken from the 2018 Tour de France coverage, at an instant when the television signal from motorcycle to helicopter was disrupted. I rather like it. I didn’t write  down the details, but I think it’s during stage 10. Rider at the front attacking the yellow jersey may be Kruijswijk from Team Lotto Jumbo. He is the only rider in the image who might be recognisable.