Day: 15 Km travelled: 116.51km Steps: 15,167
September 21st, 2017
On my last full day of the visit, I had the opportunity to visit the nearby city of Toulouse, known as ‘La Ville Rose’, as many of its buildings are constructed with a distinctive pink stone. Situated south of Paris, between the Mediterranean and Atlantic oceans, Toulouse of France’s 4th largest metropolitan area. One of the oldest in France, there has been some type of settlement since the 2nd century AC.
Benefiting from a sub-Mediterranean climate, Toulouse if a thriving and bustling city. One of its main industries is aeronautics, home to the Airbus headquarters among others. It also boasts one of the oldest universities in Europe, L’Université de Toulouse founded in 1229. The streets were crowded with students, the energy and excitement palpable in the air. It must have been frosh week or pledge week, as I imagine Toulousian students don’t normally walk around in part covered attire holding plates of whip cream.
A few hours spent walking around (my favourite mode of transportation at this point) had me walk past some of Toulouse’s most impressive sights: The 18th century Capitole de Toulouse (current city hall), the Théâtre du Capitole (opera house), cathedrals, hotels particulars, fountains and many more!
Capitole de Toulouse
Pair Godolin fountain in the ‘Place du Président Thomas Wilson’
Toulouse also counts two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, one of them being the Canal du Midi. The Pont Neuf, a 17th century stone bridge, crosses the famed plane-tree lined canal and is one of the city’s often photographed attraction.
My leisurely stroll through the city was momentarily interrupted by a protest. Labour protests were a staple across all of France that September yet this was the first time I’d stumbled upon one. The peaceful protest went on for approximately 30 minutes before I suddenly found myself surrounded by a police anti-riot wall. No matter how long I spend in France, I’ll never get used to the sight of police and military walking around with semi automatic weapons amidst the crowds.
The rest of the day in Toulouse was spent walking around, completing errands and of course, eating! Now that is something I easily acclimated to: long, leisurely lunches in the sunshine! What could be better than that?