Toulouse
has one of the largest universities outside Paris...at its core this
southwestern French city is home to students and scientists.
The
main industry is aeronautics, Toulouse hosts the Airbus headquarters
and assembly-line of Airbus A380.
The Concorde supersonic aircraft was also constructed in Toulouse.
This
morning we visited Les Halles Victor Hugo, described as the
beating heart of Toulouse’s food scene. This covered market is packed with local producers busily selling cheeses, fresh pasta,
meats and takeaway nibbles from sushi to spicy curries. It is one of
the very best food markets we've ever been to.
They even had sausages...
this saucisse Toulouse really appealed to Andrew!
Apologies
to our vegetarian friends...
the cold meats were mouth watering.
the cold meats were mouth watering.
A
crown roast like this would go over well
for a Wednesday night family dinner.
for a Wednesday night family dinner.
The
displays of seafood were also tempting but we ended up buying a couple of
duck breast fillets. It was a lot of fun buying them and I'm sure
they will be delicious.
Love the look of this cake with it's Easter decoration!
We
started our afternoon at Basilique St-Sernin, this
well-preserved Romanesque edifice is built from golden and rose-hued
stonework up to the tip of the octagonal bell tower.
St
Vincent de Paul
St
Sernin was Toulouse’s first bishop,
he met a gruesome end when
pagan priests tied him to a bull!
We
then wandered the enchanting Vieux Quartier (Old Quarter)
...a
dreamy jumble of coral-coloured shopfronts and churches. Ochre
rooftops and blushing brick churches earned Toulouse the nickname ‘La
Ville Rose’ (the pink city).
We
walked 8.8 k's today.
I
have a fun fact today...Victor Hugo (1802-1885) was a French poet,
novelist and dramatist. His best known works are the novels Les
Miserables & The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. There are
many references to him here in Toulouse, places named after him &
even in restaurants there are dishes honouring his name.
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