This week was the first full week of the program; and like last year, the semester hit the ground running. With only eight weeks in the semester, there was no time to waste!
Day 16
Today, the BEST Lyon tour group visited the Institut Lumière, located right in Lyon. The Lumière brothers, Auguste and Louis, grew up into a lifestyle centered around their father’s photography business. They are best known for the invention of cinematography, which revolutionized the photography business forever. It was a way for people to escape from normal reality, discover humor, and travel the world. For those that know me well, you can see why this tour peaked my interest. (I didn’t take many photos here this year. If you’re interested for more, here is my post about the museum from last summer.)
Day 17
After a long day of class, it was time to skip off to Toulouse for a relaxing weekend. My travel companion, Caroline, and I promptly boarded the airport express…which conveniently decided to break down, forcing us to walk to another station to get on another train. That’s France for you, I suppose.
We did make our flight with time to spare (thank you EasyJet for your tardiness in check-in), and were off to the south of France. We took residence at La Petit Auberge de Saint-Sernin, which is a quiet hostel right outside the city center. It was here that we met Amy: a delightful Australian young woman who has been trekking across the globe for the past six months! (Cameron, are you game? I know I would be!) She joined Caroline and I for the weekend, and we started some great discussion over kebabs and a night walk through the city.
Toulouse is known as the “red city.” The following pictures in this post should prove that to you all.
Day 18
The first stop on our Toulouse to-do list was the Jardin Japonais, which was only a five-minute walk from our hostel. Nestled inside the Jardin Compans Caffarelli, these Japanese-style gardens were a quiet refuge from the bustling highway just outside. The climbing stalks of bamboo and enormous koi were complemented with a red, rounded bridge connecting the greenspace across the pond. They even had some adorable four-legged friends that peaked out of their house to say hello.
Toulouse has several churches, and we visited three of them on our trip. The first one on our list was the Basilique Saint-Sernin de Toulouse. You’ll have to forgive me for the lack of proper photos of the church: the basilica was surrounded by encroaching buildings, so achieving the ideal angle proved to be difficult. The austere exterior of the building conceals the opulent interior, making it a true “diamond in the rough” amidst the red architecture of Saint-Sernin.
From the basilica, we ambled over to the Marché Victor Hugo. This was an enclosed farmer’s market, where locals sold various fruits, vegetables, desserts, breads, cheeses, meats, fishes, animal heads, organ meats, and pretty much everything in between. I always enjoy markets: maybe it’s my addiction to food, or my desire to support local economies. Either way, they are a great way to peek in at the local cuisine without breaking the bank on an expensive meal.
How could a trip to Toulouse be complete without a glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice? The woman literally hand-squeezed the juice of one and a half oranges right in front of me. It was the best orange juice I’ve ever consumed (and of course, I took a photo to prove it). Kids, this is what real orange juice looks like. Don’t trust that yellow-orange from-concentrate orange-juice-like product you find at home.
Before stopping for lunch, the three of us hopped over to see the Couvent des Jacobins. The monastery was much smaller and less ornate than the basilica, but still rich in history. It embodies the French southern gothic style of architecture, and the religious leaders in the church helped organize the first university in Toulouse in 1229.
The last church for the day was the Cathédrale Saint-Étienne (also known as Saint Stephen’s Cathedral). Although the origins of the church are not known, it dates to 1071 and today it is used as a Roman Catholic church. The architecture comprises several different styles from various regions and eras. It seems as if the church has been added onto over its lifetime: the footprint of the church has no organized design (for example: some churches look like a cross from an aerial perspective). Hopefully the snapshots I captured showcase the fractured nature of the cathedral.
Although the weather was warm, the breeze was comforting that Saturday afternoon. We spent maybe twenty to thirty minutes resting on a bench outside the cathedral after a long day of walking. There are several things to see and do in Toulouse; but fortunately, they are all within walking distance of each other. This makes Toulouse an ideal weekend getaway, since you can see much of the city in that time.
Now recharged, Caroline, Amy, and I visited the Musée des Augustins: an art museum with both French, Spanish, and Roman roots. The collection of sculptures and paintings range from primitive times up until present day, giving a wonderful timeline of the art and history in Toulouse. The museum resides in a renovated monastery with a beautiful cloister complete with flowers and wild-growing artichokes!
Phew, that was a long day.
After a quick cat-nap and a cold, refreshing shower, the three of us headed off for dinner. Nothing particularly fancy, just some incredibly delicious pizza from a bistro nearby. (When you live in the gastronomical capital of France, you’re okay not spending money on fancy food elsewhere. Trust me.) The remainder of the night was spent walking through the various streets and shops of Toulouse, appreciating the breezy weather and nightlife the city had to offer.
Day 19
For our last morning in Toulouse, we made our way over to the Jardin des Plantes. It is one of the largest parks in Toulouse, complete with a small rose garden, rambling roosters, and winding cobblestone pathways. The cherry on top was the waterfall, which cascaded down into the circling pond.
In the blink of an eye, my trip to Toulouse quickly came to a close. Our excursion proved to be a pleasant, relaxing way to ease back into traveling in Europe. Friendly people, good food, and gorgeous scenery. What more could a woman possibly want?
For my next adventure, I will return to Paris for an epic five-day tour with the BEST Lyon program. We’ll be visiting some fascinating places (no spoilers), and I’ll be on a quest to find new, off-the-beaten path sights to see while in the city. This will be my fourth time in La Ville-Lumière, or the City of Light, and I cannot get enough of it.
Photos for Toulouse can be found here.
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This post is dedicated to Rhonda Tibbs: a beloved friend who unexpectedly passed away this weekend. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers.
Wanderlust 