Two Days in Toulouse
A Long Travel Day
Travelling from my hometown all the way to Toulouse was one heck of a journey, from cars, ferries, trains and flights, I did it all. I did make quite a few mistakes on the way, starting with getting on the wrong train, which was easily rectified by getting off at the first stop and getting back on the next train (my correct train).
Then came my lack of screenshots of the tube’s that I needed to take, managing two out of the three but asking three workers for help and still not understanding (my own fault) but managed in the end. Followed by a difficult airport security check, it is true that Stansted is arguably the worst London airport. From the grumpy workers and annoying families, I had a child swing into me, it makes for a bumpy ride and an endless trek through the airport. However, it was worth the cheaper ticket! Another positive was that my Ryanair flight landed early, and not just because of my lack of knowledge of the time difference as France is an hour ahead of England. You would think checking time zones would be one of the first things to look at when going abroad and/or common sense, evidently not for me. All in all, not the worst travel day for my first trip alone.
Another slight hiccup, I do not speak French, my C in GCSE French does not count as it is all forgotten. My very limited vocabulary of “merci” and “bonjour” had gotten me quite far, until I started to say “grazie” or “si” due to my attempt to learn Italian over the past year. Although it is helpful to know the language of the country you are travelling to or at least the basics, my lack of French goes to show you can manage. I have attempted to speak the language with the help of google translate (I know it is not 100% correct) but I clearly butcher it as the response often comes back in English. On top of that, everyone I have encountered has been truly wonderful despite the language barrier.
After arriving at my beautiful Airbnb, I threw my stuff inside and took a walk. The airbnb was located on the west side of the River Garrone with Raymond VI’s Garden as the first stop in discovering the surroundings. This garden was full of life during the late afternoon, from a group performing yoga to those soaking in the last rays of sunlight.
Upon walking further into the park and up a flight of stairs, towards the sound of fast flowing water and looking over the edge as I got closer, everything disappeared for those few moments and only the beauty of the river remained.
Off to a bad start…
The first full day did not start well, I was riddled with anxiety and questioning if booking this trip was a mistake. After delaying the inevitable and beginning the day later than intended, I forced myself out of the apartment and set off for the day.
I took the long route via the ‘secret’ path along the Garrone River, up and across the Pont Saint-Pierre bridge towards the centre of Toulouse. My first stop was the Basilique Saint-Sernin, and it did not disappoint, from the magnificent architecture to the beauty inside.
Basilique Saint-Sernin
A highlight of this church was the painted ceilings that can be seen through the gates, and as with most European catholic churches, every inch of the building is a work of art, from the stone ceilings and walls to the gold embellishments dotted throughout. Religious paintings and sculptures line the perimeter of the basilique, adding more views than just the exquisite architecture.
Tip: If you wish to go down into the crypts, a few stairs and small room but well worth it, they open at 10am.
As with all religious buildings, they require visitors to wear clothes that cover the knee and the shoulders, which can be difficult due to the heat but lots of European cathedrals and churches place fans throughout.
Chapelle des Carmelites
Writing about this chapel a few days later, I still am in awe of the beauty and intricacy of the paintings. Another free and quick activity in Toulouse is to see this quiet chapel, a short walk from the Basilique down the small side road of Rue du Perigod. It truly is a hidden gem, as it is well hidden and not well known, with very few visitors. Religious paintings line the walls but those who have visited know that the main attraction are the ceilings. Inspired by the Sistine Chapel, Jean-Pierre Rivals and Jean-Baptiste Despax painted the masterpiece that covers the ceilings. Having been to the Sistine chapel, the quietness to this chapel changes the whole dynamic and experience of viewing the art, and almost makes me want to rank this small lesser known chapel higher than the Sistine Chapel itself. Key word, almost!
The City
Le Capitole, used as a gathering hall, is a large building in the centre of Toulouse, which hosts the city’s markets where stalls of all types cover the square. Beautiful dresses to vintage vinyl’s calling the names of visitors litter the area, creating a busy and vibrant atmosphere.
These stalls line the perimeter of the Occitan Cross, which depicts the signs of the zodiacs. At first when I looked down at the gold metal on the floor, I was convinced I had seen the two fish of my star sign, Pisces, and after searching I was right, this cross with twelve branches appeared during Raymond VI’s reign in 1211.
The Pink City
Although faded over time, the pink buildings are beautiful and Toulouse lives up to its name.
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Traveling Around Toulouse
Toulouse is easily walkable, as most of the key sites are within the main centre and it is a great way to see the beauty of the known ‘pink city’. However, the French metro runs throughout the city, which I was tempted to use in order to get to the train station but decided walking was cheaper, but when researching it seemed simple and an effective way of getting around. There are also regular buses around the city, both in the centre of Toulouse and on the west side of the river.
As will become apparent I prefer to walk everywhere due to this being a cheaper option and allows me to see the places I am visiting, however this leads to many hot girl walks, and by hot I mean a sweaty mess. A forty-five minute walk to the train station with a suitcase and backpack in the hot sun, no problem.
Toulouse is definitely a one or two day stop, as the famous pink city is rather small in size and can be seen within this period. There were quite a few museums temporarily closed during my stay which I would have loved to visit, such as the Museè des Augustins and Museum of Old Toulouse but there were still quite a few others open and available, both free and with tickets.
The pink city was a great first stop on my solo trip abroad, as Toulouse is easy to navigate and not too busy that it is overwhelming, as well as providing a healthy amount of history for this history lover.
