Toulouse (France) | Travel Day - Day 42

I am relocating from Carcassone to Toulouse today. The train ride is not very long, only around an hour. These days, I frequently try to plan my transportation schedule around the check-out and check-in times. As hot as it has been lately, if I don't need to carry my pack around town for extended periods, that makes me happy. On my way to the Carcassonne train station, I find this excellent shady spot overlooking a harbor on Canal du Midi. It is fantastic in the shade with a nice breeze, so I take advantage of the vacant park bench and shed my pack. I have about 1 1/2 hours before my train. I make the most of my time, pull out my laptop and correspond with essential people back home.

I drop into a convenience store at the train station for a cold water bottle. Behind the counter, I notice the cigarette section. I can't tell one type of cigarette from another. I wonder how you ask for these? Yes, I'll take the pack with the premature baby on a respirator, or maybe I want the lungs with emphysema. No, wait, I like the throat hole and voicebox pack instead. As disgusting and offensive as these cartons are, it still doesn't stop people from smoking. French people love their cigarettes! 

We pass a few vineyards along the way. The Occitania region of France is the largest wine region in the country. Moreover, it is known for producing more than 1/3rd of all Organic wines in France. One part, Roussillon, is known for producing dessert wines. In addition, Occitania has received the special designation for 87 wines. This means they alone decide when to make them. The AOP (Appellation d'Origine Protégée) means the wines are certified to have been made in a protected region or area. We also pass several fields of sunflowers. The first I'd seen on my travels. The sunflower is not native to France; it originated in the Americas. However, it does well here and primarily produces sunflower oil in France.

The Toulouse Train Station. A building that looks better on the outside than the inside. The inside is industrial looking but serves its purpose well. Move people to and fro.

Another beautiful building is located across the Canal du Midi from the train station.

On the way to my Airbnb, I pass under this brilliant display of colors along Allez Jean Jaurès. Jean Jaurès was considered one of France's great political thinkers and leaders of the early 1900s. He spent a great deal of time trying to prevent World War I. Unfortunately, he was murdered by a French Nationalist. Some believe he was the only person keeping WWI from starting. The next day Germany declared war on Russia and the following day on France.

I notice that Toulouse is very diverse with its gastronomy. I pass several Vietnamese, Indian, Thai, American, and Korean restaurants on my short little walk from the train station. The one that catches my eye however, is La Maison de la Poutine. Poutine is a dish native to Québec, Canada. It consists of fries, cheese curds, gravy, and condiments. La Maison claims their Poutine is better than in Québec. I’ll see about that!

I notice on the menu, La Boreal was awarded Best Poutine in the World in 2022! It consists of Shitake mushrooms, pickled onions, cranberries, sweet potatoes, fries, cheese curds, and a secret gravy. I now know why it won, it is fantastic! 

I can't wait to explore the Pink City tomorrow!