Toulouse, ourselves

September 29 – October 1, 2024

The so-called Ville Rose is more a burnt ochre colour. Including brick in any building is the law, it seems, but that’s the only consistency! The city is a warren of counter-intuitive passages, impasses and pseudo-gridwork… it must make a great setting for reality TV adventure games.

It’s also flat and chaotically crowded with all manner of bikes, cars, motos, students, street folk (and their incontinent dogs), cane-wielding vieillards, and at least one unicycle. This was an odd change from the zen-like bumpy moving we were used to – we heard a few honks and bells! Its monuments are splendid and tucked amongst the brick-a-brack:

The legs / feet/ necks are improving and our schedules are more our own (accounting for French rules). We sent a care package home, getting to know La Poste, which is more like an access centre, with banking, cell phone sales, social services and yes, shipping options.

We remain in awe of the social interconnectedness here – bisous in the streets, gossiping at the boulangerie, cafés teeming between noon and 2, then again at 5 until… well, we’re not sure!