Visiting Toulouse

The Basilique of Saint Sernin, in Toulouse, is such a beautiful place to walk around and find your bearings while visiting the city.

My husband, Brian, and I got to take a five day trip to Toulouse where we lived for three years between 2003 and 2006. We met a lot of amazing friends there. And since then, during our yearly or bi-yearly trips to visit this beautiful city, we get to visit old friends and reminisce of the time when we lived there.

During this trip I really enjoyed arriving into town, getting to a tiny rental room and meeting up with KaTy right away. We had a drink at a cafe Place Saint George, walked around town and to the Garonne river and had dinner at a small restaurant serving local dishes with local ingredients.

The next day “my” Brian, from Jasper Grooves Collective, was playing a concert in a friend of a friend’s garden. KaTy, Elise, Gregory and other old and new friends joined. It was wonderful and such a nice way to spend a musical night in a garden. Eric tap danced while Andy - who got the show lined up - and Brian played. After a year of not playing at home, I was very excited to hear him perform live again. The potluck style food was worldly and delicious.

We spent another day walking around Toulouse, buying tea from our favorite tea shop. We ate at Mohammed’s restaurant “Le Coeur d’Amande”, rue Riquet where we lived. Mohammed is a Tunisian friend that has always amazed us with his big heart. We bought fabric from a small tailor shop where a Senegalese gentleman was sewing garments and his lady partner - who also sews - was selling us beautiful African fabrics. She said next time we would take a walk together. Brian and I will not forget this and look forward to our next trip to Toulouse to enjoy more time with this delightful couple. The shop is the only African shop in a street filled with Asian restaurants. One of which we said we would eat at next time we are in town.