Toulouse Ceiling

When I woke I found that Carl had been busy researching what to do today, since we were agreed that we wanted to get away from Carcassonne. He'd come up with the idea of getting a train to Toulouse, and I readily seconded the motion.

Once again the French railway system came to the rescue and got us there and back with speed and efficiency, all for a return fare of €34, excellent value for the journey, especially for the magnificent train we got on the way back. Ww got to Toulouse around 1:00 pm, and thanks to Carl's online research we knew exactly where to go on the metro to get to Place Capitole, the grand square in the heart of the city. We had breakfast there while we waiting for a city tour in the mini train. The weather was changeable, with moments of brilliant sunshine rapidly switching to cloudy and rainy and back again, but the sunshine predominated, and Toulouse itself proved a million times more satisfying and interesting than Carcassonne would have been.

We had time before getting on the train to investigate part of the Capitole building. This ceiling is part of the entry area to a number of art displays and tops a grand staircase which accesses the space where wedding ceremonies are held. Evidence of the weddings is everywhere around, with confetti remnants on the stairs, the hallway and outside on the paved areas.

The tourist train trip was okay, though there were times when the commentary stretched things somewhat in terms of what might be considered interesting. The area which sticks clearest in the memory was around the river, which was lined with stalls selling all sorts of wares and was thronged with people. After the train ride we spent more time around Place du Capitole and Square Charles de Gaulle before catching the train back to Carcassonne.

On our way to the railway station in the morning we'd spotted a few restaurants nearby which we thought might be a likely spot for an evening meal. We opted for a really nice Italian restaurant and had a pleasant meal there before returning to the apartment.