“The average quality of food Europe has managed to standardize tends to make returning to restaurants in America a little unfair.” – Old Sean
Castle Drive
After spending a day hiking around the mountains of Andorra, Thor and I took a long, slow drive through the French countryside heading towards Toulouse.
Now, the unfortunate cost of this route came from tolls. European toll roads a heavy strike. We were dropping quite a few coins every time we passed a gate, some of the longer stretches demanding over fifty euros from us.
However, on the bonus end, the major roads going through France are serene. There are no major billboards and drivers can observe the gorgeous countryside with unobstructed views.
I can’t articulate how much I loathe billboards in the United States. The nation has the funds and natural splendor to make it one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Instead, my countrymen endlessly bow and scrape to the lesser portions of capitalism. Europe is a constant reminder that my birth nation could be far, far prettier with a few tweaks of policy, culture and history.
But that’s not the case and the contrast does tend to show how much more lovely portions of France can be. Thor and I didn’t make any stops, but we passed several interesting sights in the distance, including Château de Lordat, Lombrives Cave, Table d’orientation Les Brougues de Traucadou, and Foix Castle.
Eventually, however, we rolled into Toulouse.
The Quiet Cobbles
Broad trees with yellow leaves flanked either side of a flowing canal near the Toulouse train station. After moving to park our vehicle underground, we checked into our hotel. Sadly, the wonders of personalized air conditioning are not a major priority in European culture to this day. Our hotel room proved to be a little cramped and uncomfortably warm. The AC unit on the wall was linked to a central heating network, which meant we couldn’t personally adjust our room’s temperature.
In an attempt to cool things off, Thor and I kept our window open in perpetuity. It’s worth noting that Toulouse is where we would be staying for a fair chunk of our European road trip. We had expected to see our energy diminish once we’d reached France, so we planned a fair amount of downtime in Toulouse.
Toulouse is a good city for this because it’s peaceful, walkable and not demandingly interesting. There are certainly plenty of things to check out, but it’s not an endless list of tourism attractions that force people to divert their energy. Instead, it’s an easy area to collect a few spare moments of rest.
With this in mind, Thor and I settled on a long walk through the nearby district. We followed the canal for a time before walking through the quiet portions of the city center. Our first noteworthy stop came upon walking through the nearby plazas where an outdoor piano was playing. We entered the massive Basilique Saint-Sernin de Toulouse, a towering structure landmarking a famed neighborhood.
The Basilique Saint-Sernin de Toulouse is home to numerous famed Catholic relics. Accounts state there are relics of 128 saints & a thorn said to have come from the Crown of Thorns being safeguarded by the Basilica. The current church structure is located on the site of a previous basilica from the 4th century which once contained the body of Saint Saturnin or Sernin.
The church grew drastically in fame when Charlemagne donated a large quantity of Christian relics to the site. After the donation, the Basilique Saint-Sernin de Toulouse became important stop for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela.
It’s a beautiful building with a gorgeous interior. The innate relaxation of the setting allowed for a calmness to herald the beginning of our time in France. Thor and I walked around a bit longer, often dodging drizzles. Our walking path would take us past cheese and pastry shops around the Victor Hugo Market, through Jardin Pierre Goudouli into the Grand Rond Historic Park and through the Jardin des Plantes.
Afterward, it was time for our dinner reservation. We headed over to the restaurant known as Campagne, passing Place du Capitole on the way.
Full Plate Fortified
Campagne would prove to be the starting point for our culinary adventures in Toulouse. seated ourselves for a truly excellent meal of sliced meats, cheese wedges, rich wines, flaky bread, and delicious entre options. Thor asked the staff for the best places to eat in Toulouse and the staff rose to the occasion, granting us an impressive list. It would be our guide for dinner every night onwards.
Now, at this point, Thor and I walked under a full moon through a darkened city to get back to our hotel. Our next few days weren’t spent solely in Toulouse. We would often take trips to nearby UNESCO sites, namely Albi and Carcassonne.
However, each night we would return to Toulouse. So just know that this story isn’t chronological to other, future blog posts. It just follows the linear events going through our time in Toulouse.
Cloying Night
After getting a list from the people at Campagne, Thor booked us a reservation at the absolute best meal of our entire trip.
L’Emulsion.
I cannot overstate the quality here. Every bite of every dish was divine. The waiter fully explained every option with loving details and clarity in a French accent while we melted with each bite. The food was unlike any other flavor I’ve eaten before, ranging and layering incredibly.
By the time the meal was done, our standards for cuisine in France were lifted to a realistic extent. No other meal during our entire visit would ever come close to the same experience that L’Emulsion offered.
Thor and I wanted home in a light rain, planning to drive to Carcassonne the next day.
Out and Backs
Once Thor and I returned from Carcassonne, we spent an evening wandering through the city. I did my souvenir shopping for my siblings and bought a thank you card for the staff of Campagne for their recommendations.
I spent the rest of my time lingering in the soft rain around Place du Capitole, looking at artwork. When I finally met Thor, the pair of us went out for our next night of fine dining, this time seeking out Aux Pieds sous la Table, passing through the unique street artwork around Les Graffitis de la Rue Gramat. We also passed the Basilique Saint-Sernin de Toulouse at twilight, at which point dozens of bats swooped out to wing down the street.
However, Aux Pieds sous la Table was odd. Substantially strange. The food there was high quality, certainly, but also rather randomized. Flavors were put together for shock value rather than complimenting features. There were grapes on the pancakes, randomly attributed wine and substances I couldn’t quite identify.
Compared to the orchestra performance from L’Emulsion the previous night, Aux Pieds sous la Table was a firecracker show with a lot of random elements.
L’Emulsion really spoiled us.
Rambler
The days in Toulouse were generally defined by a lot of chilly rainfall. But I’ve never personally had anything against the rain, so I was pleased to step outside during storms. I made my way to various tiny shops, through small mall areas, and to places like Eurêkafé.
These little forays don’t merit much of a mention, but I think it’s important to remember how much of Toulouse I continuously looped around. It was a relaxing bonus to all of our more memorable adventures.
The following morning, Thor and I headed out for a final breakfast. We’d booked tickets to a cave to the north and ended up waking up late. While Thor showered and packed, I rushed across the streets for a large pastry bag of treats and sandwiches.
While my next posts will discuss Albi and Carcassonne, this concluded our time in Toulouse. I’m a bit sorry to have missed seeing Halle de la Machine, but I’m pleased with what little downtown we were able to appreciate.
Following Toulouse, Thor and I drove north once more. It’s time, once more, to return to Paris.
So until then,
Best regards and excellent trails,
Old Sean
Written October 18th 2024
Activities in Toulouse
