Who would’ve guessed that after traveling around so many different countries, we’d make our way back to France? When we landed in the airport of Toulouse, I must say I was relieved that we weren’t in Paris, as that would very likely have meant our trip was ending. I was having such a wonderful time I didn’t want to go home, as much as I missed Alan!
Bridgette told me she picked Toulouse because its nickname was the Pink City, but in reality, the pink was more of a maroon red from the brick buildings and rooftops everywhere. Nonetheless, I was intrigued to explore yet another place that I did not know too much about.
Bridgette has so much faith in my driving skills she actually rented a car for us at this stop! Thankfully, it was an automatic, as I was still traumatized by my failure in driving a manual in Cannes, France a few years ago. I loved the blue VW SUV that she rented, which we quickly named Flibby, because its sensor was very sensitive and beeped all the time whenever I got too close to another car or object. Toulouse is a busy city, with lots of cars and narrow streets, so it was pretty stressful to drive there. Fortunately, during the few days that we stayed in the city, we used the car to take us on day trips nearby. We explored several different villages that were incredibly charming, like Cordes-sur-Ciel and Albi. Most people were still hesitant to travel due to COVID, so we often felt like we were the only tourists around, which was kind of nice.
Cordes-sur-Ciel was my favorite. It’s one of those villages that look straight out of a Disney fairytale, like the one from Beauty and the Beast!
To be honest, I didn’t love Toulouse. I’m just not a fan of big, bustling cities filled with people, chain stores, and trash. I much prefer the small villages where there’s more character, kindness, and charm. But, in a city like Toulouse, we did manage to find a Japanese restaurant to fulfill my Asian food cravings!
It’s also worth sharing some pics of the Airbnb Bridge chose for this stop, which was really pretty with a spiral staircase!
