After Pouzols, our next stop was Toulouse. I mean, what’s to lose?
Well, I’m glad you asked. Toulouse is the capital of France’s southern Midi-Pyrénées region, and is home to the country’s aerospace industry. With a population of around 1.25 million, it’s about the same size as Brisbane, our home town.
The drive from Pouzols to Toulouse took us through Carcassonne, a city famous for the UNESCO-listed Cité de Carcassonne, a medieval hill-top fortress restored in the 19th century. Carcassonne also lends its name to a board game which we played with our children when they were younger, so we couldn’t pass by and not call in. It’s big.
The Cité de Carcassonne is a truly impressive sight, with a double-wall totaling 3km in length and 52 towers. With characteristic poor timing, we arrived on one of only 5 days when the centre of the cité (the château of the Counts of Carcassonne and the citadel ramparts) where closed. Despite that, there was still much to see in the cité, which is still inhabited. 
Our accommodation in Toulouse was hosted by Nathalie and Herve who own a 17th century farmhouse just outside of the Toulouse ring-road. They too are empty-nesters, contemplating future retirement and downsizing, so we were fortunate to hit the time-window when they are making their children’s bedrooms available to travelers. Something went wrong around here because we failed to get a photo of either the house or our hosts, so you will just have to take our word that the amazing house and the host welcoming. As we traveled towards Toulouse we drove into a thick fog which had settled over most of the south of France. Nathalie and Herve had spent the long weekend at heir holiday cabin in the mountains so were as surprised as us to have left beautiful sunshine for thick fog.
On day #178, we ventured into the town centre by impressive metro system. It’s quite an interesting city with plenty to see, but the weather was against us, so we cut short our sight-seeing.
We had intended that day #179 would be a tour of Airbus facilities. Sadly, we failed to realise that not being EU residents meant that we had to book 2 days in advance, presumedly for some sort of security check. Of course, we weren’t that organised, so plan B – a visit of nearby Albi – was enacted, under the suggestion of our hosts.
Albi is a small historic town of about 50,000 people located about an hour’s drive from Toulouse. We enjoyed an easy walk around the compact town, enjoying the sights, although again the weather was less than favourable.
In the photo, you see Le Tarn river, crossed by the Pont-Vieux in the foreground (Old Bridge, built in 1035 and still in use) and the Pont du 22 Août 1944 in the background.
The town also incorporates the Basilique Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile d’Albi, a gothic masterpiece built between the 13th and 15th centuries noted for its austere, defensive exterior and sumptuous interior. It is claimed to be the world’s biggest brick building – checkout the people in the photo for scale!
Albi also includes the13th century Palais de la Berbie (the Bishops’ Palace), one of the oldest and best-preserved castles in France and now home to the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec, which houses around 1,000 works by the artist.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was born near Albi and they have claimed him as their much loved son. Most shops have images of him and quotes attributed to him stenciled on the windows.
Despite Albi‘s charms, the highlight of the day was undoubtedly having lunch at the Restaurant Salon de Thé on the Place Saint-Cécile.
The meal itself wasn’t that much to write home about, as we arrived at the end of service and they had had a busy day and were sold out of almost everything. We were grateful for what they did provide, as they were one of the very few places open in Albi in late November, well past the end of the tourist season.
When placing our order the young woman asked if we were Australian and was delighted to hear we were. She then explained that she and her husband (co-owners of the cafe) had worked in Adelaide and their 12-year-old daughter was born there. She was even more excited when we explained we had once lived in Adelaide and Gawler near the Barossa Valley and when we started mentioning favourite wineries it was like we had given her a gift. She explained they had loved living in Australia, and had spent four happy years working in the wine industry, but had to return to France to be near family and because it was home. Her husband asked if he could take photos of us which he then emailed on. It was an unexpected but wonderful experience for us all.
Sadly, that was the end of our time in Albi and Toulouse. Both places are definitely marked down as places to return to, should our fortunes and the weather permit.
travelswithgratitude 
