All Good Things….

Well this trip through France has been the most amazing adventure I have undertaken!  I travelled from Figeac to Toulouse and spent a day there.  Toulouse is definitely the liveliest city I visited!  There is so much happening at night.  I spent my day sight-seeing.  I saw the Roman amphitheatre of Toulouse – Purpan.  The Amphitheatre was built around the middle of the first century AD, about the same time as the other buildings of the settlement to which it belonged. It was the scene of gladiatorial combats until the very end of the IVth century.  It is the only Roman monument in Toulouse that is can still be seen in its entirety.

I felt a little low on energy because I skipped breakfast but I had my sights set on something decadent.  In looking on the internet before hitting the road I found a place that I just had to visit.  La Maison Pillon!  

This place was sinful and the smells…..heaven.  Chocolate everywhere!!  I purchased some Rocher Noir
Praliné Noisettes (chocolate pralines), Lutèce Ganache au Cognac (chocolate ganache flavored with Cognac), among many other treats but I couldn’t pass up a peach sorbet before leaving. 

Hyped up on my extremely sweet snacks,  I spent time wandering through Saint-Sernin basilica.  This church is a Romanesque building considered to be the biggest in the western world!  It is breathtaking from the outside.  It was built in the 11^th century between 1080 and 1120 and you can see influences from the 11^th and 12^th centuries inside.  I also visited the crypt where Saint Saturnin, the martyred bishop of Toulouse, lay.  It is for him the building is devoted.  

Despite being called a basilica, St. Sernin's deviates from the basilica plan of early Christian architecture in a few ways. It is much larger compared to earlier churches. It is also constructed mostly of brick. The building is in the form of a crucifix. The ceilings are vaulted, unlike many of the earlier churches. St. Sernin's contains radiating chapels which were used to display important relics. Another deviation from the earlier Christian churches is the addition of an ambulatory, a walkway that goes around the nave and side aisles to allow for viewing of the radiating chapels (which could be done while mass was being held without interrupting the ceremony). For these and other reasons, St. Sernin's is often said to follow the "pilgrimage plan" instead of the traditional basilica plan.

After exploring the basilica it was time to check in to the hotel and find dinner.  I decided to stay at the Hotel Crowne Plaza Toulouse.  The hotel was very nice and I almost felt bad for spending the money on it for no more time than I planned to stay in it.  It was very comfortable it had a restaurant so I set off to feed my weary soul.  Dinner consisted of “Croustillant de Bœuf braisé à la mode Rossini, écrasé de vitelotte, jus court au parfum de truffes” or in English the best I could make out was that it was beef with truffles.  Anyhow it was very good.

The trip was longer than I thought but it went by fast.  The next morning I was off to Marsailles, the last stop on my journey and where I would board my flight home.  I didn’t have a lot of time left so I decided that instead of hurrying around trying to cram in everything I could, I would spend the day at the beach relaxing then board my flight in the morning. 

I stopped by a café for café au lait and croissants.  

Then it was on to the beach.  I was invited to play volleyball with some very nice locals who overlooked how bad my playing and my French was.   

The beaches were crowded but the water was amazing and I really did need the day to just relax.  

That night I stayed at the Hôtel Peron and enjoyed a bowl of bouillabaisse before retiring.  

The last thing I saw was this amazing sunset. then the next morning it was off to the airport and home.