Pretty in Pink
Toulouse is is the news at the moment for all the wrong reasons - a cowardly and murderous gunman is giving the whole world a distorted view of a lovely French city - and a normally peaceful part of the world.
Toulouse is only a short journey from the medieval castle of Carcassonne - where the opening scenes of 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves' starring Kevin Costner version was filmed - twenty years ago or so.
Here's a travel piece on Toulouse I wrote for the Sunday Herald in 2001.
I haven't been back since, but I'm determined to do so now - especially after all the terrible events of recent days.
Vive la France!
Pretty in Pink
Speeding towards Toulouse with hardly a care in the world. A week in the south of France lay ahead: sheer bliss, just the two of us. My reverie ended abruptly as I joined the wrong exit lane from the autoroute, one reserved for drivers with a prepayment card. Chaos erupted behind with cars jockeying towards other booths: horns blaring, road rage imminent. I waited for assistance, unable to move forwards or back. Somewhat chastened, I resumed the journey trying to recall some French swear words.
Toulouse is France’s 4th biggest city: a modern, multicultural metropolis with a fascinating history. Founded by the Romans 4 BC, capital of the Visigoth Empire in 500 AD, a place of war and siege during the middle ages, acquiring great wealth through the textile trade five hundred years ago. The sort of place Paisley might have become with better luck and a Mediterranean climate.
Toulouse is known as La Ville Rouge (the red city) because of the dusky red hue of most buildings in the city centre; very pretty it is too. First stop was the hugely impressive town square, Le Capitole. Nestled behind the imposing town hall is the tourist office, with oodles of helpful information, but the weirdest queuing system you’ve ever seen. Anarchy is organised better in some parts of the globe.
A beer in one of the bars around the square is a convenient way to get your bearings and make a plan. There are plenty to choose from. What to do first? How about something completely different? The big Aerospatiale plant that builds European airbuses is on the edge of town. For eight pounds you get whisked away on an organised tour lasting a couple of hours, but you get to see these giant, state of the art planes close-up. The next generation of super-jumbos will be built in Toulouse as well. A must-see and not just for trainspotters.
Back in the city centre it was getting hot. Time for a late lunch in one of the many local restaurants. Quality and value for money are excellent. Good regional food for around five or six pounds including drinks. As we ate, a nearby market closed up and the local street sweeping team went into action as though they were finishing up for the Glasgow Fair. A strategically placed napkin saved my cassoulet from the stour as it fell to earth.
A busy schedule meant there was no time for a siesta. The city centre is a beautiful mixture of old and new, all of it tinted in a reddish pink. The Italian feel is deliberate and dates back to Roman times when the city relied on thin red clay bricks as the main building material. The style took hold and the effect today is calming and gentle on the eye.
Walking is the best way to get around though metro and bus services are good. In fact the bus service deserves an award. Paused for a cold drink at one of the ubiquitous corner cafes, I noticed an elderly woman trying to wave down a bus from the wrong side of the road. It stopped and waited for her as she crossed a busy one-way street, even though it was nowhere near a scheduled stop. The driver had real class!
Churches are numerous and spectacular. The basilica of St. Sernin is amazing, but so over the top with its ornate altar and gothic architecture; like a Dali painting. I felt in need of a headache pill afterwards. The faded murals of the Notre Dame Eglise gave it a peaceful and weary air. The clear winner was undoubtedly the Jacobins Convent once used by Napoleon for his cavalry troops. Plain and austere, with impossibly high walls supported by central pillars that look like giant palm trees; little appeared to have changed in hundreds of years. St Thomas Aquinas is buried inside, for those interested in turbulent priests
Soaking up the atmosphere and sights can be done on a cute little train that circles the centre in twenty minutes for three quid: a good way to get around and fun into the bargain. The main shopping streets are all within easy reach, but the best finds are down the quieter lanes and alleys. We stumbled across a dogs’ hairdresser and watched through the window fascinated as a pooch got a shampoo and blow dry after a quick trim, presumably to cope with the heat.
Last tourist sight of the day was a visit to an old monastery bang in the middle of town. A lovely tranquil garden sits within its walls. The same sort of plants and herbs tended by the Augustin monks are still grown there today, giving the grounds a strange timeless quality. Other buildings contain impressive displays of statues, carvings, artifacts and paintings: definitely the kind of house for an art lover.
By late afternoon it was time to find a hotel. Plenty of choice within a stone’s throw of Le Capitole: £30 buys a decent double room in a two star hotel (St Sernin), £90 affords four star air-conditioned luxury at the Grand L’ Opera, just off the town square. Showered and refreshed the next task was deciding where and what to eat. Spoiled for choice again: French, North African, American, Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Japanese as well as smaller shops selling takeaway food for people on the move.
Back in the town square approaching midnight there was still plenty of life: young and old, locals and tourists (French and foreign), sipping their drinks, observing the comings and goings, children playing with their parents. Everyone was friendly, relaxed and enjoying the warm evening without a hint of menace or bad behaviour.
Our hotel was right next to the basilica (St Sernin). The bells rang out a few bars of Ave Maria every 15 minutes, with the full Monty every hour. Charming or nightmarish, depending on your mood, but in the morning the surrounding area was awash with people. The Sunday market is in full swing by 8am selling regional French food, clothes and accessories with a heavy North African influence. Markets can be found in the city most days of the week.
Before our final tourist fling we went for a walk along the Canal du Midi, which is 5 minutes walk towards the railway station. A lovely little stroll with the papers, a coffee along the tree lined banks. If you are keen you can walk all the way from the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean, but we ran out of time.
So it was off to Le Cite d’Espace, 10 minutes drive. Dominique Baudis, the Mayor of Toulouse, has his name everywhere: even in Space City you can hear the billboards screaming out his achievements.
The mayor brokered the deal to finance the site, which is educational and exciting. Budding anoraks can learn about the history of astronomy down the ages as well as space exploration in modern times (In a nutshell, the Romans were philistines responsible for crushing the astronomical discoveries of the Greeks, while the French are brave and sophisticated and about to embark on a unmanned mission to Mars with the USA). There are also plenty of interactive gizmos to keep the kids amused. The planetarium is state of the art and a joy for Trekkies of all ages.
Time to leave and continue our travels through the Langedouc: the Corbiere hills, the Cathar castles, the medieval city of Carcassonne and the Franco-Spanish border. Toulouse has much to savour and it’s a gateway to an intriguing part of French culture and history. Recommended to Francophiles everywhere.
Mark Irvine
2011
