Monday, Oct 29th -- Last Real Sightseeing

Sunday we went through all the information we gathered and everything we brought with us.  The trip is winding down and we want to make sure that in the few days we have left, we see anything that seems important.  However, I have to admit that we've become jaded with the very cute hillside villages, the flowers people put out to make their small piece of France pretty, the rolling hills and vines, and all of it.  So, we're not too interested in seeing "one last hill town".  Plus, the weather has really turned to cold.  Frost on the car windows in the morning.

OK, having said all of that, we do spend the morning checking out those last hill towns.  We have a map which covers the "route of the wineries" and also the "route of the hill towns" and using it we take a 3 1/2 hour drive through the pretty countryside, looking at our last bastide towns.  We passed through Lisle-sur-Tarn, Giroussens, Rabastens, Salvagnac, and ended up in Puycelsi (another of the officially-designated most beautiful villages of France and much deserved).  Here are a bunch of pictures of Pulcelsi:

 

We're home for a late (and light) lunch.  Then we take a 1 1/2 hour walk from our house through the vines.  Shower, then drive to Toulouse one last time for dinner.

I hadn't yet gotten a Toulouse souvenir.  In fact, I had yet to buy any permanent Toulouse souvenirs in 6 visits over the last 20 years (*that number in fact resolves for us that we're spending too much time in the south of France and not enough in Paris).  So, we plan our evening to get to town by 5 pm so we can do a little shopping.

First stop is the souvenir shop for the local rugby team, Stade Toulousain.  They're one of the most successful teams in Europe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stade_Toulousain).  They also charge pretty high prices for their souvenirs!  Maxine notices a note on the wall about their outlet store with last season's merchandise and we leave in search of it.  And it turns out to be next door.  And the sign on the door says they're closed.  This despite someone inside at the register and the fact that it's 5:50 and closing isn't till 6pm.  I bang on the door and he opens it, lectures me, tells me to go next store to buy, and closes it on me.  It's one of those times that France can be frustrating.  I do go next door and buy a too expensive red t-shirt.

We then take an hour long last walk through Toulouse.  Maxine remains unimpressed with Place Capitole, the grand square of the city.  She's right though that she's never seen it when it was anything other than a big open paved square with construction equipment all over the place.  But, having seen it at Christmas years ago, I know it can be better.

Eventually we make it over to Le Colombier.  Maxine's been in charge of our restaurants and to accommodate my interests, she'd found the "best" cassoulet restaurant in the city.  Food is good, but expensive.  And relatively rapid (i.e. non-French) service.  We're done in 1 1/2 hours.  Full.  But, it really isn't one of our dining highlights of the trip.  We take some solace from the fact that this really is *the* place to get cassoulet.  But, candidly, Maxine has a better recipe at home that she occasionally makes in the winter.