The Paris Effect
  • Welcome
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Press

Toulouse Sunny Side Up

6/13/2020

1 Comment

 
Picture
Young at heart.  Untroubled.  Carefree.
Sterling qualities that have risen to the top of my bucket list.
 
As recent heartaches around the world beg us to
 focus on what's really important, many of us consciously
feel a real need for self-improvement.
Who I am vs who I want to be is the challenge.
For me, the question is easily answered; now more than ever 

it's time to live -- less worry, more happy.
As for the solution, it's not quite so simple; Be This / Not That:
Ditch the routine / be more flexible;
Tamp down anxiety / look for the roses in the middle of the briar patch.
 

  In an effort to better my disposition,
I visualize 
how to break my own rigid rules.
  Even with the world spinning too fast, it's high time to lighten up.

  As it happens, my personal development goals go hand in hand
with many of the same qualities 
that sum up a city
I recently had the good luck to visit.


  Located in France's beautiful southwest, Toulouse is my new Happy Place.

  Toulouse, 4th largest city in France, is filled 
with a youthful, laid-back joy -- and it's contagious!

It cajoled me into a lighthearted, more peaceful state of mind.
 Give it a chance and Toulouse will shoo away your doom & gloom demons
 in an atmosphere born and bred to be fun-loving and full of life.
Picture
Picture
The Pink City* stands out in a crowd of great cities located in the south of France. 
Toulouse's Old Town is an exuberant blend of
architectural beauty and endless charm.
  It's a big city filled with big city stuff -- monuments, cathedrals, designer
boutiques, restaurants, theaters and museums -- but at the same time,
 feels lived in and informal, more Charleston or New Orleans than Paris
due in no small part to its distinctive southern spirit.
​*The Pink City refer to the changing colors of the city's blushing rose brick as day turns into evening

One of the first things you'll notice about Toulouse are the shifting colors of
its buildings, seeming to vacillate with the ever-changing light of the day.
  The warm rosy brick sometimes seems as if it has been painted with
a blend of rosé wine and pink carnations.
This evolving color wheel 
morphs from day into evening into various shades
of pink-to-violet hues, an illusion both surprising and unforgettable. 


Like so many French cities, Toulouse is fantastically walkable,
its wealth of pedestrian-only streets lined with towering plane trees and
unpresuming buildings with ornamental cast-iron balconies.

  Everywhere you turn, you're apt to run into some kind of entertainment.
  With its vast student population and large profusion of tech* professionals,
it has the air of a city dedicated to cutting-edge pursuits. 
*Airbus is among many high tech companies and elite schools headquartered in Toulouse
 
Water is everywhere.
The Garonne River and World Heritage Site Canal du Midi spill
 through the town; the Mediterranean beaches are less than an hour away
and the Atlantic Coast not that much further.
  Wine bars, beer halls and cozy bistros convey a relaxed ambiance. 
Tapas are popular -- Barcelona is only 157 miles away -- though local
 culinary specialties will put you in the mood for a 
mouthwatering taste of Toulouse at all hours of the day and night.

  
Meeting Toulouse is like gaining a warmhearted companion.
  Sweet-tempered and playful, this is a great place to get happy. 



"I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today.
I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet.
I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it."

Groucho Marx
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Carlos Gardel, the King of Tango, was born in Toulouse.
Picture
Toulouse just may be the playground of your childhood dreams,
 brimming with energy, enthusiasm and good humor.
Its intimate center oozes a cool-as-a-cucumber attitude.
  Throw in some unique architecture, playful green space and a reputation
as a culinary powerhouse and you'll soon realize you've mined a diamond. 

Who but Toulouse could boast a pastry charmingly named chocolatine*?
*the rest of France (and the world) know this culinary specialty as pain-au-chocolat. 

Big city snobbery?  No way.
If a positive, dynamic demeanor is what you've been
searching for, then you've found the right spot.
Picture
Picture
Toulouse offers fantastic walks, especially next to its waterways.
Picture
In every city and village across France, you'll always find
something that stands above all else.
There's a moment that sticks in your mind long after you've returned home. 
In Toulouse, that distinction belongs to city hall. 

A real standout, Le Capitole is both Hotel de Ville (city hall) and a theatre.
  It holds court in a charming 19th century square called Place du Capitole.
Ringed by elegant brasseries, cafés and boutiques, this is
the place to be on any given day of the week. 
​
There's always something happening here.
  Shoppers dominate daytime hours while
socially connected young adults play at night.  
Theatrical night-time lighting makes this one of the most
​ standout romantic squares in all of France.
 
Keep a lookout for the dramatic Occitan* Cross in the center of the square,
​ marked by the twelve branches of the zodiac.

*sometimes called the Languedoc Cross
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
The inner courtyard of Le Capitole is worth a careful look.
In 1632, the Duke of Montmorency was executed
for traitorous conspiracy against the king.
A plaque marks the spot, reminding us of the history.
Some say this remains a center for intrigue and drama -- but only because
​ it's where scores of young pretty couples come to get married.... 

​Toulouse was the center of medieval court life. 
Think troubadours, courtly love, and an elite class. 
Then came the Cathars, the Knights Templar, the Crusades, the Inquisition
and all the breathtaking narratives that keep history nuts glued to our seats.
  When the irrepressible Counts of Toulouse were finally sucked into the emerging powerhouse called France, the region sank back into a more modest existence. 

The moment you enter Le Capitole, you'll be smitten.
  It's a treasure of artistic perfection, beginning with a walk up the grand staircase.  The Salle des Illustres -- Hall of the Illustrious -- traces
the suspenseful history of this beautiful city.
  Ornate and dramatic, the hall's paintings and sculpture pay tribute to those who have made history in a city brimming with exceptional accomplishments.

The ceilings and the frescoes are such a far cry
from the modern city just outside the doors.
  From the 19th century to today, it's an emotional -- but welcome -- tour.
Don't miss the Salle Henri Martin.
Martin was a post-impressionist whose intimate work represents
everyday life in the region at the beginning of the 20th century. 
You'll be well rewarded for taking the time to poke around
​ this fine snapshot of Toulouse.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Artist Henri Martin's dreamy vision of life at the turn of the century.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Of course, this being France, you're going to find good food at every turn.
  Marché Victor Hugo, a historic covered market dating from 1896,
makes a good first-stop the moment your stomach calls.
Every kind of edible calls your name in a place designed for gourmets/gourmands/gluttons/moi.

This isn't just any old market; it's a happening.
  Life happens within these walls as everyone meets, greets,
eats and drinks, more block party than grocery.
  Upstairs, there are several restaurants to choose from -- easy
on the pocketbook and really good value. 
 
My journal entry notes:
"Everyone was eating, drinking, talking -- a beautiful experience."
A bag full of goodies later (braised endives, cheese, salami and fresh currents) brought the Marché Victor Hugo party home to our Airbnb
​ for just the kind of food experience you dream about in France.
 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
This little piggy should have stayed home.
Picture
Temptations abound in this marché; look for the local wine from Gaillac, a nearby village well-known for their grapes.
Picture
Picture
Picture
The party's just getting started at this Marché Victor Hugo bar.
Picture
Always look up -- a stunning tribute to the courageous of WWI - Monument aux Morts is under the arch with the eternal flame.
Picture
Octopus carpaccio - a delicious appetizer from Grand Café Le Florida on Place du Capitole.
Picture
Picture
As you stroll the shopping district, look for anything
locally made with violets, the regional specialty.
  Candied violets, violet liqueur, violet honey....delicious!

  You may recognize a candy that's been around since the 19th century.
Cachou Lajaunie, made in Toulouse, are teenie-weenie black candies that come in a tiny yellow tin (small enough to fit into a 19th century man's watchpocket of course). These strange little breath mints were developed by a pharmacist
though they're nothing like you'd expect if your typical mint is a Lifesaver.
Licorice is the dominant flavor with sort of a menthol afterthought.
  They're weirdly delicious.

Tip: Don't tell your spouse you can buy them on Amazon.
​Book your return ticket to Toulouse....
Picture
Chocolatine is southern-french for pain-au-chocolat, y'all.
Picture
Cassoulet, the regional dish of Occitanie, is a warm, filling and delicious taste of France.
Picture
Duck confit with potatoes cooked in duckfat is another Toulousain favorite.
Picture
Picture
This amusing resin statue actually stands for something serious. Child in a dunce cap represents those stigmatized from society.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
You'll come across open air markets too -- organic produce
that looks like it was harvested a minute ago.
  We happened on a flea market too, its treasures straight from grandma's attic. 
 
I haven't touched on the spiritual treasures of Toulouse,
an essential piece of the city's legacy -- the Roman basilica of Saint-Sernin
or the Saint-Etienne Cathederal or the Jacobins Convent.....
Or the non-spiritual such as the Cité de l'Espace (aerospace museum) or
 the new Hall of La Machine* to meet Toulouse's newest citizens,
a gargantuan minotaur and spider....
*similar to Nantes' fabulous Les Machines de L'ile

We'll have to save all that for another day.
But that's the thing about Toulouse.
  There isn't enough time to do everything 
in the
usual rush-rush visit of a few days.

​Stay tuned....
Picture
Picture
I made new friends at the flea market.
Picture
Hôtel de Bagis, a Renaissance Palace designed by Toulouse architect Nicolas Bachelier, dates from 1537.
Picture
I used to fill my bucket list with things I could buy -- you know,
must-sees like the Taj Mahal, the Northern Lights and
 
every last street in Paris...
But over the years my list has changed.

  Living through and hoping to survive this thunderstorm -- a pandemic, the
injustices and bad behavior that have whipped up our world --  makes me realize the happiness that can be bought with a credit card might not be as shiny as it once was.  In truth, it all boils down to living a good life, having a good laugh,
helping others and loving all those who surround us.

 
I hope you make it to Toulouse one day.
  And I hope you get the trip or the Ferrari or the whatever is on your
bucket list -- but most importantly, I hope you hold on to your enthusiasm for living.  That's what's really important.
Focus and you may once again feel young-at-heart.

I adore this bit of poetry by Samuel Ullman. 
Hope it makes your day a little better.

"Youth" 
​"Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks,
red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination,
a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.
Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity
of the appetite, for adventure over the love of ease.

This often exists in a man of sixty more than a boy of twenty.
Nobody grows old merely by a number of years.
We grow old by deserting our ideals.
Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.
Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spirit back to dust.

Whether sixty or sixteen, there is in every human being’s heart the lure of wonder,
the unfailing child-like appetite of what’s next, and the joy of the game of living.
In the center of your heart and my heart there is a wireless station; so long
as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, courage and power
from men and from the Infinite, so long are you young.

When the aerials are down, and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism
and the ice of pessimism, then you are grown old, even at twenty,
but as long as your aerials are up, to catch the waves of optimism,
there is hope you may die young at eighty."
​
Cultivate optimism. ​Let's all try harder -- starting with me. 
 
Picture
1 Comment
    Picture

    AUTHOR
    MICHELLE MOGGIO

    Thanks for visiting  my blog!

    I've been experiencing the joys of Paris since the ripe old age of eleven.
    As a big fan of duck fat, raw oysters and bad French movies, my long career in advertising helped pave the way for drinking at lunch. When not living la vie en rose, my husband Gary and I live in Brentwood, TN, where we stay busy planning our next travel adventure and offering unsolicited advice to our daughter.

    Archives

    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014


    RSS Feed

    Click below to buy
    The Paris Effect 
    book today
    Enter your email address to receive blog updates -
    Subscribe Now
    Buy Now

    Categories

    All
    100th Blog
    20th Arrondissement
    Abbaye De Fontfroide
    Absinthe
    Academie De La Grande Chaumière
    Adrian Leeds
    Aix-en-Provence
    Albi
    Aligot
    Alsace
    Ambassade D'Auvergne
    Amboise
    American History
    American Revolution
    Amphitheatre
    Antibes
    Apartments
    Aperitif
    April In Paris
    Arc De Triomphe Du Carrousel
    Architecture
    Arena De Nimes
    Ariége
    Armenian Cathedral Of Paris
    Art
    Art Deco
    Artistic Paris
    Artlover
    Art Museum
    Art Nouveau
    Atonement Chapel
    Auray
    Avenue Foch
    Avenue Frochot
    Avignon
    Baccarat
    Baden-Baden
    Baguette
    Basque
    Bayeux Tapestry
    B&B
    Benjamin Franklin
    Bénodet
    Bercy Village
    Biarritz
    Biot
    Biot France
    Bistros
    Bonbons
    Books Set In France
    Boulangerie
    Brassaï
    Brittany
    Brittany American Cemetery
    Burgundy
    Cagnes-sur-Mer
    Cakes
    Canal Du Midi
    Candy
    Cap D'Antibes
    Caracalla Spa
    Caramels
    Catalan France
    Cathars
    Cathedral
    Cathedrale St-Just
    Cemetière De Passy
    Cemetière Saint-Vincent
    Chantilly
    Chapelle Expiatoire
    Chapelle Saint Vincent De Paul
    #Chapel Of Hospice Saint-Jean
    Charles Aznavour
    Charles Trenet
    Chartreuse Du Val-de-Benediction
    Chateau
    Chateau De Clisson
    Chateau De Foix
    Chateau De Fougeres
    Chateau De Malmaison
    Chateau Grimaldi
    Cheese
    Chinon
    Chocolate
    Choice Vs. Chance
    Christian Constant
    #Church Of Saint-Volusien
    Cimiez
    Cité Des Fleurs
    Cité De Trevise
    Claude Monet
    Clisson
    Cocktail
    Coco Chanel
    Cognac
    Cointreau
    Cole Porter
    Comedie-Francaise
    Cote D'Azur
    Coulon
    Cours Mirabeau
    Cours Saleya
    Coussin De Lyon
    Crêpes
    Dessert
    Dijon
    Dreams
    Duck-confit
    Eating In France
    Ecole Des Beaux-Arts
    Ed Clark
    Edith-piaf
    Eglise Notre Dame De Clisson
    Eglise Sainte-Trinité
    Eglise Saint-Germain-des-Prés
    Elsa Maxwell
    Entrevaux
    Environmental Challenges
    Eric Kayser
    Eugene Delacroix
    Fabergé Museum
    Falling For Paris
    Famous-faces
    Fashion History
    Fauchon
    Fernand Léger
    Fete De La Transhumance
    Fête De Vendanges
    Fish Specialties
    Foix
    Folies Bergère
    Fontainebleau
    Fontaine Du Palmier
    Food Markets
    Fougeres
    Fragrance
    France
    Francois-premier
    Free Museums
    French Atlantic Coast
    French Bread
    French Cuisine
    French Food
    French-food
    French History
    French-islands
    French Musee D'Art Moderne De La Ville De Paris
    French Music
    French Resistence
    French Revolution
    #FrenchRiviera
    French Riviera
    French Slave Trade
    Friedrichsbad Spa
    Fun Fair Museum
    Genevieve De Gaulle-Anthonioz
    Genièvre
    George Sand
    Germaine Tillion
    Germany
    Gertrude Stein
    Gordes
    Grand Mosque Of Paris
    Grand Palais
    Grasse
    Guerlain
    Gustave Moreau
    Harvest Festival
    Haut-de-Cagnes
    Healthy Travel
    Hediard
    Henri Le Roux
    Henri Matisse
    Holocaust
    Hometown Memories
    Hotel Belles Rives
    Hôtel De Soubise
    Hotel Dieu
    Hotels
    Ile De Bréhat
    Ile De Ré
    Isadora Duncan
    Jacques Genin
    Janet Flanner
    Jardin Samuel-de-Champlain
    Jay Z
    Jazz A Juan
    Jean Seberg
    Jewelry
    Josephine Baker
    Josephine Bonaparte
    Juan-les-Pins
    Keith Haring
    La Campagne A Paris
    La Couveroitade
    Lafayette
    La Jourrnée San Voiture
    Lalique
    Language Skills
    Languedoc
    La Rochelle
    La Verrerie De Biot
    Lavinia Wine Store
    Le Bonbon Au Palais
    Le Bon Georges
    Le Capitole
    Le Carrousel Des Mondes Marins
    Le Clos Lucé
    Le Cochon à L'Oreille
    Le Coq Rico
    Legendary Lovers
    Le Grand Véfour
    Le Musée Montmartre
    Leonardo Da Vinci
    Le Rostand
    Les Cocottes
    Les Fauves
    Les Invalides
    Les Machines De L'Ile
    Les Sept Iles
    Lichtentaler Allee
    Lille
    Little Gourmand
    Loire Atlantique
    Luberon
    Luxembourg Gardens
    Maison Carrée
    Malmaison
    Man Ray
    Marais Poitevin
    Marc Chagall
    Marché Beauvau
    Marché D'Aligre
    Marché President Wilson
    Marché Victor Hugo
    Marie Curie
    Market Street
    Marquis De Lafayette
    Matisse
    Maurice Utrillo
    Medieval Festival
    Medieval France
    Memorial De L'Abolition De L'Esclavage
    Memorial De La Shoah
    MFK Fisher
    Minervois Wine
    #ModernArt
    Monolithic Church
    Montmartre
    Montmartre Museum
    Montparnasse
    Montparnasse Cemetery
    Montpellier
    Movies Set In France
    Musee Carnavalet
    Musée De La Chasse Et De La Nature
    Musée Des Arts Decoritifs
    Musée Des Arts Forains
    Musée Des Beaux-Arts De Dijon
    Musee D'Orsay
    Musée D'Orsay
    Musee L'Orangerie
    Musée Marc Chagall
    Musee Marmottan Monet
    Musée Matisse Nice
    Musée Picasso
    Musée Yves Saint Laurent
    Museum
    Museum Of Decorative Arts
    Museum Of Hunting & Nature
    Museum Of Modern Art City Of Paris
    Nancy
    Nantes
    Napoleon Bonaparte
    Napoleon III Apartments
    Narbonne
    Nashville
    Natalie Portman
    Nazi Atrocities
    Nice
    Nice France
    Nimes
    Normandy
    Not-far-from-paris
    Not-far-from-paris
    Notre Dame De Lorette
    Notre Dame De Paris
    Occitanie
    #Occitanie
    Off-the-tourist-track
    Off-the-tourist-track
    Opera-garnier
    Operation Dragoon
    Oradoursurglane
    Our Lady Of Paris
    Palais Lascaris
    Palais Royal
    Paloma Beach
    Pancake
    Pancake Pantry
    Parade
    Parc De Bercy
    Paris
    Paris 1968
    Paris Arrondissements
    Paris Art Museum
    Paris Art Schools
    Paris At Home
    Paris Cafes
    Paris Fashion
    Paris Friend
    Paris Markets
    Paris Metro
    Paris Neighborhoods
    Paris Parks
    Paris Patisseries
    Paris Pets
    Paris Predestination
    Paris Retail Therapy
    Paris Travel
    Parks
    Passage Boudin
    Passerelle Simone De Beauvoir
    Pastis
    Patisserie
    Patricia Wells
    Paul Cezanne
    Perfume
    Pernes-les-Fontaines
    Pet Cemeteries
    Petit Palais
    Photography
    Picpus Cemetery
    Pinching Pennies
    Pink Granite Coast
    Place De Furstenberg
    Place De La Concorde
    Place Des Vosges
    Place Masséna
    Place Stanislaus
    Place Vendome
    Ploumanac'h
    Poilane
    Ponr Alexandre III
    Poster Art
    Promenade Des Anglais
    Provence
    #Provence
    Provence Markets
    Puffins
    Pyrenees-Orientales
    Rambouillet
    Raoul Dufy
    Regional Cooking
    Rennes
    Renoir
    Robert Doisneau
    Robert Wuhl
    Roquefort
    Rue Cler
    Rue Cremieux
    Rue De L'Eole Du Medecine
    Rue De Nil
    Rue Dénoyez
    Rue Des Ecoles
    Rue Des Martyrs
    Rue Irenee Blanc
    Rue Jules Siegfried
    Ruelle Des Chats
    Rue Montorgeuil
    Ruth
    Saintdenis
    Saint-Emilion
    Saint-Emilion Grand Cru
    Saint-Etienne-du-Mont
    Sainteustache
    Saint-Goustan
    Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert
    Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
    Saint-Malo
    Saint-Medard Church
    Saint-Paul-de-Mausole
    Saint-Remy-de-Provence
    Saint-Vincent Cemetery
    Sculpture
    Senlis
    Serendipity
    Shopping
    Sliceoflife
    Slice Of Life
    Small Paris Pleasures
    Small Town Saturday Night
    Social Media
    So-Pi
    Springtime In Paris
    Square Des Peupliers
    Square Montsouris
    St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral
    Street Food
    Suzanne Valadon
    Suzy Solidor
    Sylvia Beach
    Texas
    The Avignon Papacy
    The-dreyfus-affair
    The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
    The Louvre
    The Moose
    The National Archives
    The Pantheon
    The-paris-effect
    The Pink City
    Toulouse
    Toulouse-Lautrec
    Tourrettes-sur-Loup
    Travel
    Travel Advice
    Travel Planning
    Troyes
    U.N. World Climate Conference
    Urban Art
    Uzès
    Vacation
    Vacation Planning Food
    Vel D'Hiver
    Vichy
    Vieille Bourse
    Vieux Nice
    Villa Eilenroc
    Villefranche-de-Conflent
    Villeneuve-les-Avignon
    Vincent Van Gogh
    Walking
    Walking Paris
    Willi Ronis
    Wine
    Wine Festival
    WWII
    #WWII France
    WWII Paris
    WWII Provence
    Yachts
    Yves Saint Laurent

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.