The weather I got during my day here was extremely Irish - it drizzled intermittently, and the sun would come out in full force only after you decided to call it a day and go home, or go to dinner. It didn't rain too heavily, though, and most of the time the weather I got outside was pleasant. Toulouse is an extremely picturesque city and looks nice under almost any circumstance, so there's that.
I was rereading some of my old Toulouse entries, and was struck by a comment I'd made about feeling 'safe' in Toulouse. That wasn't really the case this time round, or maybe I've just gotten paranoid in my old age. I also commented that it was nice to be in a city where there weren't incessant hordes of people. That also was not the case during this trip - in fact, I was flabbergasted by the sheer amount of tourists there, jostling and and ramming up the streets and squares. From the pictures I took last time, the streets certainly look a lot emptier, too. I wonder what's happened.
I was hungry, and wanted something nice to drink, so I looked at the string of restaurants on the Capitole and picked the one that seemed the nicest. I was aware that it was probably a tourist trap and I would be overcharged as usual - but at this point I didn't really care, I just wanted a nice place to sit down and drink, and enjoy the view.
At this point R messaged me, and we ended up being on the phone for more than an hour, during which time my cocktail arrived, along with my grilled fish and rice. The cocktail was good but there was too much ice in it, although this was hardly surprising. The grilled fish was average, but I know the French can do better.
After that I went to Amorina, an ice cream parlour which I had visited last time. I'd had a lovely chat with the girl working there, and although I was certain she wasn't working there anymore (I would have felt sorry for her if she was still there), I still remembered the gelataria fondly. I was a bit surprised when I walked over and saw a formidable queue of tourists, mostly. Apparently Amorina has high ratings on the likes of tripadvisor and google, which explains why the world and his wife are getting ice cream there. I went back to walk around the square a bit, then came back, at which point the line had dissipated somewhat, and queued up and got my ice cream. Expensive, but worth it, although if you ask me I still prefer Turkish and Polish ices.
My next meal was back at Evangelina. The red tuna starter was pleasant, although not as good as the main dish. The grilled octopus however was similarly heavenly. I am considering moving permanently to Toulouse, just so that I can eat here every Friday. Their starters and side dishes are unremarkable, but their main dishes really are fabulous.
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| A little taste of heaven |
