Toulouse, part IV - Le Bibent and wrapup

Fine dining!

Capitolium

I went off to Zara and HM to do some shopping, and ended up getting a nice new blouse from Zara. I know, I know - going to France and ending up in Zara - but I did have a look at almost all the shops in the Capitole area, including some ridiculously expensive Parisian brands that I most certainly could not afford (350 euro for a dress, really?) and all I really needed was a new blouse as I'd accidentally ruined my old one, so Zara it was.

After that I went to Le Bibent, which was pretty highly rated on Tripadvisor and was a Michelin starred restaurant. It was full of Asian tourists, most of them either couples on their honeymoon or elderly businessmen, and I felt like just another Asian tourist as I walked in. I guess one day I will be tired of this lifestyle, but for now, it'll do.

The food was really good and the prices weren't as high as I was expecting, but I think I still prefer Evangelina. Vastly so, in fact.

After that, I walked around the city some more, not thinking about anything in particular, and then it was back to the hotel, where I watched some football matches - this is not by design, but for the two most recent World Cups, I have always been on the continent.

Next day I got up pretty early to catch my Ouibus to Biarritz, where I had a flight back to Dublin. I've never taken Ouibus before, but it proved to be a most enjoyable ride. I approve.

Hostel breakfast, which cost 5 euros. I didn't buy, but it was nice to look at

Off to Biarritz

There's not much else to say about this trip. Maybe I'm too old and jaded now to have very much to say per se (that rhymes), but it did what it was supposed to do - I had loads of remarkably good food and got to spoil myself a bit, had a change of scenery, and gave myself a bit of a break, and atop of all that the weather was quite nice. What's not to like?

A self-serving coffee machine

I'm not sure where my next holiday will be but I would like to see the Balkans again.

And what I want, I usually get.

Toulouse, part III - I came, I saw, I took photos

Saint-Sernin

I am a tourist - I'm not going to package this term in pretentious millennial codespeak and call myself a 'traveller', 'wanderer' or 'nomad.' Especially here, in Toulouse - I was definitely a tourist, ostensibly so.

Lots of walking around, and taking photos. Being in France reminded me of why I like the Continent so much. France, at least southern France, is an immensely picturesque place, and it's very walkable and the weather is mild and enjoyable - in short, it's a nice place to holiday in. And it's been too long. Too long since I was in France.

Most of these photos were taken on my way back from Evangelina to the hotel, which was next to the Gare. I'd really had too much to eat, and Google maps said that it was about 30 mins walk back to the hotel, which I sorely needed. I really do enjoy walking very much, especially when I'm on holiday, and the weather in Toulouse was nice - not too hot, not like last time, nor was it too cold - Sarajevo comes to mind; that was probably the only city where I caved in and had to take the tram halfway during my walk because of all the snow flying onto my face, and just the chill that completely invades every cell of your body. But the snow, most of all. Snow is something that one enjoys for the first five minutes, but after that it's hellish.

Low brow humour. Sue me.

Toulouse, part II - More Evangelina, Place du Capitole, Le Florida and Amorino

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.

A little taste of heaven