A Walk Around Toulouse

For me, an important tradition during the early part of each day is a good brisk walk around Toulouse. I love to do it about 8 in the morning when people are heading off for work and children are being escorted to school. It gives me a real sense of the particular rhythm of a place. Polley and I love that part of our travels. For an hour or more, I walk a variety of routes and as the town is blessed with wonderful wide sidewalks, parkways and promenades. There are many options (unlike Mexico). I thought it might be interesting for you to follow me on my favorite jaunts which is a kind of circle around the oldest part of the city.

I head out the door of our apartment and start west toward the Garonne River. Before arrfiving there, I cross the Canal de Brienne. A block of two beyond that is the Garonne and the Pont des Catalans, which crosses the Garonne. From the bridge I can see the Dome de la Grave.


I walk beyond the Dome and head south, usually crossing at the Pont Neuf and passing my a neatly manicured garden.


From the west side of the bridge, you can look north up the Garonne . .


or across the old town at the Elise de Notre Dame de la Daurade.


This morning, which as you can see from the photos, was a gloriously clear day, I chose to stay on the west side of the river and walk along the river in a green-space, called the Filtres des Prairie, toward the Pont Saint-Michel.


Pont Saint-Michel is the most southern bridge connecting to the old part of the city. From there you walk east down a long, tree-lined boulevard, the Allées Jules Guesde. As you head up the Allées, you pass this very dramatic spillway.


This street is lined with beautiful 18th and 19th century buildings, including the Théâtre Sorano.


At the end of this lovely street in the Grand Rond, a large and lush round-about that can send traffic out to the Peripherique and then on to cities South and West, or can propel people back into the city center.


On one side of the Grand Rond is another lovely park.


In fact, each side of the Grand Rond seems to have some sort of park, including the Jardin des Plantes to the south.

Then we head north on another beautiful, tree-line Allées, leading first to the Monument aux Morts (dead), and then on up, eventually coming full circle to our neighborhood.


However, before arriving home, I often take a left and pass the Place de Wilson.



From there I can work my way to the center of town, passing by this wonderful old building that now houses the office of tourism.


Usually, on a weekday, the Place de Capitole is very busy, but as this picture was taken on a Sunday morning, the Place is usually deserted except for a bread wagon that sells the most enormous variety of baked goods.


Another option is to just continue up the Allée Verdier and nd work my way through the open-air market (marché) which is there nearly everyday of the week (Pictures obviously taken on a less attractive day). It is filled with vendors with everything from fish and meat, to cheeses and fresh fruits and vegetables



Some days I go further east and walk along the Canal du Midi, the amazing canal through which barges pass. In fact you can go by barge from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic through a series of Canals in France, the du Midi being an important one.


This canal runs just a block from our place and I often start the walk by cutting through the park next to our apartment and then take the pedestrian overpass to the canal itself and start the walk.


There are a great many possibilities in this city and I am enjoying each one of them, sometimes to the point of getting dreadfully lost and then having the excitement of working my way home. More to come.