Inn of the Wandering Dragon

Our first morning in Toulouse with Kim and Cedric was pretty relaxed. Larry and I were so exhausted we did not hear Cedric leave and return with fresh croissants and what I personally consider to be a stroke of inspiration - pain au chocolat! It is much like a croissant with the same kind of texture and taste but there are two strips of dark chocolate baked within. How is that for a delicious french welcome?

Kim suggested we go for a walk in the nearby jardin des plants, perhaps even do a picnic. Great idea but Larry was absolutely bent on finding the tourism office and getting some info as well as the city passes - these give discounts to sights, shopping and tours. The day was lovely so we made the walk into the city center. We did pass briefly through the park - in as straight a line as possible.

The tourist office sits next to Place du Capitole, what now holds the town hall. It is a gorgeous building that looks onto an open square on one side and a park on the other. The market was set up in the square and was in full swing. There was everything from fresh produce, breads and sausages to clothing, books and various curios.

After browsing for a while Cedric led us to a lovely little cafe for drinks by the river Garonne before heading to the Eglise des Jacobins - a beautifull and imposing gothic church. A lot of work has gone into restoring it and it's hard to tell if it is still used as a church or not. The refectory was closed (aparantly they hold exhibits within) but we took a stroll through the cloister gardins. What struck me the most was the soaring vaults - this is a massive stone building and yet feels like it effortlessly stretches up to the heavens.

After being put to the challenge of finding our way back to the apartment and then the grocery store we rounded off our first day with dinner followed by a round of cheese and chocolate. All in all it was a long but good day wandering this new city.