Toulouse is a very nice visit. Head to the TI located in the dungeon on the south side of the Capitole. They have nice self-guided walking tours of the city as well as a lot more info as to what is happening. If flight is a passion, visit Airbus outside the city.
My main reason to visit Toulouse was to enjoy dining on Cassoulet at Le Colombier, one of the restaurants which developed Le Charte - the official recipe for Cassoulet. Here a a few passages from my blog:
Bonjour Toulouse
On the banks of the River Garonne, Toulouse is France's fourth largest city and has the third largest university in France. As a result, over 25% of the population are students so the city is a bit more electric than Lyon or Strasbourg. The tourist office has maps with walking routes and descriptions for five self-guided walks around Toulouse. Easy to navigate and some interesting sights and museums. The most noted museum is Musee des Augustins which houses a collection of historical, religious and architectural exhibits that are basically from Toulouse's medieval past. In itself interesting, there was also a marvelous exhibition of paintings by Benjamin Constant. Though not familiar with his works prior to seeing this exhibition, it was a pleasant surprise. Intimate and sometimes frightening views of life and death in Turkey, Egypt and Morocco. Portraits and family scenes in France. Quite a contrast and very interesting and enjoyable. Another noted museum is Fondation Bemberg. What once was a private mansion now shows a varied collection including 18th century Venetian furnishings and paintings, 16th - 19th century French furnishings and a great art collection with works from Caneletto, Renoir, Modigliani, Toulouse (appropriately) Lautrec and Degas among others.
Street Food
Having some time while waiting for the Fondation Bemberg to reopen after lunch, I ambled back to a boulangerie I had passed earlier. Secret de Pains is actually part of a chain. Their display of artisan bread beckoned me. The shop had a young female baker who turned out some amazing breads. And they also sold quiche, tartes, salads, and deserts. Seating was outside in the bustle and charm of Toulouse. I had spicy chicken sandwich on a multigrain baguette with lettuce and tomato. We should be lucky to get a sandwich this good in the US. Price, about $4.75. Take that Subway.
Le Colombier
And now cassoulet. Le Colombier is not in the touristy or upscale part of the city. It reminded me a bit of Marseille. I arrived at 8 on Wednesday and was seated immediately. The waitresses both spoke English very well and service was above my expectations. I chose the 39€ menu which included the cassoulet, a starter and desert. What a starter. Foie gras. Two beautifully fatty slices of different foie gras that melted in your mouth and were perfectly prepared. Served with little rounds of slightly toasted baguette, tiny cubes of a spicy aspic and a mini sprout salad, it was one of the best starters I have ever eaten. This was followed by a perfectly prepared cassoulet. What else would expect at a restaurant that is part of the original association that created the Charte for the dish? Tasty country sausage, those great white beans, a few tender slices of pork topped by a piece of goose with beautifully crisped skin. All baked for for hours and seasoned to a “T”. For desert, a cheese course with generous amounts of six different cheeses. The one with the strongest taste is always eaten last. In this case it was a goat cheese rolled in cracked peppercorns. The cheese was so runny that it was difficult to keep on your knife while spreading it on the bread. I normally am not a big fan of chèvre but this was an exceptional fromage. Washed down with a bottle of their own label wine and topped off with a glass of Armangac it was a perfect meal.
