Un
torrent de cailloux roule dans ton accent
Ta violence bouillone jusque dans tes violettes
On se traite de con à peine qu'on se traite
Il y a de l'orage dans l'air et pourtant
L'église
Saint-Sernin illumine le soir
Une fleur de corail que le soleil arrose
C'est peut-être pour ça malgré ton rouge
et noir
C'est peut-être pour ça qu'on te dit Ville Rose
Claude
Nougaro
Toulouse,
'La Ville Rose', is full of the character of the warm south.
Its name comes from a pre-Celtic word of Aquitain that evoques
the Garonne's waters and stones. The red brick façades
of the houses built by the rich woad merchants of the fifteenth/sixteenth
centuries change from a pink hue in the morning to a purple
hue at dusk. The large open arcaded square of the Place du
Capitole makes one feel as if one is in a small Tuscan town.
Cafés surround the square on three sides and the classical
eighteenth century 'Capitole' itself stands the length of
the last side with the grand Toulouse Opera House nesting
in the south wing. Toulouse was the fourth city of the Roman
Western Empire, the capital of Visigoth 'France', the capital
of the Languedoc and Catharism and today the capital of Aerospace
and Rugby.
A
day spent here can have not a moment wasted, even if one spends
the whole day imbued in café culture: writing letters,
reading books, setting the world to rights intermittently
gazing into the space of the historic square as the world
bustles by.
CULTURE
Landmarks
of Toulouse culture lie in the great Romanesque church of
Saint Sernin and the gothic church of Les Jacobins with its
extraordinarily beautiful 'palm-tree' vaulting . These are
well worth visiting if you are interested in history and the
beauty of architecture. Also the Hotel d'Assezat is a fine
example of sixteenth century 'merchant' architecture and is
the home to the Bemberg Collection which is a fine collection
of paintings from the Renaissance (Cranach and others) the
seventeenth century (Pieter de Hooch and others) and Post
Impressionists such as Sisley, Matisse, Gauguin and Signac
and others. An excellent collection and well worth visiting.
(Admission 5 euros - within walking distance).
For
science enthusiasts the 'Cité de l'Espace' is an excellent
visit but would probably take up all your time. It is a theme
park on the outskirts of town with a life size model of the
Mir Station with gravity defying space toilets and intriguing
interactive exhibits bringing space travel to life. Highly
recommended if you like that kind of thing. (Admission 12
euros. Taxi there around 13 euros).
SHOPPING
Last
minute shopping can be done at the covered market in Place
Victor Hugo which locals say is not an ordinary market but
a religion. (Open mornings only). Chic clothes shopping can
be found around rue St Antoine du Toulouse and rue Croix-Baragnon.
Basic clothes shopping also at Monoprix and Nouvelles Galleries
in the same area, or Rue St Rome off the Place du Capitole.
CINEMA
Just
behind Nouvelles Galleries is a bohemian style cinema called
the 'Utopia' showing excellent film club films always with
French subtitles. The main cinemas at Place Wilson will have
films invariably dubbed in French.
EATING
OUT
There
are plenty of cafés to eat croque-monsieur or croques-madame
(those of Place du Capitole and Place Saint Georges having
the greatest character). Should anyone be keen on more haute
cuisine after our weeks walking and eating then there are
four Michelin starred restaurants of which our favourite is
L'Amphitryon (30 euros for lunch) or Brasserie des Beaux Arts
next door to the Hotel Assezat in the rue de Metz with its
charming Belle Epoque style dining room.
This
is just to give you a general idea of possibilities of entertainment.
Of course when you are here we will be able to suggest any
other ideas of particular interests.
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