We had a four and a half hour train journey from Avignon to Toulouse–this was our first visit to this southern region of France, half way between the Atlantic and Mediterranean. The trains were packed. Europe is highly discouraging car and air travel with fees and taxes. New rail tracks are being laid and extra rail service has been added as well. France has a well laid out rail service plan and we had reserved rail tickets online prior to our trip. We printed the tickets at home and have had no problems. We passed by vineyards and flower strewn byways all along the train route. The orange poppies growing wild along the tracks caught my attention.

Upon arrival in Toulouse, we taxied to our hotel located on the main city square. We were very pleased with our hotel and its location. Service has been friendly, helpful and anticipating of needs along our entire journey. So many of our stereotypical paradigms of Europe, especially of France, are in need of change. Not cold nor rude nor sluggish, but just the opposite has been our experience. Some places in France accept small tips; others are clear–no tips.

Toulouse is the capital of the Occitanie region of France. It is very clean, and the buildings are imposing. It is not a hot tourist spot, but we found it very inviting. It is known as the “pink city” because of the extensively used terracotta brick. The flowers and flowering trees were profuse since we visited at the height of spring. Very nice indeed! The Roman Catholic Basilica was worth our visit. Large in scale, it housed paintings of the way of the cross and crucifixion of Jesus, painted from the perspective of Jesus, rather than that of the crowd/viewer. The main government building was large and ornate and impressive, especially lite up at night.

We had set aside for the next day a visit to the nearby medieval town of Carcassonne, France’s best preserved medieval fortress. We had no plan other than to visit. Usually, every facet of our travels is planned in advance, but not today. As we departed the Carcassonne city train station, we immediately came upon a river channel that was a series of locks. We watched in fascination as the water levels rose and lowered to allow vessels to move along the river. From there, we walked to a bus stop. Our friend, Randy, asked a bus driver if any of the buses went to the fortress. “This one” was the reply and, before we knew it, we stood before an astounding sight. The massive fortress walls with pointy topped towers enclosed an entire medieval city. This was not a simple old building; it was an entire fortified city. Upon passing the main gate, we found ourselves in a maze of narrow, cobblestoned streets with shops and eateries on both sides housed in idyllic buildings right out of a childhood story book. Small squares with statuary and fountains broke up the maze. The main church was beautiful!

We passed the time with joy while savoring the flavorful hot chocolate of a quaint chocolatier boutique. We were not sure how to get back to the train station, but the taxi stand had a taxi number to call and Randy, our friend, arranged for a pick up. Before we knew it, we were back in Toulouse. We ate dinner at a family-owned restaurant with a huge oven for the awesome pizza that was served. We were ready for our next adventure.