Southwest France : Toulouse & Bordeaux
For my last official vacation while working as an English prof in France, I was able to finally check out a city that's been on my list for a while...Toulouse ! I took a solo trip and met up with some old friends and some new along the way.
Toulouse : April 16-18, 2017
Possibly my new favorite city in France ! The atmosphere, the weather, the charming streets, the cheap prices, the friendly people, the great food, cheap transport, super walkable...my list could go on !! I would love to study in this city if only I could have found a program that fit better for me.
Some highlights:
Wandering the streets...aka the best (free) sightseeing part of traveling!!
Toulouse : April 16-18, 2017
Possibly my new favorite city in France ! The atmosphere, the weather, the charming streets, the cheap prices, the friendly people, the great food, cheap transport, super walkable...my list could go on !! I would love to study in this city if only I could have found a program that fit better for me.
Some highlights:
Wandering the streets...aka the best (free) sightseeing part of traveling!!
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| I wonder why they call it the pink city? ;) |
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| Street art and adorable, colorful window shutters |
Le musée des Augustins
This museum definitely is a must ! It had a really lovely courtyard, and was full of paintings and sculptures (my fav!) from the middle ages to the early 20th century. Possibly the best part? It was open on Easter Monday and free for students !
Other places to check out:
Stroll by the Garonne river or if you have some time, have a picnic/read a book near the river.
I wanted to check out couvent des jacobins and get a great city view picture from the top of Galeries Lafayette, but unfortunately both were closed due to the holiday - but make sure to check those out !
Marmande : April 18, 2017
I took a short (unplanned) day trip to visit a friend from high school when I studied abroad my junior year as well as said bonjour to my host family. It was really nice to catch up and see everyone again! It was such a crazy feeling to have all the memories rush back to me when I was walking around the streets. It was also super cool to see how much I've grown over the past 6 years, not only with my French but myself as an individual ; I could see the city and experience in a different light.
Bordeaux : April 18-20, 2017
I ended my short trip with a couple days in Bordeaux staying with a French friend who studied at Xavier. It was great seeing her again and coming back to Bordeaux again after many years.
This city has a very distinct feel to it compared to other cities in France in my opinion.
Some of my highlights included:
Place des Quinconces : so many trees...just breathtaking !
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| One of the cool art exhibits in the museum, Jorge Pardo and the roman sculpture |
This museum definitely is a must ! It had a really lovely courtyard, and was full of paintings and sculptures (my fav!) from the middle ages to the early 20th century. Possibly the best part? It was open on Easter Monday and free for students !
Other places to check out:
Stroll by the Garonne river or if you have some time, have a picnic/read a book near the river.
I wanted to check out couvent des jacobins and get a great city view picture from the top of Galeries Lafayette, but unfortunately both were closed due to the holiday - but make sure to check those out !
Marmande : April 18, 2017
I took a short (unplanned) day trip to visit a friend from high school when I studied abroad my junior year as well as said bonjour to my host family. It was really nice to catch up and see everyone again! It was such a crazy feeling to have all the memories rush back to me when I was walking around the streets. It was also super cool to see how much I've grown over the past 6 years, not only with my French but myself as an individual ; I could see the city and experience in a different light.
Bordeaux : April 18-20, 2017
I ended my short trip with a couple days in Bordeaux staying with a French friend who studied at Xavier. It was great seeing her again and coming back to Bordeaux again after many years.
This city has a very distinct feel to it compared to other cities in France in my opinion.
Some of my highlights included:
Place des Quinconces : so many trees...just breathtaking !
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| Aka my dream !! |
Musée du vin et du négoce (wine and trade museum) including a wine tasting
I loved this small, two underground cellar museum ! There's also the new Cité du vin which I've heard is super interactive and very cool, but I decided to go on the more quaint side (and less expensive) and was not disappointed in the least !
With this self-guided tour, included guidebook, and the many signs and artifacts in the cellars, I was able to see how cork is made, learn some history about the different regions and flavors of Bordeaux wine. At the end, we had a tasting of a white and a red wine and the woman explained the differences in flavors, the soils in each area, and the temperatures to serve wine at its best.
Place de la bourse/Miroir d'eau (at night)
As the French name suggest, mirror of water, it reflects the place de la bourse for a stunning photo. Plus it's right along the river, so you can enjoy a view anywhere you look ! I recommend going at sunset for 2 awesome pics !
I also recommend climbing the tower by Saint-André cathedral for a great view of Bordeaux ! My favorite neighborhood is chartron : it has lots of cute cafes and charming streets. I enjoyed a nice lunch on the terrace after my wine tasting:)
bisous et à la prochaine,
Lyndi
Not done reading? Check out my other blog posts on the right side of the page! Then click the follow button up at the top to get more recipes, travel tips, and adventures right to your inbox - bisous!
I loved this small, two underground cellar museum ! There's also the new Cité du vin which I've heard is super interactive and very cool, but I decided to go on the more quaint side (and less expensive) and was not disappointed in the least !
With this self-guided tour, included guidebook, and the many signs and artifacts in the cellars, I was able to see how cork is made, learn some history about the different regions and flavors of Bordeaux wine. At the end, we had a tasting of a white and a red wine and the woman explained the differences in flavors, the soils in each area, and the temperatures to serve wine at its best.
Place de la bourse/Miroir d'eau (at night)
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| No editing done ; it really looks like this !! ^^ |
As the French name suggest, mirror of water, it reflects the place de la bourse for a stunning photo. Plus it's right along the river, so you can enjoy a view anywhere you look ! I recommend going at sunset for 2 awesome pics !
I also recommend climbing the tower by Saint-André cathedral for a great view of Bordeaux ! My favorite neighborhood is chartron : it has lots of cute cafes and charming streets. I enjoyed a nice lunch on the terrace after my wine tasting:)
bisous et à la prochaine,
Lyndi
Not done reading? Check out my other blog posts on the right side of the page! Then click the follow button up at the top to get more recipes, travel tips, and adventures right to your inbox - bisous!
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