{"id":551,"date":"2007-08-26T14:03:37","date_gmt":"2007-08-26T12:03:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/frenchduck.com\/latest\/uncategorized\/a-guide-to-toulouse"},"modified":"2020-08-30T15:39:42","modified_gmt":"2020-08-30T13:39:42","slug":"a-guide-to-toulouse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/frenchduck.com\/latest\/a-guide-to-toulouse\/","title":{"rendered":"Toulouse – A guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Independent (25 Aug 07)<\/a>\"Place<\/a> has a short guide to Toulouse<\/strong> (32 Haut-Garonne) by Simon Calder. By far the largest city in the Midi-Pyrenees it is a mix of ancient and very modern, French and Arab.<\/p>\n

For me it is a great departure point for the whole of the South and South West \u2013 the Pyrenees, Canal du Midi, the vineyards of Gaillac and Fronton and to the east the splendours of Carcassonne<\/strong>. It has never felt an \u201cintimate\u201d destination like Cahors<\/strong> or St Emilion<\/strong>, but it does have an enviously varied cultural life and works well as a weekend destination.<\/p>\n

One highlight for me has to be the March\u00e9 des Carmes, which is a real treasure trove of the very best of the produce of the southwest \u2013 duck, goose, foie gras, cassoulet\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n

The March\u00e9 des Carmes abounds with local produce: bread, fruit, vegetables and poultry (including vast quantities of foie gras de canard). It opens 8am-5pm daily except Sunday. Locals may suggest you buy crystallised violets from a confectioner; the city’s link to the flower began when Napoleon’s soldiers brought it back from Italy.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The picture above is of the Capitole in the heart of the city \u2013 now the home of the Town Hall and the Th\u00e9\u00e2tre National du Capitole, this building is remarkable for its fa\u00e7ade with its eight pink marble columns.<\/p>\n