Toulouse - The Pink city

Toulouse - my capital of Southern France

Toulouse is a dynamic and ancient city in southwest France, on the banks of the Garonne River. I visited the city on my tour of southern France.

After having seen the beautiful photographs of Toulouse that Chinh had taken, I decide that I must visit the Pink City of France.

I would like to call Toulouse as the capital of southern France, as I think if Northern France has Paris, then Southern France has Toulouse. Toulouse beautiful, romantic in its own way.

NorthFrance has Paris, SouthFrance has Toulouse

The cities of the Garonne River once settled by the ancient Romans, so today Toulouse still has small streets and many buildings are built of red brick in pseudo-Roman style. That explains why Toulouse is called La Ville rose (Pink City).

Toulouse is a city which is not so big, so I can walk to most of the tourist destinations in the city in a quite comfortable way. In my opinion, I think walking is definitely the best way to explore the city.

How to travel to Toulouse

I will introduce people how to move to Toulouse. This trip I take the bus from Nice to Toulouse, flixbus takes me about 12 hours, but with many Vietnamese tourists or most of the Vietnamese students prefer to visit Paris first, I will present how to get from Paris to Toulouse.

Paris moved to Toulouse

From Charles de Gaulle (Paris) there are many ways: transfer to Toulouse, take the train from the CDG to Toulouse, transfer to Paris to catch the train to Toulouse.

After arriving in Paris, if you catch other public transport to Toulouse (train or bus), there are many train stations in Paris connected to Toulouse, depending on the train ticket you purchase, quickly find the location. Come by the map search.

There are usually two train stations to Toulouse: Gare d'Austerlitz (located on meters 5, 10 and RER C), gare Montparnasse (Meters 4, 6, 12, 13).

If you take the train to Toulouse

To book train tickets to Toulouse, visit the SNCF website. Pages show both French and English. Payment by online payment card (VISA, Master). For convenience, we recommend that you choose e-billet.

From 18 - 27 year olds can choose the Carte Jeune discount card (€ 50, 1 year effect) to get discounts on their trips. When booking, select Carte Jeune in the Carte et Abonnement box for the privilege, then you can buy this cart after arrival France (note, must buy before boarding)

Please note that trains in France are strictly adhering to the time so you need to be at the station at least 10 minutes before the train runs. When you arrive at the station you need to look at the electronic board to see where your boat is located (in French: voie), take the train to the right (voiture) and seat (place) on the ticket.

If you take the bus to Toulouse

Some sites to book bus tickets:

• Flixbus
• Ouibus
• eurolines.fr

There are many gare roads in Paris to Toulouse, you should note find your way to gare before departing for Toulouse. Gare in Toulouse is Gare routière Toulouse-Pierre Sémard.

Some tips that I think will be helpful if you go Toulouse

• If you have relatives living in France, you should ask your French sister/ brother to book train tickets in advance to reduce the cost, (pay attention to e-billet ticket type).
• For example, I have a brother, he is studying IT in Lyon, so I contacted him buying tickets because he was studying in Lyon.
• If possible, I recommend always trying to contact your French friends first to pick you up at the airport and train station.
• Prepare a small amount of money to call your family or friends in case of need.
• At Toulouse's Blagnac airport and Matabiau train station, there is free wifi, so make the most of it to get in touch with the pickup.
• Always keep personal identification in person, in difficult locations to take precautions against the crooks and robbery.
• So you have arrived in the beautiful pink city, congratulations!

Moving in Toulouse

I would like to briefly introduce you to public transport in Toulouse, otherwise I think that walking or renting a bicycle is also a very great choice for students. We all want to save money.

From Toulouse Blagnac Airport you can catch the navette (a bus) from the airport to the city center, fare 8 euros for one move. For details click here.

In the city of Toulouse, as many cities in France I have visited, I saw public transportation in Toulouse is mainly by metro, tramway and bus. All of these vehicles are managed and operated by Tisséo.

I can use a single ticket for all of these vehicles.

Tickets and tarifs

There are 2 forms for you to choose from:

Tickets: With many different tarifs, you can buy tickets on automated machines or guichet. The most commonly used tarifs are :

• one way ticket: 1. 60 euros (can transfer line -ligne A, ligne B- within 1h30),
• tickets 2 times: 2. 90 euros
• and 12, 90 euros.

Carte Pastel: gives you more incentives in fares and convenience when traveling by public transport. Some tarifs with pastel carte:

• Monthly ticket (31 days): 43. 80 euros (for persons under 26 years old: 10 euros)
• Year ticket: 438 euros (for persons under 26 years old: 100 euros)

Make a card at the Tisséo guichets: Jean-Jaurès, Balma Gramont, Basso Cambo, Blagnac Airport.

Card fee: 8 euros, required documents: passeport or carte de séjour, portraiture.

There are also 7-day and 31-day tickets, ticket soirée...

There are also vélo (bicycles available for borrowers in the city). You can borrow cars by bank card or Carte Pastel. For details click here.

Time

Metro runs continuously for 5am to 12pm from Monday to Friday, and to 1am on Friday and Saturday nights.

Buses run from 5am to 9pm depending on route. At some key bus lines after 9pm there is a ligne soirée bus that runs until 1am the next day.

For more information on Tisseo's metro, tramway and bus systems, please visit Tisseo website.

From Barcelona to Toulouse

1. Barcelona and Toulouse by Train and Bus

There is a direct AVE train from Barcelona to Toulouse. If you come by train, the journey takes three hours with tickets starting from 40 euros. This is a much better option than the bus.

However, I still prefer bus as it is cheap, you can take flixbus!

For example: 10:30 AM at Barcelona Nord - 4:10 PM at 68 boulevard Pierre Sémard with FlixBus for $30 USD.

There is a bus from Barcelona to Toulouse. The journey takes seven hours and costs about 35 euros.

Buses from Barcelona to Toulouse depart from both Sants and Nord bus stations.

2. Barcelona and Toulouse by Car

The 400km drive from Barcelona to Toulouse takes about 3h45m, traveling mainly on the AP-7, A9, A61 roads. Note - AP roads are toll roads.

Toulouse – My pink city

When I was young, when I saw autumn pictures in Europe, I was always confused and wished I could have seen them once but through the real scence. Then I did not expect to grow up and have the opportunity to study in Europe. Today in the late autumn in Europe, I was in Toulouse, one of the most romantic cities in France. I have witnessed the beauty of the fall that I have longed for it for many years!

My first impression upon arrival was the Canal du Midi. It can be said that life in Toulouse is attached to this canal. From the bus window, I could see groups of people cycling to work or jogging along the canal.

Speaking of the canal at noon, I remember the moments, the moments where I ecstatically drop my soul with the trees, the wind and each leaf...

I imagine if I lived here, I would spend the afternoons going to work while looking at, no, more precisely, releasing myself in a beautiful light, shining through the canal.

Canal du Midi

Source

Making a beautiful canyon from Toulouse, and stretching over 240km, it crosses many cities and ends at the seaside town of Agde. Even in Toulouse we can cross the canal every day, but for a weekend to visit the ancient city of Carcassonne, where we can admire some of the great and romantic beauty of the buildings. In the early morning, the Canal du Midi looks clean and serene.

The rows of tall trees on the canals have become discouraged so the patches of gold, and the green patches are alternating. Just a few months ago, the back of the tree was golden sunflower fields.

On the ground, there are full of wild flowers which are all very beautiful.

Capitole Square

When I enter this square, it was such a feeling of finding out something, something very peaceful and warm. Perhaps it is because of the red walls from buildings in the square, or perhaps it is because it is the first time that i can see a peaceful atmosphere in France as I have been in Paris and other cities which are always crowded with tourists.

The name of the square is Capitole.

I keep wondering:

Strange name of Capitole

Why is this place called Capitole not Hôtel de ville like other French cities? That name also reminds us of the American Capitole!

On design, there is also another strange point. Why are there two separate squares on each side, which, if located at the large gate located in the middle of the Capitole, will look across? There are two, this square gives us two opposing feelings: the side is formal but empty, lacking trees; The side is green, bustling, crowded and close.

Slowly, I found the answer for myself... The city of Toulouse, with me, became more special.

The answer has been found

The name "Capitole", meaning the same as two buildings in the United States and Italy, is the meeting place of the City Council. It derives from the Latin word "caput" meaning "head". Every city of the Roman Empire must have a "Capitole". Toulouse's "Capitole", taken from the Capitole shrine on Capitolinus, Italy

At first glance, I saw the building as a normal building surrounded on three sides by three rows of townhouses of the same height. People probably do not pay much attention to it unless there is a special feature of the building's façade. This is the face that expresses the power of the old government as well as the local construction characteristics through the decoration and construction.

The courtyard and interior of the Capitole, in my opinion, is no better than the town hall of other major French cities. Most notably Salle des Illustres is a national historical monument, this is a long corridor, touching gold and marble, was decorated by famous painters, busted celebrities Of Toulouse. Currently, this space is used as the official reception room and the place where the wedding (registration of marriage) for citizens of the city.

I arrived in the square right on weekends, which is a local market The city government strictly controls the color of the signboards of these three blocks: the brass material on the red wall only allows uniform coloring of the tiles for the entire space.

Charles-de-Gaulle Square

If the Capitole was a house, Capitole Square was the front yard of the reception, the Charles-de-Gaulle Square was like a backyard, close, friendly and fun to play. Created into a small park after the demolition of the workplace, today it is covered by a wide canopy of trees, a children's play area and a continuous spray pool in summer for everyone. All children here are playing and fighting in the funny way.

I really like some social art work in this area as they reflect some insects.

Victor Hugo Marché

I find it interesting right from the name "Victor Hugo marché". The name of a great writer is for a... happy market.

I learned about Victor Hugo from high school, I think with his popularity it must be a square, theater or national museum. There is something in the market, but it sells everything from vegetables to the outside, to "fish shrimp" inside. I imagine in Vietnam, "Hang Da" market rebuilt Named as Nguyen Du market, for example, must be laughed at by everyone! (Nguyen Du is a Vietnamese famous author).

The street along the marché also has the name : Place Victor Hugo.

About the architecture, how is it?

A modern architecture of the 70s, a massive block but much less lightened by flat strips and serrations running across at the top. The bottom is a corridor with steel structure as implanted in later renovations.

Victor Hugo Restaurant!

There are also many bread bars of all kinds, most like some kind of country style cakes, fried rice crackers, black and black eat excellent for aroma and flavor.

There is a bar in the market, the new light has been sipping wine, coffee has already done, but also hug kissing dog, is French. Right at the top of the market, at the mezzanine is a seafood restaurant also named after the great writer. Heard it is delicious but unfortunately only open at noon so not to taste.

Not a striking and eye-catching structure, but the steel corridor below is a unique combination, a material contrast and an exciting open-air space. Functional spaces are arranged reasonably, the outside of the vegetable, flower and fruit stall is convenient for shopping, while also creating a lively, attractive, inviting guests.

Basilica of Saint Sernin

Next I stroll and visit Basilica Saint Sernin, which is the second largest church in the city center of Toulouse, France, I am unlucky to go into the right phase they are repairing, however the inside is still beautiful.

Looking at the church, I realized it was quite old, read that Basilica Saint Sernin was built quite long and decorated in Roman style to its small details.

Then I find out a bicycle which is locked outside street, so I just jump in then take a photo such as I am probably the owner of this bicycle!

In general I come here, I will be extremely impressed with giant bell tower. The setting around the Saint Sernin Church is also great.

Sunset in Toulouse

Sunset - my romantic scene of the day

Bright sunshine, sparkle of dawn begins for a new day, the lightness of the afternoon as if to say the day has passed, and sunset!

As I watched the sunset fall, everything seemed to be stained with a deliberately bright reddish-orange color of nature. I think with a painter, the sunset will be a masterpiece that nature offers, with a musician, sunset becomes the source of all creation, with a sunset poet is a work of the most popular of the works, with a twilight fashion designer is the harmonious and subtle combination of colors of nature, with a pair of loving men and women, the sunset is a romantic setting. For all the feelings of love, to one who is suffering, the sunset becomes a friend to ease the pain in the most effective way, with a busy person, the sunset helps them find the settling moments.

A love couple kissing in the sunset of Toulouse

A guy playing guitar lonely - so romantic moment

Quiet water

I watched the sunset over the pink city of Toulouse, waiting for the miracle to happen in this romantic city. To me, sunset is the time when the sun meets the skyline. Perhaps this is the best time of the day when we feel like something quietly settling down. It is a time when people feel the need to live slowly. All the emotions that rushed back and forth in my mind did not want to get out of that moment, looking silent until the darkness was over.

Often, when it comes to sunset, many people think of the sad scene of the end of the day. However, I found the romantic scene of the sunset to be the inspiration of the artwork.

My Pink City

My most beautiful photo

Maybe it was photography, maybe it was a song. However, with my limited ability I can only try to take beautiful pictures of sunset in Toulouse.

Photo gallery