Visit to Toulouse August 2018
Finished by trip to France with a few days in Toulouse. My second visit after several years. Toulouse has much to see, a mix of an old and historic centre and more modern avenues and boulevards. The Garonne river and the Canal du Midi cut right through the city creating open spaces and an airy feel. Add the many parks and gardens and some nice walks can be had.
I have a few pictures here. The Roman arena was viewed through the fence as it is open only on a Sunday afternoon. In truth there isn’t a great deal to actually see as the remains are scant. It was reckoned however to have had a capacity of 7,000 with a later extension perhaps raising this to 10 or 12,000. The location is strange, being a long way outside the city in what must have been a farming area. I had this vision of the fans tramping home miserably after a poor game, no trams or buses in those days and probably the taxi chariot driver didn’t turn up. Most of the Roman period legacy of Toulouse is long buried under more recent buildings. Toulouse escaped mass destruction during World War Two so much of the early city centre is intact, including the 11th century brick built Cathedral.
I have tried to find out more about the barn at Barricou but failed. It is obviously very old. It sits rather incongruously in a modern linear park out near the Airbus Industries plant.
