I returned to some of the things that make Toulouse fun for me. I got up this morning and strolled over to Mow cafe for a Chocolatine (pain au chocolate in Toulouse) and a chocolat chaud (hot chocolate). I really love the ability to wander down the streets with few cars and lots of pedestrians and bicyclists out and about. Monday is always a good day to stroll as most of the shops are closed so the crowds are smaller – not so much of dodging people and bicycles.

Mow Cafe is the first place that I had the petit Dejuener when I was in Toulouse over the summer so I have a fondness for it and try to go there at least once a week. Toulouse weather is spectacular at the moment so the cafes have outdoor seating and you can sit enjoy the food and watch the people walk by. In France, there is no rush to finish eating or to move on after you have finished. There is no feeling that you are taking up space and should move on.

The other fun thing, I am enjoying is getting to know the wine of the region. I have found a wine shop – Busquets – that is very nice. I go in an ask for wines of the region and the proprietor has been very willing to give me suggestions. So far, all the wine has been good and I have enjoyed them. The bottles have all been around 20 euros with is just under $25 dollars. I think they have all been worth the value of them. It is nice to get to know some of the local wines.

I have signed up for two tours of Toulouse. One is a market tour of the Victor Hugo Market (where I generally shop). I am hoping this will get me more familiar with the merchants and I might be able to build some relationships with them. It involves shopping, eating and drinking and should be fun. The second is a wine bar tour (Ryan and Ellen gave me a gift certificate for this tour). Again, I am hoping to meet some wine purveyors and build some relationships. Both are led by an American ex-pat who lives in Toulouse. I have emailed back and forth a couple of times and hope she might be a resource for me to get more involved in the community.

The last fun thing is just seeing the buildings and vistas of Toulouse. Below is a picture of the building I am living in. It is typical of the old buildings in central Toulouse.

As an aside, I walked by a cafe and saw this in the window.

This made me think of Soup and his desire for a pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks at this time of year and it was very appropriate as it is Soup’s birthday today. Who would think that pumpkin spice latte would haunt me in Toulouse.