Coming back to Toulouse this time felt like returning home. I knew exactly where to go to catch the Navette (the airport bus), I knew my which stop to get off and the route to the apartment where I am staying.

Since the apartment is the same as the last visit, I knew how to access the keys to get in the building. It was all very easy and familiar.

The apartment was the same as when I left this past summer. The only differences were new sheets on the bed and towels in the bathroom. I had wondered if the wine glasses I had bought for use the first time I stayed at the apartment would still be here and they were. Some of the other items that I had added to the apartment for the kitchen would still be here and they were.

After getting to the apartment, I unpacked my suitcases and then jumped in the shower to get refreshed after the long flight from DC. This was familiar as well as I had the same flights from DC to Toulouse as I had the last trip. The flights were all good. The flight from DC to Brussels was slightly delayed but that made the layover in Brussels shorter which is nice. Waiting for the second flight when tired and just wanting to be at your destination is hard. Brussels Airport has a nice lounge so the wait was not too bad.

After being refreshed, I walked around Toulouse. I am one of those people that think powering through jet lag is the best option. It was fun to be back in Toulouse and enjoying the city. The one change that I really noticed is the river (Garonne) is very low. I am not sure what the cause is as I know that it has been very hot here in Toulouse this summer so it might be a drought. Also, I think there is a dam upriver from Toulouse and they might be holding back water because of the summer.

I hit all my favorite places today. I had a break at Mow cafe during the afternoon. In the evening, I went to La Reserve for an Aperol Spritz.

For dinner, I went to my favorite restaurant La Panache. I saw Enzo, Jean Luc and Erwin. In a switch, Jean Luc was working the bar and Erwin was acting as the chef. It was great to see them and be back at La Panache. The food was fantastic as usual and the atmosphere is always good.

I worked on speaking French after taking classes and the French conversation class I attended. I did much better than I had done before in communicating. I was impressed with myself that did as well as I did. I was able to hold simple conversations, ask questions and generally speak in French. There were times we had to revert to English but much less than before. Thank you Karyne and An.

It is fun to be back. The feature picture is one of my favorite sights in Toulouse. The Pyrenees as a backdrop.