The day started out as usual. I got up and had breakfast. Then got ready to go out. My main purpose for the day was to buy some food for my lunches. I had already gotten my pastries from Au Poussin Rose, my favorite pastry shop, as they have small pastries.

I walked over to the Marchè Victor Hugo to get some Jambon Bodega Serrano from Maison Garcia. I bought some cheese and settled on the Tomme cheese. There are so many varieties to choose from and at least 3 cheese stalls in the market. My final purchase was some fruit for breakfast – a nice cantaloupe and some oranges for lunch. I now have provisions to last until I go to the big farmers market on Sunday. I have to get olives from the fun olive purveyor and some vegetables for dinner on Sunday and Monday.

It has been unexpectedly warm in Toulouse since I have been here. The temperatures have been in the high 80s. It re-enforced my thought that summer is better in Washington than Toulouse as there is no air conditioning here. I am not complaining as I am glad to be here but just reflecting on some of the differences. The weather is supposed to get cooler and wetter this weekend. I think by mid-week it should return to normal Toulouse weather.

In the afternoon, Raghu, the person I met at the run on Thursday, messages me to ask if I wanted to meet in the afternoon. I agreed to meet him. We had an enjoyable couple of hours talking about traveling and the different places we had been and seen. Raghu is a digital nomad and is working remotely for a data company. Raghu has spent a month in Grenoble, a month here in Toulouse and then is heading to Gijon, Spain for a month. It was nice to chat with him and get his take on the nomad life.

I think he was glad to talk and speak English. He does not speak French so I am sure he has had limited conversations since he has been here. He is very outgoing so I am sure he finds people to talk to but as I found the first time I was here, having another person to chat with is nice. I had met Kristi who was from Canada on my first stay and it was fun and nice to have dinner with her once a week. I do not seem to need that as much any more as I am better able to communicate in French and sometimes half French/half English.

For dinner, I went, of course, to La Panache. It is always a fun time and Enzo and Erwin are great. They really treat me as “family” rather than a customer. It is a really great environment and the food is great! Enzo and I discussed a dessert I had and he said he did not think it was outstanding. It was good by a little heavy. He was funny as at the end, he said – “It is not Panache!”. It is coming off the menu.

All and all a good day.