I have finally got back to a real routine. I think the visit by my friends and then having other people who I could spend time with disrupted my normal and expected routine here in Toulouse.

I have/had an idea of what life was like for me in Toulouse. In my last two stays, I have built up a regular routine that both kept me busy and made my life fulfilled and regular. With the visits, I got out of that routine. It was great to have people to spend time with, eat meals, see sights and other activities. I am really glad they were all here. When they left, I was out of my routine and felt somewhat out of sorts. It took me a little while but I have gotten back into the routine and am feeling that I back to a life that works again.

I got up and headed to St. Aubin’s for shopping. I bought my vegetables and fruit to get me through my first part of the week and will last until Tuesday when I will go to the farmer’s market again. I, also, bought my olives.

I began to learn what it is like to have fruits available all year round and not just eat seasonal. My usual breakfast is fruit and cereal. In Alexandria, I have choice of berries, melons and other fruit all year round. I know it is not good for the environment or that they are the best quality but it is great to have them. I had been eating cantaloupe for most of the time that I have been here. That is now out of season so not available. There are apples, pears and bananas but except for bananas they are not really what I consider breakfast fruit. I broke down and bought some strawberries. The market seller showed that they were from France so I did not feel too bad buying them. They were expensive relatively but I still bought them so I would have breakfast fruit. I know all of this is first world issues and concerns.

After St. Aubin’s, I bought bread and a chocolatine from the new boulangerie, I found last week. The baguette is very good and is artisanal. I tried their chocolatine this week, broke out of my rut of always buying it from Maison Pillon. It was great so I think that might be my new choice on Sunday.

I bought my protein at Marchè Victor Hugo, again I branched out. I bought clams and shrimp. I had decided to make linguine with clams sauce for dinner. I bought some fresh clams. I, also, thought shrimp scampi would be good for dinner as well. I know that neither dish is French but I did find a French recipe online to use for my clams. I wanted to buy the shrimp and clams as I had mainly bought fish but the shellfish looks fantastic every time I go by the seafood stand and I love shellfish.

I did run into another problem. I wanted to fresh pasta and I knew there were two Italian stores that I could buy it from. The issue was one was closed on Sunday and Monday so I could not use that one. The second shop I found out was only open until 1:00 pm and I missed it as I went to church from 12:00 – 1:00 pm. I did not get the pasta and had to settle for grocery store pasta. It is the first time other than my cereal that I have eaten grocery store food. I should take that back, I eat yoghurt for dinner twice a week.

After waking by the pasta store and seeing it was closed. I bought a half bottle of white wine to cook with and drink. It was burgundy Pouilly Fumé. It is a type of wine I like. It was a little expensive for cooking but was very good.

As I mentioned, I went to church which was good. It was the standard Sunday English language mass at St. Sernin.

I was struck by how much was closed on Sunday as I wandered a different route back from the pasta and wine shops. Almost all the stores and a majority of the restaurants close around 1:00 pm on Sunday. It is so different that the U.S. where everything is open basically 7 days a week. Some restaurants close on Monday but most stores are open 7 days. I cannot say I am opposed to the closing on Sunday. It definitely gives works time to spending enjoying their lives and spending time with friends and families.

Here is a picture of dinner.