This week we have gone from weather similar to early spring (early March) to late spring (late May) It was nice to see the sun come back out and for the temperature to reach the low 70s/10s. I took advantage of the weather to do a long walk around the city.

Part of the reason for the long walk was looking for a place for lunch. I had decided I wanted Vietnamese for lunch. I wandered to my first choice but it was closed so I headed over to another restaurant that I had wanted to try but it was closed as well. I, finally, found a restaurant that I had eaten at previously which was good.

I was somewhat confused as Monday is usually the day that most restaurants were closed and this was Tuesday. I guess that the Vietnamese restaurants take advantage of the other restaurants being closed on Monday and stay open and then close on Tuesday.

I had a nice lunch with having Tongkinese soup (a version of Pho). I, also, had a Saigon beer. I was trying to emulate my meals I had in Vietnam when traveling there. It was unusual as I was the only one in the restaurant.

In the evening, I ran with Run in Toulouse. The running group has become one of the main reasons I feel at home in Toulouse. It has been very opening and welcoming to me. I have met the most people I know in Toulouse from the running group. It, also, gives me a break from trying to think and talk in French as my main running buddies speak English. I joke I cannot run and translate. Eliott was the first person I really connected to in Toulouse and we have stayed friends over my times here. Marc is the other person I know best in the running group. He is the reason I am going to Andorra – to watch his marathon.

I have realized how universal running is and how easy it is to connect with fellow runners. I have run with various group whenever I travel to other places and the groups are always welcoming to new people. There is a bond between runners – I joke based on suffering. No runner has had a good run every time they run. We all know the ups and downs and running.

I felt good about the run for another reason. I had a whole conversation in French with another runner. I had met him earlier and the interesting part is he is Italian and I am American. When we saw each other, we started out in French and kept going. I felt comfortable not shifting to English which I know he spoke.