I packed my suitcases and straighten the apartment for the final time. I cleaned out the refrigerator of what little was left. It was sad to think that it was the last day but since I know I am coming back it is not so bad. I have even communicated with the Airbnb host and has confirmed that it will be available next fall. He contacted me as he had gotten a request for a booking in November but did not want to take it if I was coming back. I told him I was so he did not take the reservation and held my dates.

For breakfast, I walked over to the boulangerie that Elliot said had the best croissants. It was about a 15 minute walk so it was good exercise for before breakfast. Elliot was correct, they were delicious. The boulangerie is very small and does not even have a name. I splurged and got both a regular croissant and a chocolatine.

After the packing, I headed over to Le Panache for my last real meal in Toulouse for this trip. Enzo was working but Evrim had the day off. It was one of the best lunches I have had. The starter was grilled sardines which I love. It brought back good memories of my trips to Portugal. The main course was Merlu with grilled eggplant in a tomato sauce. It was really fantastic. I am going to miss Enzo and Evrim but we will stay in touch by WhatsApp.

The weather was not was not ideal this morning, it was very overcast, cool and windy with the chance of rain. It did rain but luckily not while I was out and about. It made it less difficult to think about leaving. Unfortunately, by the time I ran in the evening it had turned beautiful so that made it a little harder to think about leaving.

In the evening, I did the last run with Elliot and Marc. They have been a real mainstay in my stay and I have enjoyed the runs and getting to know them. Marc surprised me as he showed up in a shirt that was not red or orange and black shorts. He wore the shirt from the race I went to watch and bright green shorts. He said he wore it because I told him it looked good when I saw him at the race. Run in Toulouse really has been a source of good things for me. I have met people through it, have gotten to know the city and had something fun to do.

On the way home from the run, I ran across and other band performing in front of the bars at the Place Saint-Pierre. It has become a nightly occurrence for me to find these.

Tomorrow as the song says “My backs are packed and I am ready to go, I am leaving on a jet plane” Unlike the song, I will be back soon and am looking forward to my return. I have enjoyed this stay immensely as Toulouse has come to feel like home. It is nice now to have two homes. I am looking forward to seeing friends and enjoying summer in the Washington area but will definitely be anticipating my return to Toulouse.