So I just spent this whole summer and fall in Toulouse, gotta say this city knows how to shift gears with the seasons. Here’s how my days rolled:
Summer Vibes in Toulouse
Started off real basic: just wandering along Canal du Midi in July. Didn’t even rent a bike at first, just walked sticky miles under those plane trees. Sweat like crazy, but that breeze off the water? Pure relief.
August heat hit different though. Learned quick to ditch afternoons outdoors. Hid inside Saint-Sernin basilica – stone walls kept things icy cool while I gawked at the brickwork. Pro tip: churches are free AC here.
- Ate way too many raspberry tarts at Marché Victor Hugo. Vendors pile ’em high like pyramids.
- Got dragged to a “guinguette” river shack. Cheap rosé, cheaper mussels, crazy sunset over Garonne River.
- Stumbled into the Toulouse Game Show in September – place smelled like teen spirit and plastic merch.
When Autumn Knocked
October rolled in, and suddenly those pink bricks looked moodier. Clouds came, cafes fired up heaters on terraces. My routine flipped completely:
Started hitting Jardin des Plantes mornings. Leaves turned crunchy, flowerbeds switched to marigolds and cabbages. Old guys played boules like clockwork at 10am.
Food changed too. Market stalls dumped peaches for apples. Found this tiny joint near Place du Capitole selling cassoulet that’ll put hairs on your chest. Thick, fatty, with duck falling off the bone.
Got lost hunting street art in Saint-Cyprien district one rainy Tuesday. Found a whole alley covered in spray-painted sci-fi lizards. Nobody around – just me and soggy cobblestones.
November even got me culture-ish. Went to Les Abattoirs museum ’cause rain wouldn’t quit. Modern stuff’s not usually my jam, but seeing how they reused that old slaughterhouse? Pretty damn clever.
By end of fall? Yeah, Toulouse wore me out good. Feet sore, belly full, camera jammed with blurry church spires and half-eaten pastries. Worth every sticky summer step and rainy autumn sniffle though.
