Southwest France - travel diary


Day 1: Gradignan

Auvillar

Auvillar

Auvillar

Auvillar

Auvillar

Auvillar

Auvillar - La tour de l'horloge

Auvillar - Bric-à-brac in the town hall's courtyard



Auvillar - Eglise St Pierre

Auvillar - Eglise St Pierre


Valence d'Agen

Lauzerte

Lauzerte

Day 2 - early morning walk near Lauzerte

Lauzerte

Lauzerte

Lauzerte

Lauzerte - Eglise St Barthélemy

In Moissac Abbey Cloister

The entrance to Moissac Abbey




Moissac Abbey

Moissac - 30s-styled "kiosque de l'uvarium"

Moissac - 30s-styled "kiosque de l'uvarium"


Moissac's markethall

Moissac Abbey - detail

Moissac Abbey - detail

Moissac Abbey - detail

Moissac Abbey - detail

Have you ever seen an navigable aqueduct ? This one is near Moissac and was built in 1867.

Montauban

Montauban

Day 3: Good morning...go away from the tent, silly hens !

Toulouse - luxury shop window




Toulouse - Place de la Trinité

Toulouse - Eglise Notre-Dame-du-Taur 


Toulouse - Eglise St-Sernin

Toulouse - Eglise St-Sernin

Toulouse - Eglise St-Sernin, weird way to ask for offerings

Toulouse - Eglise St-Sernin, Buddha-looking Jesus

Toulouse - Eglise St-Sernin, punishment

Toulouse - stunning view from the hotel room...

Toulouse - Les Jacobins cloister

Toulouse - Les Jacobins church

Toulouse - believe it or not...

Nougaro's answer

The Work of Art itself

Toulouse - Place St Scarbes

Day 4: Early morning discovery of the unusual system to close the window

Toulouse - possibly the most appetising cakes I've ever seen

Musée des Augustins - Pietà with St John and Mary Magdalene (early 16th c., detail)

Musée des Augustins - St Michael beating down the Dragon (late 15th c., detail)

Musée des Augustins - Keystone decorated with St Francis of Assisi (14th c.)

Musée des Augustins - Japanese-looking nun's head (14th c.)

Musée des Augustins - Sibyl by Jean Bauduy (1523)

Musée des Augustins - Prophet by Jean Bauduy (1523)

Musée des Augustins - Leo and Aries signs (ca. 1120?)

Musée des Augustins - museum overdose / kitsch

Musée des Augustins 

Toulouse - my new favourite bar (called "Bacchus"...)

Toulouse - my new favourite bar (2011, detail)

Toulouse - Nostalgia kicking in

Carcassonne

Carcassonne

Carcassonne by night

Day 5: Carcassonne by day

Carcassonne

Fontfroide Abbey

Day 6: early morning walk, exploring the campsite

Further exploration

Morning walk to the beach







First mediterranean sunrise in years


Gruissan-Plage, with its famous Plage des Chalets where Beineix's film Betty Blue was shot

Narbonne

Narbonne - Indeed, this shop does sell everything to dress your dog in a very chic way

Narbonne

Narbonne


Day 7: Albi Cathedral - Saint Cecilia

Albi Cathedral - the vault

Albi Cathedral

Albi

Cordes

Cordes

Cordes

Cordes

C'est là ce qui fait l'enchantement de Cordes; tout y est beau, même le regret (Albert Camus)

Day 8: Misty morning near Cordes-sur-Ciel