In various places in France there is a man who plays the famous song La vie en rose by Edith Piaf with his accordion. In it, the singer talked about a lover in whose arms she loses herself, in whom that “life in pink” is born. A similar sensation invades us when we walk through the alleys of Toulouse, the pink city of France, the confidant of a Garonne river that divides all its charms to display a succession of irresistible postcards: from picnics based on baguettes with crudités next to the canal du Midi to the group of Toulousans playing pétanque near the Place de la Dorada.
We enter the jewel of Occitania, its medieval charm and the certainty of seeing life through new colors.
When we look up at the half-timbered buildings of the medieval town of Toulouse, many of us think that the facades were painted that characteristic pastel pink, but that is not exactly the case. The absence of stone production led the inhabitants to mold their own bricks from clay obtained from nearby quarries. The reddish color of this material comes from the well-known brique foraine or brick with reddish and pink tones so typical of this city.
A perfect common thread that guides us through a practically intact old town – in the absence of the old wall – that we can discover starting from rue Gambetta, one of the most beautiful streets in Toulouse. The balconies swollen with flowers, the pink color palette and the typical cafes give a picture that encourages you to get lost in the rich history of the city.
Toulouse was conquered by the Romans in the 1st century BC. under the name of Tolosa and, centuries later, the city was the headquarters of the Cathars, whose perception of Christianity stood out from their predecessors. This plurality today gives Toulouse a range of historical influences that whisper through attractions such as the Jacobin convent, built in the 13th century around one of the most beautiful cloisters in France.
Not far away, the Place du Capitole is ideal for soaking up the hustle and bustle of Toulouse and stopping along the way at one of the terraces next to the Town Hall. As options, most of the menus will include cassoulet, a stew based on white beans, vegetables or meat, a signature dish of a gastronomy that also includes essentials such as its charcuterie, duck as the star of its magrets and foie gras, or the garbure, a vegetable and pork soup perfect for winter days.
At the Hôtel d’Assézat, the Bemberg Foundation preserves an extensive art collection; and in the Basilica of San Sernín, you will immerse yourself in the spirituality of one of the mythical stops on the Camino de Santiago. A huge construction that projects the charm of the largest Romanesque church in all of Occitania and the second oldest in France, built over twelve centuries.
History brings us back to the present on Rue Gramat, filled with urban art murals that define the cosmopolitan charm of the city. Further ahead, you can see cruise ships and boats arriving through the Canal du Midi (or Canal du Midi) until it merges with the Garonne. A walk along the bank, so many lovers on that bridge and of course, the curiosity to change shore.
Whether through the Pont Saint-Pierre or the Pont Neuf, crossing the Garonne River to reach the left bank of Toulouse is an immersion in the Saint-Cyprien neighborhood, an ancient forgotten area that today reflects the pulse of this constantly evolving city. .
Here the handles of the exotic products shops are intertwined with African hair salons around the other great icon of Toulouse: the dome (or dôme) of the Chapelle Saint-Joseph de la Grave, a church located inside what was a former hospital for plague patients. Considered a “lighthouse” for the people of Toulouse, the dome dominates the entire panorama of the left bank and the pink colors that compete with another color: the violet of Toulouse.
This iconic flower has been cultivated in the French city since the mid-19th century – legend has it that it all began with the love story between a Piedmontese soldier and his beloved, whom he presented with a bouquet of this colorful flower. Folklore surrounds the emblem of Toulouse widely used in cosmetics, perfumery and even gastronomy. Proof of this is La Maison de la Violette, created in 1993 with the aim of promoting knowledge of the violet through different products, workshops and even rooms where you can taste a typical tea.
Drunk with aromas, we return to the streets but the dome of Saint-Joseph does not abandon us. The sun is at its peak and the color of the facades has changed from pale pink to a vibrant shade. That accordion plays again, someone kisses on a bridge and Toulouse hugs us like the lover of that old song.
