Perpignan

We arrived by train yesterday (Friday) afternoon feeling a bit tired and grumpy. We had to change trains back in Toulouse and the next train was an old one and very full so we were quite cramped. Wendy had the directions to walk from the train station to our hotel ready. It always seems to be through the grungiest part of town and you start to wonder about spending any time here. But then we arrived and sat outside for a lovely café grand crème before going up to our room. On the 3rd floor again but this time there is an elevator. Yeh!!! The room is clean with good big windows that open to the street and to trees.

Using our handy dandy local map of the old town part of this city we found our way to a beautiful canal with so many restaurants alongside. We found the tourist info office, and low and behold there is a Medieval Festival this weekend.  We  found lots of interesting shops and a big Carrefour city store for some supplies.

Castille - The town gate

Albi favorite pics

 We love all the little streets of half-timbered houses here in Albi. 

Some updated with fresh paint on the timbers but some look ancient.

This is one of a few little streets in Albi decorated to bring attention
to breast health awareness month. I think it looks so cool.

My favorite salad: chèvre chaud. This one was enough to fulfil my appetite for this for at least a week. Below: Wendy’s favorite, melon and jambon, also enough for a week!!!

In and around Albi

October 10:
We have done a couple of good walks while in Albi. The map from the tourist office has 3 walks on it. The longer one went from the Cathedral, across the river Tarn on the medieval Pont Vieux and along to a few great view spots where we could look back at the city centre and some of the medieval roof lines, then back across the newer bridge named Pont 22 Aout 1944. (The French name many roads and bridges after historical dates - this one the day the Germans fled Albi.) There is a monument just at the beginning of the bridge to the resistance fighters.

On the city centre side of River Tarn with Pont Vieux on the far right

On the other side of river from viewpoint looking at cathedral and 

Pont Vieux in front with railway bridge in the distance

Today we did a different walk on a trail called Eshappee Verte. It is a lovely nature path right along the edge of the river Tarn then off along a creek called Ruisseau Caussels right through town although feels like a long way from anyone. We did about 8km along the trail and back again. There is a bamboo forest like I have never seen before.

Pont du 22 Août 1944, from the trail

Sunday and Monday in Albi

PS the video I tried to load in last blog will not, so please ignore.

The weather has changed since we arrived here. Cooler, cloudy and a bit of rain. We are now wearing most of our clothes including rain jackets. This town is amazing, the cathedral and the episcopal palace are UNESCO world heritage sites so that brings lots of tourists to town. We have been around the Cathedral Sainte-Cecile a couple of times, inside and out.  It is a massive brick structure with huge towers and bells that ring the hours. The interior is totally painted, much of it in dark colours, giving a sombre atmosphere. Wendy was fascinated with the huge 15th century painting of the “Last Judgement”. We also  visited the Choir of the cathedral, where the choir screen is considered to be some of the finest surviving sculptured medieval carvings (all angels and bishops).

We visited the formal gardens of the bishop’s palace (now contains the Toulouse-Lautrec gallery). We will see that later but the gardens are beautiful especially with the view across the River Tarn. The site now belongs to the city of Albi and the Tarn Department.

Albi Market pictures

 

Saturday Market Day in Albi

October 5
We had the best farmers market experience ever on Saturday morning. Our apartment is across the street from the indoor Halles Market which has many vendors selling their produce every morning (except Monday), and then on Saturday all around the outside of the market many more producers and farmers set up their tables or drive in their trucks that transform into small stores. We just had such fun checking everything out then going back to decide what we wanted to buy to make our dinner, since we have our own kitchen for the next 5 days.

We bought tiny green beans, little new potatoes and chicken breast strips marinated in lemon and thyme. We also got a little melon, ripe and ready to eat for our dessert tonight.  Also bought some local cheeses to sample and some French gala apples. There were so many folks there buying their veggies, seafood and meat, etc. Lots of families.

Right at 2pm all the market stalls were taken down and another event set up in the same place around the market and in front of the cathedral. We went into the Tourist Info office to ask what it was about and we discovered it was an evening half-marathon team relay starting at 8pm.  And food would be served inside the Halles Market until late for anyone and everyone who came out to cheer their team on or just watch. We headed out right after supper and got caught up in the fun of watching the runners coming in and tagging their team member who would then head out. No idea of numbers but there were a lot of runners, and the whole event was highly organized, with lights, cameras, loudspeakers.

We went into the market to see what was going on there.  Vendors selling wine and lots of different plates of meats and cheeses and fancy breads. Then the singing started! A Basque men’s choir of about 10 very animated fellows, all dressed in white. They had everyone clapping along with them – us too!  What fun and what a great day!

Albi October 4

We took the train from Toulouse to Albi, just over an hour’s ride through mostly farm land, corn fields, sorghum and vineyards with a few villages. Taking the train in France has been a real treat. We can book our tickets on line, picking a time after the early morning rush to get the cheapest tickets. As seniors we have been able to purchase our tickets for €5 each. What a deal!

We arrived in Albi and had a 1k walk into the old town and our apartment which we had rented for 5 days. We were both excited to be somewhere for a few days and just hang out. We finally found the place after a visit to the Tourist Info office and a chat with a friendly fellow who pinpointed the building on the town map for us.

Wendy had the code to get in and we were tickled with the very old place that has been updated and so cute. The downside was it had not been cleaned since the last folks left which we assumed was the same  morning. First we were a bit deflated but then left our packs in a corner and headed to the main Place Sté-Cecile. Had a very good grand café creme and then a sandwich and felt ready to
take it on. Wendy phoned the owner and could not get in touch with her so emailed booking.com who said to get in touch with the owner. Wendy listed the problems: no linen, no clean towels, no toilet paper etc. We headed off to explore for a couple of hours, then found the grocery store and bought some stuff so we could have tea, dinner and breakfast. When we got back to the apartment at 5 the bed had been made, toilet paper in place and 2 clean towels out. Certainly the bare minimum but we can cope.