28 February 2018
As a student on a tight budget I’m always hunting for cheap tickets for short weekends away. One of the cheaper flights from Edinburgh will take you to Toulouse in the South of France. This was my three day experience with two of my MSc IBEM classmates.
We got up at 4am to get to the bus stop and catch the bus to the airport. We flew with Ryanair and were greeted by rain upon arrival to Toulouse. We drove across town and stopped at a French bakery to pick up some bread and cakes for lunch. Boy oh boy do the French do pastry! I was in awe of the impressive displays of cakes and breads.
My first impressions of France were of lovely shutter windows and terracotta buildings, and the countryside was beautiful! I enjoyed experiencing French culture and how very few shops in Toulouse are open on a Sunday – they really respect and value rest days and enjoying a meal. When it is lunchtime in the city, many places close and people go out for an hour or two and really enjoy the meal, they don’t sit at their desk and scoff down food and keep working. Speaking of food – I had the most incredible pastry I have ever had – layers of hazelnut dacquoise and hazelnut cream. Delicious!
After lunch we road tripped for an hour to Albi which is a World Heritage Site and has a population of 50 000 people and like many French towns, it is divided by a river and has gorgeous terracotta brick bridges connecting the town. We wondered along the cobble stoned streets and marveled at the tiny cafes and fountains and all the Christmas lights. We went to the Palais de la Berbie and construction began in the 8th century and it is 50m high and it has the most amazing gardens looking over the Tarn river.
The first human settlement in Albi was in 3000-600BC and the Old Bridge over the River Tarn was built in 1040 AD! From the amazing palace gardens, we walked to the imposing cathedral of Albi which is possibly the biggest cathedral I have ever seen. Construction began in 1282 and it is claimed to be the largest brick building in the world and its max height is 78ms! The style is Southern Gothic and the bell tower was added in 1492. We went inside the cathedral and were blown away by its elaborate interior – a stark contrast to the brick exterior. We were also blessed to stumble in on a French school choir carol service and it gave me goosebumps listening to the tune of carols that I recognise in English but being sung in French! It was really special.
We walked through the town and marvelled at the narrow cobbled streets and fairy lights. There was also a quartet of Santas playing carols and they were delightful!
Natasha Lynne Ashley, MSc International Business and Emerging Markets