During WWI, Georges Latécoère founded the Aeropostale, a pioneering aviation company that specialized in airborne postal services. Destinations included Morocco, Barcelona and South America. It also boasted talented pilots like Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
In the 1930s, the company was hit by the financial crisis and integrated with other aviation companies into newly created Air France.
(Today, Toulouse is at the centre of the European space sector. The same goes for the aviation industry. It holds the top spot on the continent and ranks number 2 in the world. The Airbus planes are built there.)
On September 21, 2001, Toulouse's AZF chemical plant exploded, killing 29 people and damaging many buildings, including schools, houses, churches, monuments, and shops. The factory was destroyed, of course, and "replaced" by a crater that was 7 meters deep and 40 meters wide.
I still remember the event vividly. At least two loud bangs were heard (as far as 100 kilometres away). A few seconds later, the earth and buildings shook. Windows exploded everywhere.
Then, everything went "dark" - people inside the city were cut off from the rest of the world for about 24 hours. Phones did not work and we were told to stay inside. It was a very surreal experience, especially because I had driven by that area the day before at around the same time (10 a.m.). The 9/11 events had also occurred 10 days earlier.
A few years later, a cancer research center was "built on the ashes" of the factory. But people still speculate about what really happened. Some will tell you that it was a terrorist attack. However, the plant, which belonged to the Total group, had a history of being poorly maintained. According to a person who had worked there in the 1970s, the accident was just a matter of time...
In 2014, the French parliament passed a law reducing the number of metropolitan regions from 22 to 13. Toulouse became the capital of Occitanie last year.
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Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Buy a print here.
Photo 2: A footbridge leading to Jardin du Grand Rond.Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Buy a print here.
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Buy a print here.
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Buy a print here.
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Photos 4-7: The Canal du Midi at Dieupentale.Dieupentale is a village located in the Tarn-et-Garonne department, about 30 minutes by car from Toulouse. Two of my cousins moved there a year ago.
The photos below feature objects that were in my grandmother's apartment.
My grandma passed away on December 10, 2016, at the age of 85. She was a very courageous lady who had decided to die on her own terms after being diagnosed with a cancer of the lymph nodes. She had lost her two children and her husband in the 2000s.
My grandmother was adamant that she would not leave this plane in her home, where she had lived for almost seven decades. She wanted to be in a place that would provide palliative care and where staff would not force her to eat.
In October, I decided to stay in Toulouse to take care of her and ensure that all her wishes would be met. For weeks, I lived with her, tending to her every need. Then, when professional care was of the essence (she had lost half her weight and was becoming too weak and "breakable" for an untrained carer like me), I had her transfered to a wonderful nursing home. I was with her every day until she took her last breath.
At 5:50 pm, I entered the room and called her name. She had been in a coma for a couple of hours but heard me. She closed her eyes and a tear fell down her cheek. She opened her eyes again and passed away with a smile on her face. It was one of the most beautiful moments I have ever experienced.
Despite my mental and physical exhaustion, those nine weeks were the most extraordinary in my life. I feel blessed that I had the opportunity to take care of her. Knowing that she died the way she wanted, surrounded with love, and without the fear of being alone, makes me very happy. There is no better way to grieve the passing of a person who matters to us...
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
That's it for this series on Toulouse, my hometown. I hope you enjoyed the photos.
Join me next week for the last stop on my trip to France - Surgères!
View more photos of my visit to France here.