Let's continue our walk in my hometown. (Part 1 can be found here. Part 2 can be found here.)
Toulouse has been inhabited since the 8th century B.C. The original settlers lived in the hills overlooking the Garonne, a few kilometres south of today's city center. The site was also conveniently located between the Pyrénées, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, which helped make it a major trading center.
Toulouse's first name was Tolosa. Julius Caesar also called it Tolosates. Overall, though, the name has not changed much over the centuries.
According to Wikipedia, the city "was one of the wealthiest and most important cities in Gaul during the pre-Roman era. Gold and silver mines were nearby, and offerings to its shrines and temples accumulated wealth in the city."
Stay tuned for more historical tidbits!
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Buy a print here.
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Buy a print here.
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Photos 1-4: Allée Jules-Guesde.
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
Buy a print here.
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Photos 5-11: Place St Etienne.Place St Etienne is one the most beautiful squares in Toulouse. It boasts the oldest fountain in the city and the Saint-Etienne Cathedral, a stunning Gothic church that was built over five centuries.
It is also surrounded with antique dealer shops and quaint restaurants and cafés. On Saturdays, there is a second-hand book market.
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Buy a print here.
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Buy a print here.
Photos 13-14: Allées Forain-François Verdier.Walk to the end of the avenue and you will reach one of the entrances to Jardin du Grand-Rond (or Boulingrin). It is one of the three public gardens I mentioned in my first post.
Every first Sunday of the month, there is an exhibit of classic cars in this area. Antique dealers also gather there during the same weekend.
Toulouse's main (WWI) war memorial is behind you.
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
Buy a print here.
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
As I told you last week, Toulouse is best enjoyed looking up...
Original size: 6030 × 4028 pixels
A remnant of the old Roman wall.Toulouse is a former Roman colony. Its first protective wall was built in the 3rd century A.D., and then reconstructed during the first century CE.
Buy a print here.
See you next week for part 4!
View more photos of my visit to France here.
