Tu Tu eats Toulouse

Cou Cou, Denny!

I’ve just returned from my week in Toulouse, known as la Ville Rose for its unique red brick architecture, and am back in Marrakech, also known as the Pink City for its distinctive mud wall architecture. So, how bout that?

Toulouse is one of those almost impossibly charming French towns. It feels like a village but is the size of a city and there is a huge university – I think the second largest in France- and consequently a very youthful energy abound. Wonderful little bridges that reminded me of Paris soar over the arresting River Garonne. They don’t skimp on religious buildings over there and we visited all the biggies: Saint-Sernin Basilica, the Church of the Jacobins, and the Saint-Etienne Cathedral.

Oh, the family Foltran and co. def does not skimp on eating well. Foie gras is an integral part of every meal. My summer wedding diet is jump starting today after a week of ma regime francaise… My typical day, and I exaggerate not:

Breakfast: Pain au chocolate, eggs and bread with various jams.

Lunch: Foie gras and baguette to start, followed by a Cassoulet (a stew-like dish famous in the region that consists of beans, pork sausage and/or duck) and french fries, then a plate of Roquefort cheese and bread, perhaps a green salad, and ending with a tart de pommes. Various wines throughout.

Dinner: Foie gras and baguette to start, followed by a magret de canard – duck breast- with mashed potatoes, a plate of various cheeses (always accompanied by the French peeps teasing me about Americans being fearful of cheese) and ending with a crème brule or mousse au chocolate. Various wines throughout.

As you might imagine, Deni, I’ve packed on quite a few and in order to fit into Mollie’s bridesmaid dress in a few months, I’ve got to adjust my diet pronto. Other then eating, I also went to my first rugby game, which was supposedly one of the biggest matches in France – Paris versus Toulouse. I purchased a bright red Toulouse t-shirt and scarf to wear to the game, which perhaps caused Pascal a moment or two of hesitation about dating an American-American who kept asking where the popcorn and beer was at the game.

Vaca is over and I've returned to piles of work, an insufficient funds notice and not a few scathing e-mails from my boss. Gotta run.

Later D.

JAK