Au Revoir Toulouse, Bonjour Paris

This week was the last and best week in Toulouse!  It started out with a tour of Toulouse by Julien.  During this tour we visited multiple churches.  Each church had unique elements from different points in history, and each one was beautiful.  The architecture and paintings were incredible!

After visiting some churches and eating lunch we went to a high rise parking garage where we could see the city from a different perspective.  The view was remarkable; I now know why it is called the pink city.

The next day we traveled to Roquefort to learn how their cheese is made.  This is one of the two best experiences I have had on this trip.  We were given VIP treatment! Not only did we learn the process from the cheese master himself, we also had complimentary samples of all of their cheeses.  Needless to say, the cheese was delicious.  One thing I have learned is their cheese making process is precise and time consuming, but it is worth it.

The best day I have had pin this trip was on Thursday.  It started out with a relaxing boat tour of an underground river.  From there we has a delicious lunch at a local restaurant.  I do not think I will ever get tired of eating duck; I wish it was more common in the states.  After the meal we headed toward our main destination, a cave containing prehistoric drawings.  This cave was fascinating! It was completely dark (except for our flashlights), which added to the effect.  The drawings were interesting.  My guess is the cave was used as a celebration area where people would go to relax and converse after a hunt.

  From there we traveled to some castle ruins.  After a nice hike to the top of the hill I could see a breathtaking view of southern France.

On Saturday we departed for Paris by train.  Upon arrival I was greeted with massive clusters of impatient people.  Once everything was organized and checked into the hotel, I headed directly to Chipotle.  Since chipotle uses local ingredients at its restaurants I thought it would be an interesting comparison. It was more expensive but just as delicious.  After chipotle we made our way to Notre Dame.  It was a remarkable sight.  From there we traveled to the Louvre for a quick look.

 The next morning I went with the group to see the Eiffel tower.  We were unable to go up it due to the amount of people in line, but just standing near it was a worthwhile experience.  Once we were done with pictures we explored that part of the city. Although I have only been in Paris for a little over a day, I can tell it is going to be a great week.