Tuesday, April 09, 2019

A to Z Haute-Garonne


A to Z Challenge Here
My favorite place in France is the Haute-Garonne (pronounced aught gare-on), the "Upper" Garonne, in the region Occitanie. Of course, I’m biased as this is where my husband was raised, and my parents-in-law still live. Our friends always make our visits to the region wonderful. I know all of France has beauty and lots to offer. Each region and department is special in its own way and is loved by those who have a connection to it. Haute-Garonne just happens to be the department I’m most connected to (It's one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution in 1790).



I’ve been to other regions and can see myself living in all of them, but my heart has roots in this one, not only because of its beauty and what it has to offer, but because of the people I know who live there. 

My love affair with the Haute-Garonne began when I rode through on a bike from Narbonne near the Mediterranean to Bordeaux on the Atlantic before I met my husband. If you’re young, riding is a great way to fall in love with this country. If you’re not so young, taking a barge on the canals or driving everywhere is better. I’ve spent a lot of time driving in southern France. French drivers can be crazy, and most of the time my husband drives, but I love being able to go down a dirt road and end up finding an old roman aquifer or ruin, or a small town with a great restaurant, or caverns like near Aspet.
Haute-Garonne is full of surprises like that, even when you know the area as well as my husband does. He grew up in Blagnac, famous for Airbus Industries, where my father-in-law worked and retired from.
 Martres-Tolosane video

Other special places include Martres-Tolousan, where specialized chinaware is created, Le Chateau
Laréole, now completely restored, and Cazères by the river. I found videos to give you a taste of the Haute-Garonne and I hope the photos will give you a better sense of why this region is so special to me. Enjoy!
Video of Haute-Garonne


 
On a bus refuge "It is by our fraternity that we save our liberty." Victor Hugo

Rolling decorated fields

A cheese truck at the Colomiers market near Cornebarrieu

On our way!

Flowers, a nice way of dressing up the town

Jean-Louis Toutain made this custom for Martres-Tolosane

A "typical" style in the Haute-Garonne. The barn has been turned into a covered deck

"Bird's" eye" view of the Pyrenees from Martres-Tolosane

Cazères on the river

Dancing party chez mes beau-parents (parents-in-law)


Missed some of my A to Z 2019 posts? Well look no further...
 


All photos by Buie-Collard

5 comments:

  1. Magnifiques photos ! Merci pour le partage !

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  2. When I visit new places, what I most like to see is the countryside - away from the city and the tourist sites. I grew up on dirt roads, to me they are most like home. Looks like a beautiful place. Thank you for sharing.

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  3. Love the photographs that accompany your post. The photo marked, "Flowers, a nice way of dressing up the town" is my favourite. Great post, thanks for sharing.

    H - Health https://writingiscommunication.wordpress.com/2019/04/09/health/

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  4. I can see why you love Haute-Garonne so much! Such a lovely place which has a mix of everything... beauty, art, food, culture, touristy places and much more! Thanks for giving us a virtual tour of this beautiful place.

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  5. It looks lovely - and I'm sure is even lovelier to you with your connections there. I especially enjoyed seeing the cheese truck, which is a new thing for me!
    Black and White: H is for Hercinia

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