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| 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!
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
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| On a bus refuge "It is by our fraternity that we save our liberty." Victor Hugo |
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| Rolling decorated fields |
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| A cheese truck at the Colomiers market near Cornebarrieu |
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| On our way! |
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| Flowers, a nice way of dressing up the town |
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| Jean-Louis Toutain made this custom for Martres-Tolosane |
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| A "typical" style in the Haute-Garonne. The barn has been turned into a covered deck |
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| "Bird's" eye" view of the Pyrenees from Martres-Tolosane |
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| 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
