Saying goodbye to Toulouse

The holidays reminded us that it was almost time to go home. For Thanksgiving, we took the missionaries out to dinner. We were going to a buffet that might have had something like turkey and potatoes, but then we ended up going for pizza since the sisters seemed interested in that. It was fun to meet a missionary who came from our stake in California!

During a nice day in December, I decided to get one last view of my favorite park.

And then during our final week in Toulouse, we went to one of our favorite restaurants.

We stayed just long enough in December to see some Christmas lights, decorations, and a Christmas Faire.

Then, it was time to say goodbye for now to France -- Au revoir!

CANNES (FRENCH RIVIERA)

In 2000, Eric worked in Cannes several different times during the year, and he had to stay for several weeks at a time. I was able to join him for two of the trips and I stayed for about 10 days each time.

This year, when he had to make a business trip there this year, I was excited to go again to the beautiful French Riviera. We flew into Nice and rented a car there. As we drove toward Cannes, we went through Antibes where they had a very large market.

In Cannes, because Eric's colleagues were staying at the Carlton Intercontinental Hotel, we stayed there too, and it was a very nice hotel. It had pictures of famous actors such as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie who stayed at the hotel during some of the past Cannes Film Festivals.

The beach area is also very nice.

The view from the hotel was fantastic! I couldn't seem to stop taking pictures.

The main boulevard in Cannes, Croisette, which ran right in front of our hotel is also rather stunning at night.

One day, we took a road trip to Saint-Tropez.

While Eric went to work another day, I went to a lovely tea shop for brunch.

Then, I walked by Ladurée. It was too bad I was too full to eat even more goodies!

THE MEDITERRANEAN: Narbonne area and the nearby beaches

The next day, Suzanne and I decided to take the train again. This time, we went to the city of Narbonne and the nearby beach to see the Mediterranean.

After lunch, we went into Narbonne.

As is often the case with the churches in Europe, the cathedral in Narbonne was well worth seeing.

A few weeks later, Eric and I went back to this area to stay at a B&B and also enjoy the beach one last time. It was a little chilly by the time we arrived at the beach.

CAHORS

My friend Suzanne flew back with me to Toulouse. We had a fun day in Toulouse and then the next day, we took the train to a charming village called Cahors.

It was easy to walk most of the city in a day, and we enjoyed the beautiful countryside.

I love the architecture of the buildings in Europe. As a Californian, I am amazed to see structures that have been around for more than just a few hundred years!