8th July 2012

Sometimes bizarre things happen. Saturday Toulouse was really jumpin'.  Like most of France, shops were busy with their annual sales - held nationally from 27 June 'til the end of July. Buoyed up, after saving 23 euros, we headed for the metro at Capitole. Now a dab hand at the ticket machine manoevres, we waltzed through the turnstiles and marvelled again at the wonderful synchronised doors that save so many lives at the platform.  We whizzed through the now familiar stations to the terminus at Balma Gramont. Walking towards the escalators Him indoors searched for our metro tickets. Oh, I blithely told him, we don't need those any more as all outgoing turnstiles open without them. So, he threw them in a waste bin. And there, at the top of the escalator, right in front of the turnstiles was a line of policemen!  Identity cards and tickets please, they shouted.  I went cold. This had never happened before. One approached us. Er, we don't have an identity card as we're not French. And, er, we don't have a metro ticket as we threw them away. He looked sceptical.  Bizarrely, he asked us where exactly. What?  Oh, in the waste bin down there. I pointed vaguely. So, the policeman led Him indoors away to rummage in a wastebin like a vagrant. Thankfully he found both tickets, and after checking my credentials the policeman allowed us to leave. Phew. That was a close call, said Him indoors. P'raps I shouldn't have asked if I could help him with his enquiries?

24 July 2011

It was our wedding anniversary, so spent the day in Toulouse. Balma/Gramont metro only has one line and is the terminus, so what could go wrong?  The car park barrier, surprisingly, was open.  We love the metro:  easy maps on the walls and a voice which announces in advance each stop. Must have known we were there. 
The day started to go awry at lunchtime. Thought smoking had been banned in restaurants, but apparently not under canopies.  What is it with smokers? They think it's perfectly acceptable to light up after their meal and, infuriatingly, rest an elbow on the table and bend their arm away from their face, so a continuous stream of smoke blows into yours!  Ruined our whole meal. Next, the heel came off my shoe, and the local shops only stocked women's shoes up to size 41 (I take 42, size 7 in UK). Nothing for it then but to kick both shoes off and walk in bare feet. Luckily it wasn't raining. However, couldn't find the car park. Balma/Gramont has a multitude and it took an age to find it. Didn't help that Him indoors had drunk too much whisky during the day, so was completely out of it by then. And then....all exits from the car park said 'Exit with ticket only' and we didn't have one! 
A good anniversary?  Him indoors, recalling 44 years ago to the day, muttered 'seemed like a good idea at the time'.

3 July 2011

And so the adventure continues.....
We need to make regular trips to the 'pink city' of Toulouse, so decided to buy one of the new Pack Liberte tickets which allows 12m unlimited returns with reduced prices for ancients like us. Yesterday we tried it out. Problem 1 (you didn't really think everything would go smoothly, did you?): no trains!  Work on the line preparing for the new TGV service Bordeaux to Toulouse. By the time we turned up at le Gare Gaillac, no turning back, so we boarded Le Car - a surprisingly comfortable and efficient coach and joined the French holiday crowds on all roads south.  Problem 2:  I've realised I'm a machinaphobe.  Couldn't fathom the high-tech ticket machines at the Matabiau Metro and needed the inevitable 'young person' to show me how!  This, despite my super high-speed typing skills from another age and my university degree.  N'importe quoi.  The big surprise was the layout on the Metro platforms.  Closed electronic doors, which suddenly swish open in synchrony and perfect alignment with the incoming train. Reminded us of monorails at Florida airports.  So, even if he wanted to, Him indoors couldn't push me under the next train. He said it reminded him of bookmakers of old:  what've you got TouLose...