Bridges, parks, and springtime sunlight - Garonne, Toulouse, France.

The Pont Neuf (literally - "New Bridge") area houses a green meadow that stretches along the banks of the Garonne river. Right in the middle of the city, it is one of the few places where some peace and quiet can be found away from the busy shopping areas and traffic. I rather enjoyed sitting on the grass with a book, although I was soon distracted by the many activities going on about the meadow and spent the next half hour or so people-watching. It was a lovely spring day, one of the first warm days this year, and the meadow was full of couples, families and young people, the latter of whom had clearly escaped school to enjoy the sunlight. 

The meadow also offers a pleasant view of the bridge itself, which was built in 1659 (so it's not really that new at all!). Note that the bridge is lit up at night - which makes for a stunning sight too. You can also see the older part of Toulouse from the meadow, with its old pink brick buildings, domes roofs and the other bridges dotting the Garonne. The boats passing by also make for interesting watching - and in the summer there are, of course, many, many more of them.

Tea salons in Toulouse, France

I found this adorable place hidden away in a strange, empty little street. It was raining, and I needed to get inside and drink something hot - and this tea salon sort of popped up at the most opportune moment. The view from the window is actually rather nice - old brick buildings and cobbled streets. The fact that it was raining also gave a certain French charm to the entire experience - people rushing by, droplets of rain on the glass, the smell of coffee inside, and a good book I happened to have with me.

The decor is rather quirky; one wall is entirely covered by multicolored paper labels with different words in French/English/etc. The café viennois I had was pretty much perfect - real whipped cream, as opposed to the aerosol kind - and a good, strong espresso base.

The place also does light food, and appears to be favored by the bohemian, theatrical types of the area; judging both the patrons I saw and the assortment of posters for plays, musicals, operas (and so forth) all about the tea salon itself.


Salon de the "ô 3 C"

54 rue Peyrolières
31000 Toulouse
France

Telephone: 05 61 12 47 04



 * * *

This is an absolute must in Toulouse. The selection of teas is amongst the biggest I've seen anywhere so far - and the Japanese cherry blossom tea I had was brewed to perfection. Served in pretty antique-looking teapots, with matching cups and saucers, in a room lavishly decorated with chandeliers, it's an experience no tea lover should miss.

As a (sweet) bonus, there are the cakes. The "meli melo" option gives you a selection of 3; you can choose the cakes yourself or ask the waiter to select the ones s/he recommends. The banoffee cake is apparently legendary; but the pavlova, peanut and chocolate slice and apple-and-raspberry crumble we had were all just sublime. It's not just good baking; it's fantastic! The cakes are made in their own kitchens, and may not be quite as pretty as manufactured cakes, but their deliciousness more than compensates for this. Truth be told, I found myself remembering the taste of the cakes hours later.


"L'autre salon de the"

45, Rue des Tourneurs 31000
Toulouse
France


Telephone: 05 61 22 11 63

Oxford Covered Market

Oxford's Covered Market is a place where you can find pretty much anything. Fresh fish and meat, souvenirs, flowers, clothes. It's a lovely little place to wonder through on a rainy day -  quaint and filled with smells and noises of every kind. If you need something - chances are, you'll find it here.

"Ben's Cookies", located at the Market entrance just off High Street, is a bit of an Oxfordian legend. The cookies come hot, with gooey chocolate inside - definitely a treat not to be missed. There is a good dozen of flavors - white

chocolate, nuts, oats, and many others. Not diet-friendly whatsoever, but decadently delicious.

The fish and meat stands are also superb - the produce is always fresh, the prices are better than in most supermarkets, and the stall-keepers are friendly and ready to recommend a recipe or two. There are also two fruit and vegetable stalls which feature strawberries that actually taste like strawberries (as opposed to strawberry-flavored water), pomegranates, and very appealing prices.

It is also the place to go to for flowers - be it bouquets, baskets or arrangements of any other kind, cheap or expensive. "Jemini" does pretty much anything you may want flower-wise. Just coming there with a particular budget and saying that you want a bouquet for a birthday/wedding/"thank you" gift will get you something lovely and unique.

There are also cafes, a place that does sumptuous crepes, newspaper kiosks, a barber, numerous clothes shops, shops that sell paraphernalia ranging from soft toys to chinaware, and endless other little places I spent three years discovering. Don't miss!

OXFORD COVERED MARKET
Market St,
Oxford OX1 3DZ,
United Kingdom
Telephone: 01865 250 133

Oxford's less(er) known attractions - Part I

There are a few well-kept "secrets", of sort, in Oxford. These are the places tourists rarely venture into, but they are worth a visit if you feel like seeing/experiencing something slightly different.

The first is a coffee shop called "The Missing Bean" - a place which, I am willing to swear, makes the best coffee in Oxford. Unfortnately, tables are hard to get, as the place is busy pretty much most of the time. But it's worth the wait - their cappuccinos are divine and the barristas are phenomenal. I love to bring a book and sit on the windowsill with a cup of coffee and a slice of carrot cake - especially during those long rainy evenings (conveniently, "The Bean" is open until late - 9 pm).

Most tellingly, it's the place where the Oxfordians get their coffee!

THE MISSING BEAN
14 Turl Street
Oxford, OX1 3DQ
Telephone: 01865 794886

A second place - the University Parks - I came to love after discovering it to be a shortcut from my department to college. The pathways are very pretty and the scenery, especially after snowfall, is gorgeous. The photo on the right was taken on a particularly foggy (and snowy!) afternoon, for example, but during summertime the Parks are an expanse of green lawns and lush trees. A good place for picnics or just a brisk morning walk, a little corner of serenity located near the city center. On summer evenings, the Parks become a flurry of activity, with juggling, cricket and football clubs all using the grounds as practice fields.

UNIVERSITY PARKS
South Parks Road
Oxford, OX1 3RF

Thought not as grand as some of the other Oxford colleges, Green Templeton College, is nevertheless a place worth a visit. It boasts Oxford's first Observatory, built especially for the purpose of studying the transit of Venus. A small graduate college, it has lovely grounds and a sense of "Oxford-iness" despite not being the quintessential "quads and towers" type of college (such as Christ Church and Magdalen, amongst others). If you're lucky, you may also meet Professor Felix Burbank, the very fat, very spoilt, and much beloved college tabby cat.

GREEN TEMPLETON COLLEGE
Woodstock Road
Oxford, OX2 6HG

Albion Beatnik Bookstore/Cafe, Oxford

This is a little gem I passed by a couple of times on my way to seminars/library, but never though of visiting until today. Quite possible because it doesn't really seem like much at first - small, dusty, quaint, with mismatched tables and peeling paint.

It's the little details that make it such a wonderful place. It's utterly and completely unpretentious. The books are stacked in piles on the wooden floors and coffee tables. You get to choose your own teacups - there is an assortment of them, ranging from what appears to be antique china to oriental tea glasses. The cakes are scrumptious. Even the music - light jazz - gives a certain bohemian "oomph" to the place.

The selection of books, both new and second-hand, is rather impressive, for such a small shop. There is modern fiction, poetry, drama, history, children's books, and biographies. Jazz lovers will find a wonderful collection of books about the genre. I chose a biography of Shakespeare, in wonderful condition and at only £3. What makes the "Beatnik" a great place for book lovers, however, is the fact that you can quite comfortably spend hours rummaging through the shelves, never feeling rushed. There are no uniformed shopkeepers, and no high-street glossiness of "Blackwells" to make you want to buy and dash. It's the sort of place to enjoy, to savor. The sort of peaceful hideaway that is a rare find today. Maybe this is exactly what makes it so special.


ALBION BEATNIK
34 Walton Street
Oxford
OX2 6AA
England

books@jazzscript.co.uk
Telephone: 01865 511345