Last night is the night Oly and Lillian don’t wake us up because “it’s too dark,” which I think is just their way of confirming we are still there and they are safe. This bed is comfortable, and I think we all sleep well.

We have no plan for the day. None at all. This may be the first time we’ve just walked out the door and started exploring a city since Lubeck (the first stop on this adventure). We know which way is the city center and walk in that direction. Luckily we are very close. We have to cross a set of railroad tracks, but it’s a beautiful and easy walk. The main road leads us into town, where we find a Starbucks and a carousel. Lillian and I go to Starbucks. I really miss a normal latte. The coffee so far on this trip has been atrocious. Most places in France use those pods, and it just doesn’t give you the same flavor as a real espresso machine or as a freshly brewed cup of coffee. So this trip to Starbucks feels like a real luxury at this point.

With hot delicious coffee in hand, we go back to the square to see Oly riding the carousel! He is having so much fun, and this is the first time he’s ridden any ride without an adult. He is growing up so much on this trip.

We have our coffee and snacks on a nearby park bench. This square is lovely, and we are beginning to see the charms of Toulouse. The kids ride the carousel again. Oly picks a horse again, and Lillian spins around viciously she can be quite the little daredevil. Her laughter fills the whole square.

We walk more into town. We see the main square with the government buildings and find a cool market hall. We walk and we walk and we walk. And it’s hot.

Around 12:30, we stop at a place Stefan found on Yelp for lunch, Les Tartines. It is a charming little cafe that makes you feel like you are in your aunt’s kitchen. The staff are extremely friendly, and the food is amazing. I have a Salade Paysanne, Oly can’t resist and orders an English Breakfast (they had a picture in the menu), Lillian has the special pasta with chicken, and Stefan has the cassoulet. It is all really really good. I know I keep saying the food is good at places, but it really is all that good. I think we have pretty high standards, and we keep getting completely blown away by the food in France.

We set out into the hot streets again. Our goal is to reach the river. We pass through a beautiful garden and an impressive old church. Once we get to the water, we are all so hot and tired we can’t imagine going any further. We select a shaded table at a cafe and enjoy some cold beverages (beer for adults and water for kids). We sit there for awhile. All of a sudden, three couples get onto a stage in the square across the street and begin dancing the tango. It is beautiful.

We walk along the waterfront for a couple blocks.  The kids are fascinated by these holes in the wall and spend a long time looking through each one. It takes us 15 minutes to walk a couple blocks, but this is what it’s about, right?

We finally reach a cute little park filled with couples sunning themselves. Then we see it: the playground. The main part looks like a ship, and our kids go nuts. I love watching them enjoy a playground. Soon Lillian has a bathroom emergency, so our trip is cut short. We head up the street, away from the water, until we find a cute place that might have a nice bathroom.

We order smoothies and cookies and sit outside in the shade. It’s very relaxing. Two breaks in a row really helps me regain my energy. I complimented a woman at the restaurant on her dress, and she told me where to find the store where she bought it. (Swedes would never do that, and I loved it!) After our snack, we head in the direction. This is when we find the cutest shopping street.

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We spend the next hour or two perusing the shops of just a couple blocks. We don’t even make it to the shop I’d originally wanted to visit! There are so many cute places. I’d recommend this street to anyone wanting to do a little shopping on their vacation. Stefan bought another pair of shorts, and I finally got a nice pair of jeans to replace my torn ones. And they were on sale! (Sales usually take place semi-annually in European towns, so you can usually find deals at the end of June/early July.)

The sun is finally low enough in the sky to grant some relief from the heat. The light at this time of day is my absolute favorite. We walk up and down small, winding streets until we find a playground. Lillian plays while Oly and Stefan admire movers unloading an apartment through the window.

As we walk to dinner, Oly falls asleep in Stefan’s arms and stays asleep even as we sit for dinner. It’s a new restaurant called Meet the Meat. It’s not the best name, but they have great steaks at reasonable prices. We each start with a simple salad and then have steak. It’s great and very affordable for dinner. Oly wakes up during dinner and scarfs down a good portion of the dinner.

We walk home, tired and ready for bed.