Arriving a few days early before our first tour begins, its time to discover the Canal du Midi as it courses its way thought the centre of Toulouse, joining up with two other canals in a swirl of water at the western end of the town. Known as the most beautiful of all the French canals, it's worth a walk along its banks to enjoy the avenues of plane trees and watch the barges and smaller boats finding their way through the lochs. The old town of Toulouse is full of narrow cobblestone streets and many monuments. The main square - the Capitol- is enormous and definitely the place on a Sunday morning for the essential coffee, watching the passing crowd. And after the coffee.... a short walk to the Sunday morning markets circling around the impressive Basilica of Saint Sernin will ensure you have some fresh local produce for Sunday lunch. Definitely worth the visit.
