# E186 Pourquoi Toulouse est devenue la ville préférée des Français ?

## Метаданные

- **Канал:** innerFrench
- **YouTube:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxPB9lEv3ko

## Содержание

### [0:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxPB9lEv3ko) Segment 1 (00:00 - 05:00)

Why has Toulouse become the favorite city of the French? Hello everyone. I hope you are well. For my part, things are going great. Not long ago, I was in Peru. I visited my in-laws whom I hadn't seen for 3 years and I was able to celebrate my birthday with them in the sun. I spent several wonderful weeks there and I must tell you that I was very sad to go home and leave them. Fortunately, upon arriving in France, I landed directly in the city where I live and where I still feel very good. And that's precisely what I'd like to talk to you about today. Toulouse, the pink city. Okay, I admit that the title of the episode is a bit sensationalist, that is to say, it is deliberately exaggerated to attract attention. In reality, Toulouse is not necessarily the favorite city of the French, but it is the city that has seen the most population increase in recent years. And yes, so many people have settled in Toulouse in recent years that it has become the third most populated city in France after Paris and Marseille. It has therefore overtaken Lyon, which until last year occupied the podium. And as you know, I am one of these newcomers since I have been living here since 2021. So in my case, the decision to settle in Toulouse was completely a choice. That is to say, I did not come for work or for family reasons. I was lucky enough to be able to settle wherever I wanted. And after visiting this city in southwestern France, I simply fell in love with the lifestyle and decided to settle there. So of course, among all the newcomers, right, not everyone has the same story. There are many people who settle in the region because there are many industries here, especially aeronautical companies like Airbus or Talè. So these people do not come by choice, but they too can fall in love with the living environment. So in this episode, I'm not going to talk about the economic reasons that might lead people to settle in what is known as the pink city. But I'm going to talk to you instead about what I appreciate, the living environment, the social life, and so on and so forth. I am not offering you an episode with statistics and polls, but rather a personal episode where I talk about what I like about this city. Okay, let's go So, the first thing that struck me when I arrived in Toulouse and made me fall in love with this city was simply its beauty. On one hand, there is its architectural beauty. Toulouse is an old city, especially its city centre which has a lot of character. In particular, one of its main characteristics is its brick. It is this brick that gives it the nickname of the pink city. So, I know the brick isn't really pink, it's more of an orange color. But in reality, if we call Toulouse the pink city, it is also because at sunset, the city takes on a pink hue. The sun sets and turns completely pink. And this is reflected on all the brick buildings which go from a kind of orange tint to a pink tint with variations from one building to another. It gives it a really warm feel and frankly it's super pretty. And beyond this characteristic brick that we find on the facades and also inside the buildings, of course, the buildings in Toulouse are super interesting because they have lots of varied details. I love walking around with my nose in the air, looking up at the facades to try and find new details that I had

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n't noticed before. for example a balcony with lots of small sculptures or on the contrary a very simple balcony made to be forged. There are also inner courtyards with grand staircases, sometimes you find glass windows and I have happened to pass 10 times 15 times in the same street and discover new details. Okay, that's for the architecture, the stone. Another thing that makes it a pretty city is all these natural areas. We'll find lots of parks. For example, I really like the botanical garden. There is also the filter meadow, the garden of the slaughterhouse museum. Okay, I'll give some examples in case you want to visit the city and then of course all the parks that you can find outside the city center since Toulouse is still a city that is spread out and where it is easy to find very airy spaces with gardens, small parks that I could not name but which are parks a little bit in each district. And of course, I can't talk about nature without talking about the Garonne and the Canal du Midi. So, the Garonne is the river that runs through the city and the Canal du Midi, well, it's a canal. A canal, unlike a river, is a waterway that is engineered, that has been made by man, by humans. And so in Toulouse, we have the Canal du Midi, which is a canal protected by UNESCO that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. So whether on the banks of the Garonne or canal, there will be plenty of nature where you can walk, run, cycle and even simply have a picnic. So the architecture, the nature, these are things that make Toulouse really beautiful and that make me love walking around there. Now, for a city to be pleasant to live in, it doesn't just have to be beautiful, it also has to be pleasant to do everyday activities. And in fact, something I particularly appreciate about Toulouse is that it's a city where the city centre is quite compact, meaning there are many things, many activity options that are close together. So in fact, we can live in fairly peaceful neighborhoods where we will obviously still have some shops, some cafes, a bakery of course everywhere in the city, but on the other hand when we want to go and meet our friends for example, we will rather go to the city center and we will even say among friends we meet in the city. That's something I've absolutely never heard of in Paris. Since Paris, there isn't really a single city center. All neighborhoods are urbanized to roughly the same height. In Toulouse. On the contrary, we will all find ourselves in roughly the same place where the activities are concentrated, which means that we will be able to do everything on foot. We can go to the cafe, go out, do a craft activity, then go to the bookstore, then go to a restaurant and a bar. In short, you see urban life but organized around the same place. Then, if we talk more concretely about what these shops and places of socialization look like, I would say that there are two things that I really like. The first is that there is a very important culture of laying and terraces. So, go and sit on the terrace. Well, Toulouse is still a southern city where the climate is very pleasant and therefore terraces are very popular. It is very easy to go and have a coffee, have a drink with a ray of sunshine, while admiring, for example, the Garonne.

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Moreover, if I think back to the park I told you about, the botanical garden for example, there are cafes that open directly onto the garden. And so that's already something I really like and that I think we must find in many cities that have the same climate. Another thing is that even though it's a big city and an increasingly dense city, there are still plenty of local shops. What we call a local business is a business where you know the person who owns the place. For example, we go to a cafe and uh we know the owner, we can talk about our story with him. The same goes for the small local bookstore, the restaurant, and so on and so forth. It is a place that still preserves much of its authenticity and, moreover, makes room for new activities. There are always lots of new shops opening that are quite nice. And then, I'm talking about things that I'm used to, you know. I frequent cafes a lot and it's a very pleasant city for that. But you'll also find artisan workshops, potters, people who do carpentry, things like that. So there you have it, it's a city where there are always people to meet. in various shops. And speaking of meeting people, this is perhaps my last point to make about Toulouse being a great city to live in: there is a culture of friendliness. I'm not saying that all people from Toulouse are nice, but in fact it's a place where people take the time to live, where people aren't too stressed and where there's even a culture of spontaneity. For example, it will be perfectly normal to be sitting at the bar and then start chatting with the table next door. It's not something strange. Likewise, the waiters and waitresses will sometimes take a little while to bring an order, but on the other hand, we will be able to chat with them, uh, discuss, ask them how their day is going and they will answer us sincerely and we will be able to have a conversation. That too, is something I couldn't find in Paris. Then, once again, my main comparison is Paris, but well, I have still been to many other places and it is true that for France, it is one of the warmest cities in terms of human warmth that I have found. So there you have it, that's for my first part, let's say, on the fact that Toulouse is a city where it's good to live and where when I come back after a trip and I arrive here, I immediately always feel very good because it's beautiful, because I find nice activities and nice people. Now, let's move on to the second part. One thing I really appreciated about Toulouse from the moment I arrived was the fact that there is a very strong local culture here, but at the same time it is not exclusionary. In fact, it's very easy to quickly feel like a Toulousain or Toulousaine because there are certain cultural markers that you can quickly integrate and make your own. They already sound very similar in the language. Toulouse is a place with a very particular little accent. It's an accent that is a little slow, a little sing-song. We articulate a lot where certain sounds are said differently compared to Paris for example, the 1 who speaks a little nasally and it's an accent that we easily pick up because it's pleasant because it's really nice. I have even heard people in Toulouse who are not originally French speakers start speaking with this slight accent. And then, beyond the accent, there's the vocabulary. There are certain words that are only said in Toulouse. For example, a " poche" to mean a plastic bag or a "chocolatine" to mean a pain au chocolat. There is this very important debate in France that you may have already seen circulating on the internet in the form of a joke, it is about whether to say pain au

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chocolat. or chocolatine. In fact, the term chocolatine is used in a fairly restricted region of France that extends roughly to Bordeaux. And it's true that I have to say that after 25 years of saying pain au chocolat, it took me barely a month to start saying chocolatine because well, that's how you ask at the bakery, but also because I think it's nice. I don't know, I feel like a Toulouse native when I say that. Well, after the language, there is also the question of the Occitan. Occitan is an ancient language that was spoken in the region centuries ago and still exists as more of a historical cultural touch. People no longer speak this language in everyday life, but it can be found, for example, on street signs. It is always written in French and then in Occitan. Same on the subway. In the metro, there is a voice over the loudspeakers that says the names of the metro stations in Occitan. And in fact, it's not for practical reasons because there would be people who only speak this language, but it's for a historical, cultural reason, so as not to forget where we come from and the fact that the region has a strong historical identity. And it's not an identity that is claimed as something to distinguish oneself from others. It's more to remember that there's a whole history here, and that this region has a history that isn't necessarily the same as that of Paris, Lyon, or Marseille. Moreover, when talking about history and culture, we must not forget to talk about the most important thing, I think, when we talk about local culture, which is gastronomy. And Toulouse is not to be outdone when it comes to gastronomy. So, when we say that something is not lacking, it's a way of saying that uh we don't have to complain, that we too uh we have something important, huh. For example, if I say that my sisters got some great Christmas presents and I say "But I wasn't left out," it means that I also got some great things. So Toulouse is not to be outdone when it comes to gastronomy. Southwestern cuisine has a reputation for being generous, hearty, and convivial. The iconic dish is cassoulet. Of course, it's a stew made with white beans, confit duck, and Toulouse sausage. It's a dish with peasant origins, that can be shared with family and is quite comforting. Typically, this is a dish for winter. In general, traditional cuisine includes a lot of duck or poultry fingers because it is a tradition, as I said, rather peasant. And foie gras originates in particular from the southwest of France. Personally, I love going to a traditional restaurant to order either cassoulet, confit, or even a Toulouse platter which is composed of different duck-based specialties. But I know that many of you are vegetarians and I want to reassure you because I have many vegetarian friends in Toulouse and they also find happiness because as it is a dynamic city where people love comforting and convivial cuisine, there are restaurateurs, chefs, people who run cafes who offer many choices of reinvented, revisited cuisine and then of course, I cannot talk about gastronomy without talking about violets. The violet is a very common flower in the region, used to make beauty products, dyes, but also to make sweet products to consume, and especially the must. For me, it's violet syrup. I tasted this not long ago and frankly, I think it's really good. And now, at restaurants

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or bars, I really like to order a small violet syrup. There are always some here. So there you have it, that's a little thing I love. And then, uh, of course, when we talk about cuisine, we also have to talk about the whole range of international cuisine available. In general, Toulouse is a city with a very large international community and where you will find many markets and in these markets you will find stalls from all over the world. For example, I love the Saint-Uin market on Sundays and every time I go there, I have a different breakfast. Sometimes it's Mexican tilakiles. At other times, it's Greek, Lebanese, Syrian, Algerian, and Nigerian specialties. In short, you understand, there's something for everyone. And that, well, is something you find in many major cities. But Toulouse, apparently, is something that hasn't always existed. I have a friend in particular who grew up in Toulouse and who told me that when he returned years after leaving the city, she was very surprised to see how much it had diversified. And that's something I find really great and which I obviously think might interest you. Okay, and speaking of strong identity and transmission, when you live in Toulouse, you can't ignore rugby, the local sport which is more popular here than football, even though of course football is also important with Toulouse Football Club. But rugby is on another level. Everyone here is watching rugby. Everyone is commenting on rugby. When there are matches, you can't miss them because they are broadcast everywhere. And well, it's not something I'm going to elaborate on much because, as I've already told you and you've also noticed in my podcast topic choices, I 'm not really into sports, I 'm not a sports fan, but rugby is something that is very important in Toulouse. And even I, who have n't seen a football World Cup since childhood, have occasionally watched rugby matches because, well, that's just how it is. I'm from Toulouse now, so I have to. And there you have it, that's how we finish the cultural part with a bit of sport. And now we'll move on to the third part in which I'll talk about travel options from Toulouse. In this last part, I'm going to talk to you about something that is an absolutely mandatory criterion for me when choosing a place to live. And I really think I'm not the only one, since we're in a generation and an era where people are traveling more and more, have more and more opportunities to work remotely, have the opportunity to adjust their schedules, and therefore can afford to travel. And Toulouse is a city that is a very good starting point for travelling. And so, it can be long trips, but it can also simply mean, when I say trip, day trips or excursions for a few days. So, we're going to do this geographically. If we start with the closest areas around Toulouse, in the metropolis or at least in the departments that are all around, we can very easily escape from the city for the day to go, for example, spend the day on a lake. I have a friend, for example, she does paddleboarding. Paddleboarding is a sport where you are on the water and then you paddle. I think the word is international so you might know it. and she often goes out with her dog on Sundays to spend the day in nature. And that's something we

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can do really close to Toulouse. You can also spend the day hiking since very quickly when you go downhill you reach the beginning of the Pyrenees. Then, if we have a little more time, we can go much further into the Pyrenees and do much longer hikes, go skiing, go mountaineering. Well, of course, these are not the Alps and I've already told you on this podcast, my family is from Savoy, so I know the Alps and the Pyrenees very well. Next to them are small mountains. But that's precisely what makes it so charming, you don't need to drive for a super long time to get to the top of the ski slopes. In fact, from Toulouse, you can simply take the T, which is the regional express train, which is an accessible, not very expensive train, on which it is not necessary to book in advance and you can arrive directly at the foot of the ski slopes in just one hour's journey. And if you're not too keen on the mountains or if you want to vary the pleasures, you can also go to the sea since we have the Mediterranean Sea which is really not far away, which is a fairly calm sea with beaches where you can sunbathe, where you can relax. And if you prefer something a little more tumultuous, for example, for surfing, well, you just have to go to the other side towards the Atlantic coast. You can quickly reach the moors or the Netherlands. So personally, I've done everything during these years. I have a small car, a Fiat Panda. I think I told you about my little Fiat Panda when I did my episode on Normandy and Brittany. Well, from Toulouse, my little Fiat, it went uh all the way to the mountains. For example, one year, uh, I spent my birthday in the mountains, there was snow, it was very nice. And then, when the first rays of sunshine appear, I've already gone to the ocean, to the sea. I even remember one time when my little sister came to see me from Paris. I picked her up by car at the train station and we had a weekend during which we traveled everywhere. We went through the mountains, we crossed the Basque Country and then we reached the ocean, a little further and we would have continued towards Spain. So there you have it, it's really a nice starting point for trips, for short stays of a few days. And then, if we're talking about going further, going to other countries altogether, there's of course Spain, Spain which is actually right next to Toulouse. It's faster to get to Spain than it is to get to Paris. Well, the train takes us to Barcelona, but afterwards it is quite easy by taking several trains, taking the bus, taking the car, we can even carpool, to go pretty much anywhere in Spain. And if you want to go to other countries, the airport is quite well connected. There are many, many destinations. It even seems to me that we can go as far as North America, perhaps Canada, I think. But without going any further, Toulouse is loosening up pretty much all of Europe. So it's true that it was a criterion for me because even if I try to fly less, it's still nice to be able to say that I can get home quite easily after a long trip without necessarily having to go through Paris and then take the train. So. So there you have it, I think I've covered all the reasons that led me to settle in Toulouse and which I think have appealed to other people. So, the living environment, the culture, and the opportunity to travel. Why I am very happy in this city and I fully intend to stay here for a few more years. Okay, I'll stop here. I confess that I had written a

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script. I had already recorded this episode and I wasn't very happy with it. And so I just re-recorded it in total freestyle. So I hope you liked it, that I didn't speak too fast, and that I was clear enough. Feel free to tell me what you thought of it in the comments. I always read your posts and I always appreciate your feedback. I'll see you in a few weeks for the last episode of the year. It will surely be with Hugo and Agna to take stock of 2025. Cheers. Hi. See you soon.

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*Источник: https://ekstraktznaniy.ru/video/40728*