Occitania (Toulouse, Meauzac, Montauban, Agen), France
Have you ever done any solo international travel? It was always an exciting concept to me, but fear and lack of confidence kept me from executing. However, I think for many of us, Covid forced us to reconsider our priorities and reminded us that time waits for no one. I spent a lot of time thinking about my passions and what it would take to turn my dreams into a reality.
When I was in Portugal, I learned about iTalki, a European based language learning application where you connect with teachers/tutors all over the world and learn via video conference. I was lucky enough to connect with Johann, an amazing teacher based in Agen, France, and have been taking weekly lessons with him since September 2021.
It was also in Portugal, where I met Ana and Laeticia, a beautiful couple from Southern France, Meauzac, to be exact. We were not fluent in the same languages, but we instantly connected at the random neighborhood bar in Porto and managed to stay in touch!
A few months went by, and I realized that Ana and Laeticia live within driving distance of Johann. I was so curious about all of these small towns in Southern France, and began to garner the inspiration of a solo international adventure. Taking this trip meant I get to visit my friends in new towns, practice French and then spend some time on my own in other towns too.
At the invitation of my wonderful friends and as a birthday gift to myself, I did the damn thing and flew into Toulouse on March 29th. Ana and Laeticia picked me up from the airport and we headed downtown for the afternoon. Immediately, it felt like no time had passed since we met, like I was visiting friends I had known my entire life. My French had marginally improved since our first meeting, but I was trying, and so were they. Hand gestures surprisingly get you quite far!
We kicked off the afternoon with some local white wine from Côtes De Gascogne, southeast of Bordeaux. I have tried plenty of wines from famous regions like Loire, Bordeaux and Burgundy, but the Gascony region was new. This was my first time visiting smaller cities in Southern France too. Cities and regions completely vary throughout France, and the wine is no different. As I discover more of France over the years, I find myself looking for more unique wines from quieter areas that are lesser known to Americans. The white wine we had was so refreshing, crisp and easy to drink. The best part was that it was delicious and affordable! It was the perfect choice for the afternoon.
After the wine I was in desperate need for a snack, so we walked over to La Quequetterie (IG) for a sweet treat! La Quequetterie referred to themselves as the “naughty gourmet corner,” a cheeky shop known for it’s naughty shaped pancakes dipped in a variety of delicious sweet sauces and toppings. I love their unique storefront design and bold menu descriptions! I ordered the Foufournes Pussy N Cream (€7), which was a vagina-shaped fluffy pancake filled with vanilla ice cream, white chocolate, Nutella and crushed Oreos. It was delicious, fun and appropriately sized.
We walked through Quartier 1, picked up a few canned beverages, and took a seat on the steps by Pont-Neuf, french for “New Bridge” built in the 1600s. It was so relaxing sitting with my friends watching the locals, enjoying our drinks. I had barely been there a few hours, but it already felt like home.
We drove an hour north of Toulouse to their home in Meauzac, a small peaceful town in the countryside. I was so blessed to be met with such hospitality, I felt so immediately comfortable, especially after meeting their dogs Spike and Roméo, and cat Simba! That evening, we had a reservation at their favorite restaurant to celebrate my late birthday, at Chez Ernest (TripAdvisor), located in Montauban, which was about 20 minutes away from Meauzac. We were joined by their friends, Lisa and Thibauld, who were so friendly and patient with my French. We had a blast! We ordered:
L’assiette de Charcuterie (Charcuterie platter made of pork sausage, chorizo, ham (Gascon Noir de Bigorre is the oldest breed of pigs known in France)
12 Escargot de Bourgogne (Escargot from Burgundy)
St. Jacques Rôties Sur Son Lit D’épinard (Roasted Scallops Over Spinach)
L’entrecôte Sur Planche Escalopée (Sliced Boneless Ribeye)
Le Margret De Canard (Duck Breast)
Honestly, everything here well prepared, seasoned well and tasted amazing. My favorite though, would have to be the Duck Breast. I have never had duck breast like that, where the char was so pronounced yet the inside is a perfect medium rare. It was seasoned generously with quality salt, and it was honestly the best duck breast I have ever had in my life. In addition to the amazing quality of food, the pricing and portions were better than what you would get in a major city too. The restaurant also offered cocktails and amazing wine, served by the sweetest staff. They never rushed us and time really flew by because we were having so much fun.
After dinner we decided to head over to Place Nationale, the main downtown area of Montauban. This is the center of Montauban, reuilt in the 1600’s after multiple fires. We went to O’Temple (TripAdvisor) for drinks and to play pool. I don’t think any of us played pool really well but we had a lot of fun trying! Afterwards we went back to Lisa and Thibauld’s for a drunken dance party before calling it a night!
Day 2: Montauban
Safe to say, we slept like babies that first night! We REALLY took our time waking up haha. We had a simple, traditional French breakfast at home: croissants, bread, butter and jam from the local market along with fresh squeezed orange juice and coffee! Honestly this is such a treat, because everything in America can be so processed, bread in France is just next level. Nothing is better than a simple breakfast with fresh ingredients. I really appreciate how the French get up in the morning. In America, at least for me, I am always rushing to be somewhere. I loved that my friends and I took our time and enjoyed breakfast together with no alarm clocks.
Eventually we made our way back to Place Nationale for lunch. Le Marak (TripAdvisor) was closing but they were kind enough to let us come in and eat. I ordered the duck salad (clearly still obsessed with duck from the night before) and this portion was huge! I was surprised to see so much protein on one plate and actually had a tough time finishing my dish, it was delicious though.
Afterwards, we went to Musée Ingres Bourdelle, a beautiful mansion converted into a museum which featured paintings, sculptures and drawings by Bourdelle and Ingress. I loved the variety of artwork displayed here. Every room I walked into featured a different style, so it kept my interest at a high the entire time.
As we continued to explore the downtown area, I came across a local tattoo shop, Rega Tattoo, where both Ana and Laeticia had gotten previous work done. I had been meaning to get an old tattoo fixed, a new tattoo and a second ear piercing for a long time. Since I knew exactly what I wanted, I walked in and we drew up the sketches right away! By the end of the day, I got my ears pierced, beautiful new artwork, and made friends with my tattoo artist, Sébastian. From the moment Ana and Laeticia welcomed me into their town, I knew it would have a special place in my heart. I love that I get to carry a permanent piece of it with me everywhere I go.
On our way back to Meauzac, we stopped by La Ferme D’Opale (FB/IG), a local farm and pony club owned by Laurene and Boris, friends of Ana and Laeticia. This property is adorable and I was able to meet, pet and feed all the animals! It’s obvious both Laurene and Boris are connected to these animals, and they are all so well taken care of.
We walked back to Laurene and Boris’s home and began indulging in beer (on tap!), wine, and some snacks from the store we picked up. We ended up staying for dinner, and Boris made this gigantic, amazing fried appetizer spread that had me so full I could barely breathe afterwards. We played some drinking games and given the slight language barrier, we encountered a lot of hilarious moments! We stayed well after the sun had set just talking about life. You know, it really doesn’t matter how long you have known someone, where they come from, what they do for a living. At the end of the day, we are all human beings doing the best we can. I always hope to meet kind, open-minded, hard-working people like Laurene and Boris. They had no idea who I was, and yet, they still welcomed me into their home and genuinely interacted with me. They even sent me home with goodies! I will never forget when Laurene said, “you are here now, you are trying, you are always welcome.” It warmed my heart so much.
After getting home from the farm, we decided to stay in just the three of us. We got into our pajamas, made delicious cocktails, listened to music and had incredibly deep conversations. It was the best night ever. We had always known that we had similar interests and enjoyed our time together, but this particular night was really the first time we went beyond the surface and talked about our upbringing, family, hopes and dreams.
I had already been so humbled by their consistent kindness and willingness, and at that moment, I appreciated them on a whole new level. It takes a lot to open up and talk about what makes you who you are. We all have endured happiness as well as pain, and I felt so privileged to be around their energy.
I really can’t encourage it enough - I urge you to travel the world and meet people. The world is so much bigger than we think it is. To meet people who match your energy who truly understand you, it is a rarity. Some of my most guarded connections are ones that I have formed on a whim, at random. And now, I could never picture my life without them.
Day 3: Agen
It was my last day in Occitania, so we decided to have lunch at home and then head to Agen in the afternoon. Since I met my friends in Portugal originally, and Ana is actually originally Portuguese, we decided to prepare Bacalhau à Brás, a Portuguese dish! It was so fun to cook together, another passion we discovered we had in common! Ana shined in the kitchen and I was so happy to learn from her. Lunch was freaking AMAZING, check out the recipe here. We ate plenty to hold us over for the 45 minute drive to Agen!
Once we got to Agen, we did some shopping and finally met my French teacher, Johann! I had only seen his face via video conference for 6 months, so it was surreal to be able to physically see him and give him a hug. Although the world is so big, I found it absolutely wild that my friends and my teacher could live in neighboring towns! We kicked off the night at C’est ici Agen. I really loved their decor and how they set up their bar. It was incredibly inviting and I could see myself spending time there whether I was hungry or thirsty or both. We shared a beautiful charcuterie board filled with meats and cheeses. We each had two cocktails too, we loved them all!
It was finally time for our dinner reservation at Arôme, a local favorite where Johann’s friend is the head chef! We were all so excited to try this restaurant. When we walked in, right away I noticed the modern decor, it was beautiful inside. Even though the decor was incredibly chic, the staff here were very gentle and sweet. I knew right away it would be a fantastic evening. I ordered:
Tartare de Canard, épices, oeuf confit & poireaux (Duck Tartare with Spices, Candied Egg & Leeks)
Maigre, mousseline de céleri, gingembre, ketchup de pomme, dukkah noix (Fish, celery mousseline, ginger, apple ketchup, dukkah nuts)
Palet breton, charbon, lemon curd, basilic & main de Boudha (Coal French biscuits, lemond curd, basil, citrus)
Generally, I love beef tartare and almost always order it at a restaurant. Rarely though, do I see a duck tartare, so it was an easy choice to order this for myself! I loved the fried leeks on top and all the spices, there was so much flavor! Since I had duck as my starter, I went with fish for my entrée. I never had Maigre before, so why not?! That fish was so elegant and perfectly cooked. Since it was a lighter fish, I think the mix of celery root, ginger, apple and nuts were a great way to elevate the dish while still allowing the Maigre to be the star. For dessert, it was honestly hard for me to picture what it would look or taste like, but I liked all the ingredients I read so I just went for it and I am SO GLAD I did. I’ve never had a dessert like that before. Everything dish here is truly unique. You may have heard of these ingredients before, but you probably had not seen them all in the same description for a dish.
My friends also each ordered their own appetizer, main and dessert. We all finished every dish and every glass of wine too! It was spectacular. Really, every dish was so carefully created and beautifully executed. I loved that Arôme offered several choices for each category, but not too many. Offering fewer options I think allowed them time in the kitchen to properly prepare and produce consistently outstanding dishes.
After dinner we went to a few bars to dance and close out the night. My friends were determined to find a place where I could dance (I requested this at the beginning of my stay). I had so much fun at L’Inde (TripAdvisor) which is a restaurant by day, and a lounge at night. It was the first dance floor and DJ I had seen in probably 3 years! I was ecstatic to be around this exciting, happy energy, I danced my heart out for about 30 minutes before it was time to head home for the evening.
The Occitania region really holds a special place in my heart. The people of each town I visited were so kind and genuine. Every restaurant I went to was beautifully decorated, offered humble service, amazing quality of food, and reasonable prices. As always, I wish I was able to spend more time here, not just with my friends, but exploring more small towns, wine and restaurants too. I know this isn’t the end, and I look forward to the day where I can re-connect with my friends in Southern France and experience new places together.