Trip to Toulouse - Thursday 27/12 - Sunday 30/12/12 - Days 3 & 4

Saturday morning, we went for the cheaper option of an early continental breakfast on the square at 6 euros a head, rather than the hotel breakfast! then hopped in a taxi to the Let's Visit Airbus site where we had pre-booked a 9.30am tour. Unfortunately no photography was allowed due to strict security reasons, but the trip that lasted an hour and a half was magic. You were taken through a 'test' flight in one of their hands-on rooms and then we were bussed to the very large hangar where we got to see the assembly plant of the Airbus A380. A short video explained how the parts, all made in Europe in UK, Spain, Germany and Toulouse, were brought together in Toulouse and assembled there. It takes only 1 week to assemble and fit out a full plane and then it goes for testing. The cost of one of these planes is around about $390 million and that depends on what the airline want inside! After a fascinating morning, we headed back to the centre of Toulouse for some early lunch, and we just had to try Toulouse sausages - yummy. The local bar Gambetta even remembered us from the day before! We then did a bit of exploring on foot and visited the fountains at Place Wilson and the Basilique Saint Sernin, to walk off the lunch, and then went back to the hotel for a siesta as we were heading out to a very special restaurant in the evening - see seperate page - we just had to give this a page on its own! After checking out on Sunday morning, we headed to the Victor Hugo Market, which was absolutely amazing. We had such fun walking around looking at the fresh lobsters, monkfish, langoustine, pigs, lambs, chickens, turkeys, pigs feet, you name it, they had it for sale. We stopped and had a glass of sangria and a red wine (this was at 11am!!!) at one of the fabulous wine stalls. We ordered a 'petite assiete du marche' so that we were not just drinking without food! A slate appeared with very tasty parma ham, thinly sliced varieties of saucisson, cheeses and some fresh crusty bread....all for 3.50 euros - magnificent! This just made our Sunday morning.....what a way to waken up! After walking the early morning alcohol off, we enjoyed more food for lunch on the square and then headed to the airport for our flight back. What a week-end, f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s.