Summer 2024
It’s the evening of Christmas Eve, and isn’t this the best moment to write an article that collects our summer memories? I think it is. In fact, the reason for such timing is simple – in less than a week, we’ll set off on the most epic cycling trip of our lives (unless another world crisis prevents us from doing it again), which will last a couple of months. Once we return home, the last thing I’ll want to write about is how I spent my summer in 2024. Besides, only now have I been able to develop our films and get such a huge dose of summer nostalgia that putting together this collection felt like a necessity.
We had a beautiful summer with several weekend escapades and one-day trips around the region. There are already separate posts about two big trips (Lot and Côte de Vermeille), but all the other charming gems of Occitanie definitely deserve their place here. It’s all a bit out of context except for one – it’s summer.
At home in Toulouse
Hiking in Tarn
In July, I went on a beautiful day of hiking in Tarn with Adrien – a dear friend of mine. La Montagne Noire par Cubserviès is 15 kilometers of green valleys and forests, including one of the biggest waterfalls in Europe. We had the incredible luck of getting perfect weather, which isn’t typical for mid-July in this region. Contrary to my expectations, apart from a few boars (or at least the sound of their grunting somewhere in the distance), we didn’t encounter anyone along the way. As a reward for our efforts, we enjoyed a swim near the village of Roquefère. A perfect day – there’s no other way to describe it.
Pocahontas mood
Leucate
Since our first visit to Leucate two years ago, it’s become our official seaside destination. Well, not exactly just ours – it’s practically the go-to spot for all of Toulouse – but Xavier and I have developed a very specific ritual for our Leucate day trips. We follow it religiously and introduce every guest or friend to the experience. It goes like this: cycling, first swim break, a huge platter of oysters, a second swim (usually at the nudist beach – or not, depending on our guest’s courage), and finally a stroll through the old town of Leucate, ending with an enormous ice cream sundae. Our own proved definition of the ideal seaside day.
This year there were two Leucates for us! The program stays the same but the colors are different as I decided to experiment with an expired film roll (the same was used for our trip to Montpellier earlier this year). I’m not a big fan of the result but it does look cool in this combination. Very eighties!
Gaillac
With the same expired film my friend Julia and I went for a girls day out in the small towns around Toulouse. I had enough frames only for Gaillac, which I managed to spoil with the wrong settings. Will it stop me from putting them online? Of course not. It was funny to revisit Gaillac with a mood so different from our visit in November – the streets were animated and the town actually looked inhabited. What a change! Our second stop was in Cordes-sur-Ciel, which was documented only on the phone. No matter, it has already got his place in the article (an old and slightly cringe) of our favorite places around Toulouse.
Rabastens
SNCF, the French railway operator, has a fantastic offer – tickets on regional trains for just 1€ every first Sunday of the month. It’s an opportunity that’s hard to pass up! One Sunday, we grabbed tickets to Rabastens – yet another charming town near Toulouse. Similar to Gaillac, with its beautiful and typical architecture, Rabastens is a delightful spot for a day away from the city.
With access to the river, the town even has a small beach perfect for a quick swim (might be crowded though). After spending time walking and sketching in Rabastens, we hopped on our bikes and cycled to Lisle-sur-Tarn for a short stroll and a massive Aperol Spritz. Such happy summer memories!
Lisle-sur-Tarn
Bruniquel
Bruniquel had been on our radar for… a decade. It’s one of the villages on the official “Most Beautiful Villages of France” list and is well-known for its annual medieval festival – an event Xavier’s cousin occasionally participates in. Naturally, the places closest to home are always the last to visit – that’s just how it goes.
And I’m so happy we did! Half of the day was spent near the river and these pictures are such an idyllic image of summer that it couldn’t possibly be more careless. The best part is that not only it looked like this, but felt too.
We couldn’t do without another classic film photographers’ stories and accidentally opened the camera… Hence the leaks on the pictures.
From Bruniquel, we cycled to Montauban to visit Xavier’s cousin. The next day – after much hesitation – we decided to cycle all the way back to Toulouse.
We had already covered this stretch in 2015 during our cycling trip along the Canal Latéral, and a little voice of laziness kept whispering that taking the train would be the smarter option. I’m so glad we ignored it!
Collioure
Even though our trip to the Pyrénées-Orientales already has its own article, I can’t resist adding a few film photos to this collection. It was a spontaneous getaway born from my sudden urge to finally visit the annual photojournalism festival in Perpignan.
I won’t tell more here – you’ll find the full story in the Côte de Vermeille article. See you there!
Toulouse
Last but not least – Toulouse. I think I truly began to love this city four years later, just as I realized we were about to leave it.
Toulouse in summer is hot and dusty, but it has the Garonne, guinguettes, bars and ice cream, dance classes, and friends. And, of course, the Canal du Midi – where we’ve cycled hundreds and hundreds of kilometers. On one August day, we added a few more as we rode our tandem to celebrate our 13th anniversary. Time flies.
That’s it. Putting this article together reminded me once again that life is made up of beautiful moments, and it’s our duty to pause and enjoy them. Luckily, we have cameras to capture their light and colors – little reminders to lift our spirits on darker days.
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