Camping! and some pics I forgot

B and I are heading out tonight to spend the long weekend with some friends in the Pyrénées. The backpack is brand new and mine! I bought it downtown this afternoon and then had to wear it in the metro on my way home, which felt a little goofy, but it turned out to be very handy because I picked up some groceries and didn't have any shopping bags.

B and I went rafting together for the first time way back when I was a student in Montpellier, but we only got into hiking last year when we were living in Ariège. We bought our first hiking boots, B received a backpack and other gear for his birthday, and we even bought a tent to sleep under the stars (and over the rocks) last year.

This weekend we won't be sleeping outside, but rather at B's friend's family vacation house and then a hikers lodge on Saturday night. It's fun to hike up, sleep over, and then hike down the next day, even if you have to drink powdered milk and orange juice and wash your face with cold water. I do enjoy my creature comforts, so sometimes it's nice to get back to the basics.

Last weekend when B's brother and his girlfriend were here we went out to eat at a little restaurant in the small streets of downtown Toulouse.

B took a few artsy shots. From our table, we could see the sign on the building below that reads "Club Chez Genvieve". B joked that it looked like a cabaret or brothel, but the waiter informed us that the oldest restaurant in Toulouse used to be in the building and the club was a jazz club. The old Genvieve died a few years ago at 90, and the building was converted into several apartments.

Above the doorway, where the sign is attached, is a walkway with doors on each side. I forget the exact story of why, but that's a common feature of old hôtel particuliers in Toulouse.

Back to packing and organizing!