Midi Pyrenees / France a region which lies between Aquitaine to the
west and Languedoc-Roussillon to the east.Most attention is
deserved by cities of Lourdes and Toulouse. Lourdes is famous as a centre of
Catholic pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes who appeared to a young
girl, St. Bernadette in 1858. Particularly sought as a place of healing for the
sick and disabled, it is usually packed with visitors hoping for a miracle.
Toulouse well known as the Pink City due to the rosy brick used to build the
houses this is one of the liveliest towns in the south with an extensive street
and cultural life and a varied architectural heritage.
Magnificent mountain scenery can be found
both to the north and south of the region. The north east encompasses part of
the Causses which is high plateau country. This is a land of plains dotted
with hillocks, sandy stretches, moors and pine woods, desolate plateaux, and
little valleys covered with impenetrable forests. The birds and small animals
feed on the thyme and juniper growing wild in the chalky soil and as a result
are hunted for their delicious and individual flavour.
Further south, the hills rise to the dramatic Pyrenees. The 19th Century
saw a major exodus from rural areas and Ariège, the department furthest
south, was particularly effected and lost much of its population to the
industrial north.
The white sandy beaches of the Atlantic or the golden sun-baked
Mediterranean beaches are to the west or
east. Then, in the winter, the ski resorts of the Pyrenees are a short drive
south. When you are feeling less outdoorsy you have Toulouse, one of the
finest and most attractive cities in France, with its many superb shops,
museums and restaurants to explore.The people of the Midi-Pyrenees are warm and easy-going and receptive to
foreigners, as for centuries newcomers have sought exile here.
Its extensive agriculture makes it a region of farmers and peasants,
producing a variety of crops, maize, Soya, sunflowers, tobacco, wheat, tomatoes,
beans, kiwis, melons, strawberries, apples, pears, plums and peaches. The
gastronomic excellence of the Midi-Pyrenees is unquestionable, whether you
dine in a Relais-Château or in a local inn, you will taste wonderful foie
gras, cassoulet, Roquefort and drink local wines such as Fronton, Gaillac, Cahors and
of course Armagnac.
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