Started off this morning with Andre going out to pick up croissants for breakfast. It is actually longer to walk down the 40 steps to the street in our apartment than it is to walk to the bakery at the market!
After breakfast we walk to the Japanese Gardens. A part of town we haven't been to yet. The park is not very big, but very pretty. Lots of flowers in bloom right now and a nice picturesque pond.
From the Japanese Gardens we walk along Mini Canal which is a UNESCO heritage site. It is 400 KM long stretching from Bordeaux to the Mediterranean sea near Narbonne. It is pretty, but busy with traffic beside it so not as nice as we thought it was going to be.
Ended up at the train station to ask about 10Euro per day tickets for travel anywhere in this area for the next 2 days. Got some information and time tables for a couple of places, guess we are on the road again the next 2 days. Need to buy 2 days in a row minimum.
Walked to Victor Hugo Market, a bigger market than the one our apartment is beside. Our guide yesterday had told us about her favourite restaurant here, so off we go there for lunch. There are 5 restaurants on top of the market, not many tourists know about them, but what a great find. We had a great meal, one of our favourites so far. Beef ravioli and stuffed mussels to start, and the main were Duck Confit Parmentier and seafood plate. Creme Brule and Almond Pistachio cake and Ice cream for desserts, would order everything again. Unfortunately it is so cold out we ate inside, they have a lovely patio/balcony overlooking the street when it is nicer outside.
We went by Capitole again and the flowers that were there yesterday covering the diagram in the middle have all been removed. The zodiac signs are all visible today. The Capitol with the Occitan Cross in the foreground. 4 branches with 3 balls each. 12 hours of the day, 12 months, 12 zodiac signs, 12 apostles and the cross for Christianity
Back to the apartment for a rest up before we head to the ballet tonight.
Arrived at the ballet tonight for our seats, of course we booked nose bleed (aka chandelier height). Got to the usher and they directed us to a different section, this usher asked us if we wanted to sit up front on the bottom or nearer the back, wow best seats in the house for nose bleed prices. I think most of our area were upgrades, I guess it looks better if these seats are all filled. Not sure if anyone ended up in the nosebleeds. We have tickets for another thing on Friday night, hopefully we get as lucky.
I really enjoyed the ballet, but I need to find a new partner to go with me, Andre was not impressed. He said he likes cruise productions better, urgh. This was called Le Chant de la Terre. An amazing orchestra, one thing about our good seats on the floor that wasn't so good is we couldn't see the orchestra pit. 2 vocalists, a male tenor and female soprano that took turns alternating singing for each movement. There was about 25 ballet dancers. Wow I thought those men were so strong lifting up the women, then in one movement the women ballet dancers came out in crop tops, you could count every rib! 3 of them would make one of me, that I why they were so easy to lift! It was beautiful and I would definitely go to another ballet.
Home for a glass of wine, then calling it an early night as tomorrow we go exploring again.
Steps 20,000 or 12.5 km
Every city needs at least one of these store nobody ever said
On the way we stopped and Wendy got a Vietnamese Cafe Su Da
