A Francia!

My first major trip outside of Spain was to Toulouse and Lourdes in the southern part of France. I happened to have a good friend studying in Prague the same time as me, so we decided to meet up in France for the weekend. This is a friend that I originally met on a trip to Israel. As it turns out, we've spent more time with each other outside of the US than inside. I booked a train ticket to Madrid from Alicante, which usually costs about 25 euros both ways, but can be worth it if there's a cheaper flight out of Madrid, or sometimes that may be the only option. I flew Ryanair, arguably one of the worst airlines in Europe but also the cheapest so most students use them. Flights are pretty uncomfortable and you can't usually check in a bag, but for less than 30 euros you put up with it.

I landed in Toulouse, The Rose City, in the early morning on a Friday and waited in the airport for my friend to arrive. When she got there, we took off for the nearest tram station into the city. Neither of us really speak French, which was really hard for me. Being in Spain, I was growing accustomed to being able to communicate with the locals. Being in a country where all I could say was hello, please and thank you, was a bit challenging for me.

Thankfully my friend new a bit more than me, and after wandering around a bit, we found our AirBnB, a charming little apartment in the center of Toulouse. We spent the remainder of the day wandering around, catching up, and soaking up the chill small town vibes of this beautiful town. The next day, we set out in the early morning to Lourdes, where the beautiful sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is found. For those of you who don't know, this is a really popular pilgrimage spot for Catholics around the world. 10/10 would recommend this trip. Of all the places I've visited so far, southern France is one of my absolute favorites
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