Toulouse

Toulouse (pronounced {{IPA|/tuluz/}} in standard French, {{IPA|/tuˈluzə/}} in local Toulouse accent) (Occitan: Tolosa, pronounced {{IPA|/tuˈluz?/}}) is a city in southwest France on the banks of the Garonne River, half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. With close to 1.1 million inhabitants in 2005, the Toulouse metropolitan area is the second largest in southern France and one of the fastest growing in Europe. It is the home base of the European aerospace industry, such as Alcatel Espace and EADS Space, and hosts the headquarters of Airbus S.A.S..

Culture

Toulouse, known as the Ville Rose ("Pink City") for its distinctive brick architecture, is host to a rich and diverse culture. It has a thriving scene of unusually beautiful graffiti, with the painter Miss Van at its forefront. In sports, it boasts a respected rugby union team, Stade Toulousain, which has been a four-time finalist and three-time winner in Europe's top club competition in the sport, the Heineken Cup. The city also has a rugby league team, Toulouse Olympique, who have won the French championship on four occasions.

Related Topics:
Graffiti - Miss Van - Rugby union - Stade Toulousain - Heineken Cup - Rugby league - Toulouse Olympique - French championship

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Toulouse was the home of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944), most famous for his book Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince). There is a permanent gallery with numerous photos, and some of his works, located in the Hotel du Grand Balcon - just off the Place du Capitole - where he stayed. (The bohemian painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, lived in Paris and shared only his name with Toulouse).

Related Topics:
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry - 1900 - 1944 - Le Petit Prince - Bohemian - Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The city's gastronomic specialties include saucisses de Toulouse, a type of sausage; and cassoulet, a bean and pork stew.

Related Topics:
Sausage - Cassoulet - Stew

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~