Today the sun finally remembered us and gave us one of those days that make you stick your head out the window to smell the air. After so much rain, Daddy Edu seemed different: lighter, more smiley, almost human. We had breakfast without rushing, we tidied up calmly and, around midday, the camper roared towards Toulouse.

Parking in a big city is always an adventure, but this time we found a decent spot, paid, yes, but not extortionate. And of course, before setting off to walk, Daddy needed human energy: Subway. I, a luxury canine spectator, watched as those bites disappeared between bread and sauce. The waitress, pitying my deep gaze and my air of a hungry artist, brought me a bowl of water. Better than nothing, I suppose.

Then the exploration began. Toulouse, the *ville rose*, is like a labyrinth of salmon-colored bricks and roofs that seem to warm themselves with the sun. We strolled along the rue du Taur, the one that winds its way to the Basilica of Saint-Sernin. Daddy went in to admire its Romanesque interior, I stayed outside, making sure no one stole my leash. Afterwards we continued to the Place du Capitole: a square that seems to want to be in all the postcards. The Capitole building shines with its columns and its grandiose façade; Daddy took so many photos that for a moment I thought he was going to register there.

We continued to the Pont Neuf, which is "new" just enough, and crossed it to walk through the Prairie des Filtres park, a green patch next to the Garonne where it smells of damp earth and fresh bread. On the Pont Saint-Michel we crossed the river again, walking along the promenade that borders it. There, while Daddy was pointing at something in the sky, a huge flying bug appeared: an Airbus Beluga XL, the most curious plane in the world. It looks like a whale with wings and a face that always looks like it's about to smile. Toulouse is its home, of course: here is the Airbus factory, where they assemble giant planes with Swiss watch precision and the size of a building.

We continued to the Écluse de Saint-Pierre, one of those locks that control the passage between the river and the Canal de Brienne. Daddy looked fascinated at the gates, I wondered if it would be possible to swim there (answer: no).

With tired paws and legs, we went back to the car. But leaving Toulouse was an odyssey: traffic, roundabouts, traffic lights, more traffic... it took us almost an hour to leave the city behind. When we finally found a quiet place in the middle of nature, in Le Gaude, on the banks of the Garonne, the silence sounded glorious. Only the murmur of the river and the song of some absent-minded bird.

There we parked, took a deep breath and decided to stay. No noise, no lights, no rush. Just the two of us and the murmur of the water. And yes, that night we slept like real kings of the road.