Lavaur city

To introduce myself, what a better way to start to talk about where I was born, and it is such a beautiful city called Lavaur in the Tarn, the South-West of France. I can say it is a small city, well smaller than Paris or Marseilles, but bigger than a village. The village I grew up has 500 inhabitants for example, but it will be another post.


So Lavaur, what it looks like? How I can describe it? I am thinking about its big place*, its fountain, its cathedral and its hospital, the market on Saturday. Actually, I am thinking I can't say everything I would like in one post, there is too much, even if for a small city!

Below is the picture of the center with its fountain which was my first idea when I was thinking how can I describe Lavaur. The thing, the center is where you can find everything, it is the heart of the city. The fountain represents the heart of Lavaur, 4 roads are meeting at this center. The first one is going to Castres which is the sous-prefectures of the Tarn, it is the second biggest city in the departement*.

La fontaine les 3 Grâces

The second one goes to the Grande Rue (altough grande* means big, the street is pretty small), it is THE commercial street where you can find one bookshop, 2 bureaux de tabac*, the butcher shop, 3 or 4 bakery shop, a chesse shop, 3 banks, 5 clothes shops , one gift shop, one florist, one hardware/ironsmith and I am sure I missing some shops, but it is funny how well I can represents all these shops in my head. I have kind of grew up with them.

The third street follows the Allées* and you arrive at the hospital, the Court, the only High School (where I studied) and the wonderful Cathedral St Alain.

The last one, Rue Jean Jaures, goes where I am living to Lugan, St Lieux, ... and Toulouse (you are more likely to know this city, it is the 3rd biggest city in France).

I will talk more about Lavaur, and I will start by the Cathedral, the most famous and beautiful point of interest.

****French Vocabulary****
une place (f): public square, city square, market square.
un departement (m): an administrative division roughly analogous to an English district. In France, there is 100 departments.
grande (adj.): tall, big
bureau de tabac (m): smoke shop, tobacconist's shop, shop where can buy magazine, newspaper, cigarettes, lotteries tickets, candies and some small office supplies.
the Allées (f): French promenade