Day 17 - Thursday, February 13 - We enjoy a slow morning, wander the Victor Hugo Market, then enjoy cassoulet and wine and cafe for a long and lingering lunch. Cloudy 58°F (14°C)

It was a slow and take it easy day today. Our apartment has a tiny dishwasher and wow is that fabulous. Didn't think I'd love having a dishwasher so much! It was also laundry day :-)

After tidying up, we headed out for a walk. We headed over to the Victor Hugo Market, and on the way, passed by the Jeanne d'Arc Triomphante (or Joan of Arc's Triumph) statue.

The statue was created in 1922 by French sculptor and painter Jean Antonin Mercié (1845 –1916). Most folks have heard of Joan of Arc, but here's a little blurb:

Jeanne d'Arc (c. 1412–1431) "The Maid of Orléans" is a national heroine of France as well as a Catholic saint. Born a peasant girl in eastern France, she asserted that she had visions from God instructing her to free her country from English domination. The dauphin Charles sent her to the siege of Orléans as part of a relief mission. She gained prominence when she overcame the skeptical attitude of veteran commanders and lifted the siege in only nine days. She then led the French army to several important victories, which paved the way for the coronation of Charles VII in Reims, thus settling the disputed succession to the throne.

The Burgundians captured Jeanne d’Arc a few months later and sold her to the English. An ecclesiastical court tried her, with the result that she was burned at the stake at only 19 years old. Twenty-five years after the execution, pope Callixtus III examined the trial, pronounced her innocent, and declared her a martyr. She was canonized in 1920 and is one of the patron saints of France.

The intersection where the statue stands is a classic European cityscape.

We have been struck by the number of magazine stands we've seen.

We eventually made it over to the Victor Hugo Market, the oldest covered market in France, in operation since 1896. With more than 60 vendors this place was a feast for the eyes (and the nose!).

In between the various stands, were informational posters and interesting facts, like this cheese map:

There was also lot's of different butchers and meats:

Here's a great write up of the market - I'm putting the link here so I can read up on it and savor the photographs later :-)

Our next stop was lunch at the Maison du Cassoulet. Here we devoured some delicious Cassoulet, salad, and a bottle of wine. Finished with some coffee. Delicious!

A little more about cassoulet; apparently, there are three versions which divide "...the main varieties of cassoulet into "the Trinity", according to the meats used: the "Father" being the cassoulet from Castelnaudary; the "Son" the cassoulet from Carcassonne; and the "Holy Ghost" that from Toulouse."

So I guess we ate the Holy Ghost? Yummy!

The dish is essentially baked haricot beans, garlic and herbs, and then the meats, which for Toulouse's holy ghost version includes Toulousian sausage, leg of duck, and pork ribs. All baked in a little crock casserole (from which the name derives).