albi: part 1

Albi is about an hour away from Toulouse by train. It is famous for its beautiful brick cathedral, Saint-Cecile, and for being the home of the artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

First stop: Saint Cecile

Brick is a very common building material in Toulouse, and I think south western France in general, but we had yet to see a cathedral made out of brick. St. Cecile is, and it’s huge! The interior is painted, wall to wall to ceiling, in gorgeous, bright colors. The ceiling paint is all original from the middle ages. I couldn’t believe how colorful it was! It was also kind of cool because there was a huge wedding going on when we got there so we listened to their vows and also got to hear the organ play “Ave Maria”. Awesome acoustics. 

Second Stop: Musee Toulouse-Lautrec

This museum houses a ton of the artist’s work. The building is called the Palais de Berbie and was completed in the 13th century. Behind it is this incredible little garden and a great view of the river Tarn. It was kinda funny, because as we were leaving we saw the couple from the cathedral. Talk about a great location for wedding photos. Unfortunately no pictures were allowed inside at all, but he is famous for lithographic prints for Moulin Rouge, as well as some really cool paintings.