""Use The Fork or Le Fooding to research restaurants open Sunday and Monday evenings and definitely try to reserve.""

There are 24 restaurants in Toulouse that are recommended in the current Michelin Red Guide. None of them are open on Sunday. Seven are open on Monday. You can probably find a fast food place or a simple cafe open on Sunday, however. But "fine dining" may not be in the cards.

Toulouse is our second favorite city in France (tied with Dijon). As with Dijon - Toulouse is quite "lively". But not on a Sunday or Monday morning (afternoon starts at 14:30). Can you head to Toulouse sooner in your trip and then return to Spain before heading to Marseille?

Stu Dudley

True, on Monday night the fine dining choices are limited to Michel Sarran (4 Toques from Gault & Millau!), La braisière, Le Colombier, Le Bibent, Les Planiers, Hito, Hortus, Les impulsifs, Les sales gosses, Les p’tits fayots, or La Cocotte fleurie. I did say be sure to reserve.
Yup, Sunday night is a challenge for the gourmand (aside from Bibent): so perhaps lunch out in Albi having reserved at Le Lautrec, or La Viguière d’Alby.

As usual, you have all given us food for thought. We have dropped Andorra and will probably get to Toulouse on Friday. Although we do not need the shopping in Toulouse (although it's fun) we are interested in the architecture and history and maybe the Sunday morning market.
The new plan looks something like this...
Day 1 - Barcelona--> Rupit
Day 2 - Vilanova de Sau to Vall de Nuria
Day 3 - Foix
Day 4 -Toulouse ( 2 nights) arriving Friday
Day 5 - Toulouse
Day 6 - Albi .and more.....and now we have an extra night on the way to Marseilles
Day 7 - ?
Day 8 - ?? arrive evening to Marseilles (airport hotel. Flight at 11 am next morning)

Sounding good.

once again, no wrong choices on your way east, but if you like hilly country, one admittedly slow but scenic option is to continue more or less along the Tarn from Albi, taking a quick view of the Viaduc de Millau before dropping down to Lodève, a reasonable stop for the night. You can stop in at La Couvertoirade if you like little preserved medieval villages.

The next day, you can loiter at the Cirque de Mourèze, the Grotte de Clamouse, the Heric gorge or Saint Guilhem le Désert (not all of the above in one day), on your way to Uzès via Ganges, or more quickly, on your way to Nîmes. There should be time for the Pont du Gard before you go on to Aix or Martigues.

If Hertz will let you drop the car in Aix, it’s a nicer place to spend the night than an airport hotel and a 30-40 minute shuttle ride to the airport the next morning. Or there are hotels with parking.

There are also gardens in Toulouse, always open. Three of them are connected. Jardin des Plantes, Jardin Royal, and Grand Rond.