Mulouse

Stephan and I took a little escape to Mulouse for a night. We hopped into the car last Friday after work and drove to France without much traffic. We got to the hotel with time to check in and walk to the Christmas Market to see the lights. We walked around and had a quick bite before it closed for the night.

The surprise of the trip - I did not know the history of fabric in Mulouse. Its' very first print shop dates back to 1746. In the 19th century it was a global leader in cotton print materials. The Museum in town has many prints on display. Each year the city choses a different style of fabric for the theme of the market. It was beautiful. The market was draped in gorgeous fabric, as is now, my dining table.

I will be honest the real reason we chose Mulouse was..... COSTCO. Yes, you see it correctly. A COSTCO opened up there and it was time to check it out. To be honest, the things I miss most about the US: my community of friends, family of choice, my refrigerator, ice cubes and COSTCO.

COSTCO did not disappoint. I am not one to do a lot of shopping, but this has always been a place I did enjoy going to. It was quite a scene there - lots of happy Americans, many Europeans that had lived in the US and curious folks. We chatted with a couple from Stuttgart that had lived in Michigan and they drove 2.5 hours for the bagel mix seasoning.

Overall, it was a fun 24 hours. Glad we got the escape.