Sete

Octopu

Canal near the train station

Me

Myrie wanted to see the Mediterranean. Although it is too chilly now to be dipping a toe into the water, she at least wanted to put her pinkie finger in.   Normally, I take people to Collioure to see the Mediterranean; the beaches are easily accessible, the food is local, and the artists are interesting.  But she suggested this time that we go somewhere I hadn't already visited, so we chose Sete.

Reminder of the Mediterranean

Tribunal de Prefecture

Sete has canals, but it's also situated on a hill

It is on the sea, but from the downtown area, the water itself isn't readily accessible;  there's a seawall and lots of rip-rap to cut down on the erosion.  But we were able to see the water, and even feel a little spritz of it now and again when a particularly large wave "whoomped" against the rocks.  It sufficed.

The Mediterranean on an overcast day

The lighthouse on the hill

Cousin Myrie against the backdrop of the Museum of the Sea

Sete is known as the "Venice of the Languedoc" because the city is full of canals.  Unlike a place like Annapolis, the bridges don't raise and lower to allow for passage of sailboats and large motor yachts.  I think they have to sort of work their way out of the maze of small waterways.  Or, maybe they just stay berthed and provide evidence of the prosperity of their owners.  

Afternoon reflections in one of the canals

I think this is the "poor people's" marina.

Sete is where the Canal du Midi's Mediterranean outlet is located.  The Canal passes through Sete and then out into L'etang du Thau   the lagoon of Thau.  One day I will try to locate where the Canal enters (or exits, depending on the direction in which one is traveling) the lagoon.  There wasn't much boat traffic, even down at the working port.  It is definitely NOT tourist season.

 Moliere theater

We took the train from home--can I tell you how much I love train travel and love living five minutes from the station--and arrived there a little before 10.  We stopped for photos along the bridges spanning the canals, and I was enchanted with the decorations on the Christmas tree in front of the Moliere theater. 

Can you see the snowman inside?

We made our way past the Tribunal of the Prefecture  down to the old city, where-----ta da!! the market was in full swing.

Myrie surrounded by purses at the market

 And what a market it is.  It is the biggest one I have ever been to here in the south of France, bigger even than the one I have been to in Toulouse.  I adore markets, and this one was--wow!  Lots of clothing and household goods, purses galore,  makeup, perfumes.  And that was just on one side of the main street in the old town. On the other side are the foodstuffs--fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese and ham vendors, huge vats of paella and choucroute (sauerkraut) cooking to tempt passers-by.   And people were buying.  There were probably some tourists, but most of what I saw were local people stocking up for their holiday meals and entertaining.  Oh the olives--bright green, and dark piccolines.  Garlic and plates of hummus and tapas.  You can really see the Italian and Spanish influences in the Sete market.  

Offerings of paella and choucroute

Myrie, to her credit, bore with me.  She's not a market kind of girl.  The shuffling pace of market does wear me out after a while, so we made our way down to the Office of Tourism, got some maps and then headed down to the port.  There was a fairly large cruise liner in port, but I saw little activity in and around it.  Myrie walked down to the lighthouse that marks the entrance to the port--there is another one high on the hill.  (That was a surprise to me--I expected low and flat because of the canals, but the bluffs and high hills to climb came as a surprise.)  I sat along the breakwater and had a delightful conversation with a young mademoiselle of about 5 and her grand-pere.  

Sitting along the seawall in Sete

We found a great restaurant for lunch--all of the food (meats, fish) that need to be cooked are grilled over/under a wood fire.  Our lunch was reasonably priced,  and delicious. 

This was the "stove" in the restaurant where we lunched

I got just a bit tipsy from the 25 cl of red wine; even the cup of strong cafe didn't help all that much.  Being a little "buzzed" wasn't unpleasant and it certainly did not hamper my ability to enjoy the rest of the afternoon--it was just unexpected. 

Octopus statue in old town square

Christmas tree Old Town square

We trained our way back to Carcassonne, arriving home after dark.  Myrie got to share one of my favorite experiences--riding in a train after dark--being safe and warm and cocooned in this almost living organism wending its way through a darkened countryside, seeing the occasional lights of other human beings gathering themselves in for the evening.  

Apricot poinsettias at Sete flower market

Octopus looking back at the crowds

Open air flower market at Sete

I plan to return to Sete, maybe in late February or early March, before the tourist onslaught.  There is a Museum dedicated to the sea and a museum dedicated to lesser-known artists as well as a museum dedicated to the poet Paul Valery that I would like to visit.  There just wasn't time to do that yesterday.  (And go to the market, too!!!)

Moored at old town canal

Colorful canal reflections

A spot of color against the white boats of the canals in Sete