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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2011 18:05:18 GMT
I bet most of you have never even heard of Sète, even though it is the 152nd biggest city in France.  Actually, it is a major Mediterranean port of Morocco France and is the biggest French fishing port in the Mediterranean, mostly for tuna, sardines and mackerel. It was hard to settle on the spelling of the city, which has also been Cette in past centuries, similar to Ceuta in Morocco Spain. I saw a number of tombs in the marine cemetery which referred to Cette rather than Sète. I decided to spend a night near the port, because I needed to see the sea before heading inland. It didn't take me long to settle into the hotel, and then I was out on the streets. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2011 18:34:32 GMT
Close to my hotel was the passenger port. Sète is the main French port to Morocco. Many Moroccans bring as much back to Morocco as possible, even though it means hours of bribing the customs officials upon arrival. It's kind of easy to see which vehicles are carrying more than the needs of a family for a one month holiday in the ancestral country (I say 'ancestral country' because all of the children are French and quite a few of them are horrified by the boredom of these summer holidays.). |
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Post by lola on Jul 10, 2011 14:27:12 GMT
I love Sete. We stayed at the Grand Hotel and liked it a lot.
I think your 5th photo down was taken not far from our hotel. We walked past there to the wonderful Halles, where I was introduced to the concept of selling bulk wine from large vats into your own bottle, where the fish monger chops steaks to order from huge tuna, and where they sell Italian grapes that taste so much like grapes.
Walking along the Quai on a balmy Friday evening you pass one outdoor restaurant after another, full of chatting people and the smell of seafood.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2011 21:54:58 GMT
I drove up to the maritime cemetery on the cliffs, but it wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. The tombs were quite ordinary, because it is actually just the main cemetery of the city, simply set in a rocky seaside location. There were not many tombs that appeared to be specifically for sailors or fishermen. I went back to my budget Etap Hotel to wash off some sweat before going out again in the evening. Next door to the hotel were huge tanks of olive oil, probably being imported rather than exported, although the region produces quite a bit of olive oil itself. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2011 22:15:59 GMT
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Post by fumobici on Jul 11, 2011 2:07:38 GMT
Sète looks wonderful, I'm sure I could spend a few days there exploring quite happily. If that's really what Morocco looks like I want to go there as well.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2011 4:45:24 GMT
But I was heading inland today and would not see the sea again. It's a shame I'm always in such a hurry. |
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Post by tod2 on Jul 11, 2011 9:57:22 GMT
Quite right Kerouac - Never heard of Se`te but I'm very glad you have introduced it to me!
Looks very interesting - One thing I noticed from your restaurant photos is that the meal prices displayed are on a par with some in Paris. I wonder if the quality of the food would be better though??
Really looking forward to more !
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Post by lola on Jul 11, 2011 15:32:06 GMT
Nice, Kerouac. This brings back good memories. Good idea to take the tour boat, and thank you for sharing that; the blurriness adds to it.
I think that if you died at sea they tended to sew you up in sailcloth and tie a cannonball to your toes. Unless that's just in the movies.
We visited Sete on a good old Fodor's recommendation, and the Grand Hotel for the four of us wasn't much pricier than a budget place would've been. Was Etap OK, for future ref?
Afterwards we drove through La Grande-Motte to the beach at L'Espiguette, also Fodors rec and very worth it, and ate our picnic from Les Halles at Sete.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2011 16:15:37 GMT
The Etap was fine but it's not in the center of action -- however, only about 3 or 4 blocks from the main downtown area, so not a problem. It had its own big, free parking lot, which is rare in a city but it was also obviously built to be super convenient for people from the North African ferries. I did notice that the city was absolutely full of British people (many alcohol enhanced conversations overheard at every café and restaurant).
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Post by tod2 on Jul 11, 2011 16:21:35 GMT
Kerouac - am I imagining things or does that lion in photo 13 have a silly grin on it's face while positioned between the two ladies doing a breast examination?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2011 19:44:05 GMT
No, I thnk he looks quite dignified considering the circumstances.  |
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Post by thill25 on Jul 12, 2011 14:20:26 GMT
We were looking at European cruises on Monday night and Sète was one of the ports (Norweigian Cruise Lines IIRC). Looks like a great place to kick around for a day. ;D
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Post by hwinpp on Jul 29, 2011 3:59:36 GMT
I've not only heard of Sete but I've been there!
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Post by auntieannie on Jul 29, 2011 18:57:13 GMT
The maritime cemetery... isn't it where Georges Brassens is buried?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2011 19:06:33 GMT
No, the two big celebrities of the cemetery are Paul Valéry (poet) and Jean Vilar (creator of the Avignon theatre festival). Georges Brassens is indeed buried in Sète also but in a different cemetery.
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Post by BigIain on Oct 29, 2011 18:52:41 GMT
I have enjoyed many long relaxing lunches at the waterfront in Sete. Great photos.
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Post by Nancy on Jan 9, 2012 15:50:25 GMT
I live in Sète and love it here! I run a destination management company that sources and recommends hotels, restaurants, tours and activities in the south of France. We offer a unique "gourmet walking tour" of Sète. Contact us out the next time you are in the area! Here is the link to the tour southernfranceluxury.com/gourmet-walking-tour/ |
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ssander
member
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At the Belleville Arts Open Doors in Paris in 2007
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Post by ssander on Jan 15, 2012 0:26:25 GMT
As always, K, your photo essays are the next best thing to actually being there.
Keep it up.
SS
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Post by lagatta on Jan 12, 2015 18:41:10 GMT
I've certainly heard of Sète and its famous sons (and sun), but alas, I've never been there. It does look like a lot of Mediterranean ports.
At first, I thought your hotel was above the Communist Party headquarters; I imagined that due to the decline in memberships, they had resorted to becoming hoteliers.
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Post by tod2 on Jun 1, 2015 17:05:07 GMT
I can hardly wait to walk up the road past all the yachts and restaurants...trying to decide on the best for my buck! I know I only have one day but I am going to do the most I can. Maybe take a taxi to the cemetery where Brassens is buried..just for the hell of it, or kick back and make friends with some yachties..  |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2015 17:28:21 GMT
You will love the port and all of those luminous signs for the restaurants. I hope to return before long, but the problem is that there are so many places where I hope to return, not only in France but around the world.
If it's a warm evening, I recommend the boat trip through the harbour. If the weather is not good, maybe not.
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Post by tod2 on Jun 3, 2015 17:42:14 GMT
I don't know how much time the tour gives us but I doubt I will be there much into the evening as they have indicated we are going to Sete by train....maybe open tickets or ones with a time on them? Will try and find out.
I will not be too disappointed if I don't accomplish the ultimate visit as I intend returning in a short time if I think it will be nice to spend more than a day.
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Post by mossie on Jun 3, 2015 18:13:23 GMT
All I remember about Sete is that when I was in the Muddle East if we flew back to England. We went via Malta and had to cross the French coast at Sete, so the name rang a bell when I saw the thread title.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2015 18:20:15 GMT
The most likely ports for people crossing the Med are Toulon, Marseille and Sète.
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