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Any Port in a Storm :: Compass Points :: Europe :: France :: The port of Sète - July 2011
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AuthorTopic: The port of Sète - July 2011 (Read 1,008 times)
kerouac2
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The port of Sète - July 2011
« Thread Started on Jul 9, 2011, 6:05pm »		[Quote]
I bet most of you have never even heard of Sète, even though it is the 152nd biggest city in France. :D

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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« Last Edit: Jul 9, 2011, 6:06pm by kerouac2 »Link to Post - Back to Top  IP: Logged
kerouac2
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Re: The port of Sète - July 2011
« Reply #1 on Jul 9, 2011, 6:34pm »		[Quote]
Close to my hotel was the passenger port. Sète is the main French port to Morocco.

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There was an imminent departure, with lots of Moroccan families waiting to board.

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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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Frankly, some of the port shops and snack bars look like we have already arrived in Morocco.

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lola
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Re: The port of Sète - July 2011
« Reply #2 on Jul 10, 2011, 2:27pm »		[Quote]
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.
« Last Edit: Jul 10, 2011, 2:28pm by lola »Link to Post - Back to Top  IP: Logged
kerouac2
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Re: The port of Sète - July 2011
« Reply #3 on Jul 10, 2011, 9:54pm »		[Quote]
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.

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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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« Last Edit: Jul 10, 2011, 9:55pm by kerouac2 »Link to Post - Back to Top  IP: Logged
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Re: The port of Sète - July 2011
« Reply #4 on Jul 10, 2011, 10:15pm »		[Quote]
The sun was setting as I left the hotel again.

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Although the Moroccan French city seems sleepy, there is clearly an intense cultural life.

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The water is surprisingly clear for an urban port.

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Hey, there's a tourist boat about to leave. Only 5€. Let's take it!

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The guide tells us about the ships in port and the sort of merchandise they carry.

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The port will change immensely in the next 4 years because the container terminal is going from 20,000 containers to 200,000.

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It's getting dark and the water is choppy = blurred photos!

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Back to the dock 40 minutes later.

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« Last Edit: Jul 11, 2011, 4:25am by kerouac2 »Link to Post - Back to Top  IP: Logged
fumobici
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Re: The port of Sète - July 2011
« Reply #5 on Jul 11, 2011, 2:07am »		[Quote]
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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kerouac2
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Re: The port of Sète - July 2011
« Reply #6 on Jul 11, 2011, 4:45am »		[Quote]
The tourist restaurants were in full operation.

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One of the luminous sign makers in town had sent a good salesperson to the port.

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A simple place proposed Mediterranean fusion food on a traditional slate.

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I walked back to the hotel.

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The next morning as I left town, the area dazzled in the sun again.

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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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Re: The port of Sète - July 2011
« Reply #7 on Jul 11, 2011, 9:57am »		[Quote]
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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lola
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Re: The port of Sète - July 2011
« Reply #8 on Jul 11, 2011, 3:32pm »		[Quote]
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.
« Last Edit: Jul 11, 2011, 3:33pm by lola »Link to Post - Back to Top  IP: Logged
kerouac2
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Re: The port of Sète - July 2011
« Reply #9 on Jul 11, 2011, 4:15pm »		[Quote]
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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Re: The port of Sète - July 2011
« Reply #10 on Jul 11, 2011, 4:21pm »		[Quote]
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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kerouac2
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Re: The port of Sète - July 2011
« Reply #11 on Jul 11, 2011, 7:44pm »		[Quote]
No, I thnk he looks quite dignified considering the circumstances. :P
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thill25
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Re: The port of Sète - July 2011
« Reply #12 on Jul 12, 2011, 2:20pm »		[Quote]
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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Re: The port of Sète - July 2011
« Reply #13 on Jul 29, 2011, 3:59am »		[Quote]
I've not only heard of Sete but I've been there!
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Re: The port of Sète - July 2011
« Reply #14 on Jul 29, 2011, 6:57pm »		[Quote]
The maritime cemetery... isn't it where Georges Brassens is buried?

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Dans les grandes choses, les hommes se montrent comme il leur convient de se montrer; dans les petites, ils se montrent comme ils sont.
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Re: The port of Sète - July 2011
« Reply #15 on Jul 29, 2011, 7:06pm »		[Quote]
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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Re: The port of Sète - July 2011
« Reply #16 on Oct 29, 2011, 6:52pm »		[Quote]
I have enjoyed many long relaxing lunches at the waterfront in Sete. Great photos.
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Re: The port of Sète - July 2011
« Reply #17 on Jan 9, 2012, 3:50pm »		[Quote]
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 http://southernfranceluxury.com/gourmet-walking-tour/

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Re: The port of Sète - July 2011
« Reply #18 on Jan 15, 2012, 12:26am »		[Quote]
As always, K, your photo essays are the next best thing to actually being there.
Keep it up.

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