French

Sean O'Byrne
Contributing Writer

T hesitated for a long
while before putting
this article to paper,
not because I doubt
Séte’s viability as a
tourist destination, but
because I am I!oath to
share its beauty.

In many respects, Sete is
just like any other seaside
town in southern France:
sunny open squares, old men

playing boules, sinfill smells
emanating from bakeries. Burt
if 1 could pick one spot in the
world in which to spend the
rest of my life, this would be
ir.

France’s largest
Mediterranean fishing port is
offen called the Venice of
Languedoc, after the canals
lacing through the city. The
Italian connection extends to
the population: in the 17th
century, large numbers of
Italian labourers emigrated to
Séte to assist in the construc-
tion of the Mole St-Louis, a
jetty built to protect the har-
bour. Many locals still speak a
dialect combining French,
Tralian, and Occitan.

The top of Mont St-Clair
affords a clear view of the
Mediterranean to the south
and the Bassin de Thau, with
the town of Agde beyond, to
the north. Séte’s watertront is
a wonderful melange of fish-
boats, small restaurants, and
art galleries. A very satisifying
day can easily be had just
walking the streets and quays.

“To simply walk and look,
though, is to get only the
faintest flavour ofa place.
Partaking of a culture requires

articipation. Our first item of
Business in Séte was to locate
the tourist office
(wwwsete.org), locazed at 60
Grand Rue Mario Roustan —-
follow the signs from the train
station.

Although it is always advis-
able to acquire a city map
ahead of time ( Plans-Guides
Blay are excellent and readily
available), the one supplied by
the burcau de tourisme is cer-
tainly adequate. The helpful
staff can locate accommoda-
tion and have been known to
change currency without com-
mission. Here we were given a

Photo Sean O'Byme

NORTH view of Séte’s main canal — the French Mediterranean port is often called the Venice of Languedoc.

detailed listing of everything
that was happening in the
town.

Being a cycling aficionado,
I was overjoyed to learn of a
pro race that would finish in
Séte during our stay. Other
scheduled events included a_,
raini-triathion and an exhibit
of Jean Arp’s sculptures at the
Musée Paul Valery.

The Mole St-Louis is a
must-see for the nautical-
minded. Extending seaward
from the end of Promenade J.
B. Marty, the Mole leads to a
marina and the Saciété
Nautique. Séte is the French
development headquarters for
America’s Cup racing sail-
boats. The 1992 Cup chal-
lenger, French Kiss, can be
viewed in drydock from the
Moie. At the far end of the
jetty rises the city’s lighthouse:
the perfect setting for enjoying
a moonlit bottle of wine.

On the side of Mont St-
Chir, overlooking the Mole,
the Musée Paul Valery houses
Setc’s history in picturcs and
artifacts. One of the exhibits
details Séte’s jousting tradi-
tion, which dates from the
17th century. Every year in
late August, the locals urn out
to the canals to watch combat-
ants tile at each other from
raised platforms on rowboats.

The muscum’s other perma-
nent exhibit details poet
Valery’s life in words and pic-
tures. Temporary art exhibi-
tions are also hosted. The sur-
rounding grounds afford a
tremendous view over the
Mole and harbour, and of the
subject of Valery’s most
famous pocm, the Maritime
Cemetery.

If wine is one of your inter-
ests, ask at the tourist office if
Le Vignerai is open. This is
not, despite its name, a winery.
Rather, it is a museum of
winemaking in the region, told
through a serics of story-
boards, films, models, and
mockups, all housed in a string
of underground tunnels and
caves. The storyboards and
films are in French, but corre-
sponding handouts in various
languages are available ar the
entrance.

At the end of the tour, vis-
itors are welcome to sample
and purchase the various wines
of Chateau de Moujan. As
mentioned, check at the
tourist office before searching
out Le Vignerai. A couple who
visited Séte shortly after we
did found it closed but, since
then, I have seen it mentioned
in guidebooks. If you go, dress
warmly. Séte’s climate is pleas-
andy warm, but the museum’s

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tunnels are underground and
the temperature is kept at 16°
Celsius (61° F). If Le Vignerai
is closed, avail yourself of the
free multilingual tour and tast-
ing at the Fortant de France
winery. These underrated and
inexpensive wines are widely
available in Canada.

Although Séte is blessed
with the Mediterranean cli-
mate, it does have its rainy sea-
son. The best time to go is
between early May and late
October: the waters off Plage
de Ia Corniche are eminently
swimmable through these
months. And though Séte
appears on the itinerarics of
few non-French tourists, the
town is a favourite vacation
destination for the French
themselves.

Good news for the North

American traveller, as accom-
modation is plentiful and vari-
ous. A youth hostel provides
very cheap beds near the top
of Mont St-Clair, while for
those at the other end of the
comfort spectrum, le Grand
Hotel overlooks the main

canal at #17 quai de Tassigny.
We staved in the comfortable
and inexpensive Horel
Tramontaine, at #5 rue
Frederic Mistral, where a dou-
ble room in 1998 cost FFI35
(about $45 CDN}.

The hotel is a block trom
the wonderful daily farmers”
market at Les Halles, and a
block from the Hower market,
with its whimsical octopus
fountain. Other hotels of vari-
ous price ranges are scattered
throughout this area of town,

Given its status asa fishing
port, it’s nor surprising that
Sete is laden with inexpensive
seafood restaurants, although
other types of cuisine are also
well represented. Promenade
J. B. Marty is lined with cater-
ies, serving sizeable portions of
the freshest seafood you will
ever mect (you can offen see
the preprictors hageling with
the fishermen along the water-
front in the afternoon). Prix
fixe ménus start at around
FF60, wine included.

Stte is accessible by train
directly trom Montpellier,
Avignon and Arles to the cast;
from Beziers to the west; and
from other locaies with a
transfer at one of these towrs.

Le Vignerai, if still operat-
ing, is located on Boulevard
Camille Bianc, northwest of
the beach at Plage de la
Comiche. Fortant de France
(www-fortant.com) is at 278
Avenue du Marechal Juin, off
the east end of the Pont de la
Victoire.

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