When the Boat Comes In

We have visited Sète many times over the years. During one summer , we moored our old boat in the port, and watched from there the activity of boats, both big and small, that was going on around us. We have walked along the beaches, and seen the view from the top of Mont St Clair, and we have cycled along the canal into the busy town centre. Now that we have a flat here, bit by bit we are slowly beginning to put these different pieces of the jigsaw together, to see it as a whole. Last Monday we decided to visit les Halles, Sète's famous indoor market, so we crossed the Canal Royale, and headed for the old centre of town. We weren't alone, for we had heard many American voices around us. When we saw a group outside Les Halles being led by a guide with a large sign , we realised that a cruise ship must have docked in port. His sign read Viking Vela, which I assumed was the name of their ship.

Les Halles is a large indoor market which is renowned for its sale of fresh fish and sea food. It was our primary purpose to buy some good fresh fish to cook for our lunch. There are lots of tables and chairs outside where you can eat sea food and drink wine at a very reasonable price, and yet more indoors, but today the tables mostly lay empty. What's more there was not a single fresh fish to be bought. The giant stainless steel slabs which belong to the fish retailers all lay swabbed, and bare. Finally we spotted a sea food stall, where we decided to buy oysters and palourdes(clams) instead. "But where are all the fresh fish stalls?" we asked." It is Monday," the stallholder explained. "The boats won't come in until this evening. "

We bought a dozen medium oysters at this stall, before realising that we didn't have a special oyster knife at our flat to shuck them with. No problem however, as the stall holder produced one for us to buy.

On arriving home, we decided to cook up the palourdes, leaving the oysters until later. With little more to add than some butter, garlic, pepper, spaghetti and parmesan cheese we produced a delicious lunch. Before leaving the market hall we had also bought some fresh parsley , to complete the dish.

Even though the fish stalls had been closed that day, we could see what an exciting market this is. Here are a few of the stalls we saw, selling meat products , fresh pasta and panettone from Italy , an enormous range of cheeses, fruit and veg. and more. I can't wait to return soon to see what fresh fish they offer.

But that wasn't the end of the story, for that evening we decided to go for a walk along the 'Môle.' This is the long stone jetty that shelters the yachts from the sea at the port du plaisance. At the furthest end is a tall lightnouse, and this is where we were heading. Larger ships enter from the opposite side of port ,and this light helps to guide them in. But what were those boats we saw heading for the entrance from the south side, the one that pleasure craft like ours would use, with its smaller red light to port and its green light to starboard? I saw three boats comingg into port in all. As they got closer I realised that these were the trawlers bringing in their catch. For sure, there would be plenty of fish for sale at Les Halles the next day. We watched as they progressed towards the centre of the port, finally docking at La Criéé ( the large fish market) to unload their catch. Some giant trawlers can even be seen mooring alongside the Canale Royale, and the Canale Maritime, further into the heart of town. That is what I like so much about Sète. It is a real , genuine , working port.

But that wasn't the last surprise we had that day. When we reached the pier at the end of the Môle, look what we saw: two fine cruise ships had come in to town. I wonder which one is The Viking Vela. Welcome! I hope you enjoy discovering Sète as much as I do.