This is perhaps what you have been anticipating for almost a month. Now it’s here. Hope it is not a letdown. I am a bit out of practice.
Ready, Sète, Go
For the last couple of years, our little junkets have been to Grau-du-Roi. This year we were slow to plan, and there were no rooms left at the Hotel Splendid. We like it because it is small and right on the beach.
We did recall visiting another seaside town, Sète, several years ago. The memories were good, if slightly fuzzy, so we booked a couple of nights at the Hotel de Paris. Sounds swanky, right?
Sète is sbout 130 Km from Tresques, just over an hour. Most of that is on the A9 where the speed limit is 130. Trucks max out at 90, and if one tries to pass another you could be waiting a bit. Our check-in was 3:00 so no rush.
It is a weird commune. The east side is flat, peppered with canals housing recreational craft, and very industrial. Many of the apartment buildings and shopping areas don’t appear at all inviting.We would not recommend purchasing a holiday flat there.
But once you cross the main canal it is another world. The sidewalks on either side are homes to bars, restaurants, and a variety of shops. Many of the bars are oyster bars,where you can also order shrimp, mussels, clams,whelks (big sea snails), and other fishy things. Plus wine, beer, and Judy’s new favourite category, cocktails.
The GPS found the hotel OK, but took us beyond the entrance to the private parking. We were on a one way street, headed the wrong way, of course. The west side of Sète is steep hills and narrow roads which we had to navigate to loop back to the hotel.
I used to like this kind of adventurous driving, maybe 40 years ago. It has since somewhat lost its charm. After a mosly white-knuckle trip, we made it to the garage where Judy pressed the hard-to-find button. The door opened. Phew.
When booking, we opted for a superior room. This meant overlooking the inner courtyard and not being exposed to the noise from the hordes on the main street. Nice bathroom, walk-in shower, queen bed, ok AC. The drive, especially the last hour, was exhausting for us old folk, so after a brief rest we trundled across the street for afternoon tapas.
Le Tabary’s is a popular place for tourists and locals to have a meal, snack, or drink. Drink, please. Judy had a kir royale and I needed a 50cc pression, draft beer. These are really cold, really good, and really refreshing. Lest you imagined we just drank, not so. The charcuterie plate had excellent meats, cheeses, and country pate, plus a side of bread.
With Judy ready for her afternoon nap, it was explore time. There is a Carrefour mini-market just down the street. Also lots of restaurants, shops, and oyster bars. Right across from the hotel someone had conveniently placed two boutiques for the fashion conscious madame. Tomorrow. Today we feed seagulls.
There are a few restaurants within a five minute walk. Japanese. French. And an oyster bar, Bar Le Barajo. As the French say, and I am serious, « BINGO !!».
Our table was by the sidewalk, rather than under an awning. Questionable choice, but live and learn. We ordered a demi of rosé, and twelve each of shrimps and oysters. They arrived on a big platter with a bowl of aioli in the middle. Yum. Judy wasn’t crazy for the oysters – too salty and not plump enough- but fine by moi. The shrimp were big and tasty – the sort where Anthony Bourdain would suck the heads – and delightfully messy. Until Pierre Mouette arrived.
There was a sudden flap of BIG wings, and a very large gull landed on the table between us. He snatched a mess of shrimp and devoured them on the sidewalk. Thank heavens he didn’t care for oysters. There was a gaggle of young ladies under the awning, and they found this event to be hysterical. So did Judy. Me, not so much. We were comped another 6 shrimp.
Our Nova Scotian friends used to have a local mooching seagull they called Pete, so it seemed reasonable to call this bandit Pierre (Pete) Mouette (seagull). Better than Jonathan Livingstone.
Enough adventures for one day
But there was another day to come.
It isn’t often that we have two apparel shops across from our hotel, but lucky us. They both close for lunch, but so do we.
The hotel has a decent lunch menu of tapas, so that was that. We ate outside so we could keep an eye on the shops.
At the first one Judy picked out a lovely one-size dress. No problem. Then a top from next door. Also no problem
After all this excitement it was time for the post lunch nap. No problem.
Au Feu de Bois
This was our restaurant of choice, just up the street. We opted for an inside table as insurance against another mouette attack. Most of the menu items – fish, fowl, or hoofed – are grilled over a wood fire. Frites (so good), salads, etc. are prepared in the back kitchen. But everything comes together beautifully.
Fried little calamari to start. Wow!
Judy ordered the veal special with bearnaise sauce, and claimed it was the tenderest best ever yummiest piece of meat she ever had in her entire life. Who am I to argue? I opted for the flank steak with pepper sauce, and it was a treat.
Stumbling back to the Hotel de Paris was a brief task.
Off to bed, to prepare for our 11:00 AM checkout.
And since it is now 11:09 PM here in Tresques, I too shall check out.
Next issue in a few days. Lunch reports to follow.
Ready, Sète, Gone!
Dormez bien!
Tresquenadiens 