Mediterranean & Adriatic Sojourn
Barcelona to Athens April 3-24, 2023
We took the included tour, Scenic Sete by Foot, which we enjoyed. Here’s the Viking website description:
Explore the port city of Sète, the “Venice of the Languedoc.” Located on a thin strip of land, Sète received its name from the many canals that crisscross it, linking the Mediterranean to the enclosed saltwater lagoon of Ethang de Thau.
Meet your guide and walk along Sète’s main canal. Learn why Sète is a destination for seafood-loving gourmets as you watch the largest fishing fleet on France’s Mediterranean coast troll the fish-abundant waters. Get a sense of the strong cultural identity of this major port city and of its inhabitants as you stroll the streets of the Old Port, viewing the churches, art galleries, and other historic public buildings that line the quay. Then, experience at your leisure the shopping opportunities and unpretentious atmosphere of this city, different from other resorts in southern France, before heading back to your ship.
The ship docked in an industrial port and all passengers were required to take a 5-minute shuttle from the ship to the meeting point for tours. At the shuttle stop there were town greeters with smiles and maps and an overhead shelter with a couple of benches. Our tour guide met us there.
I think we had the most unusual tour guide ever. A septuagenarian in costume with a metal fife, he skipped, danced, sang, and played his way through the streets of Sete. He’s a member of some of the musician groups in the region and played a repertoire of traditional songs. He was quite the entertainer.
It’s an easy 20 to 30-minute walk from the shuttle stop to the central part of town, although one must negotiate several steep stairs (with handrails). We crossed a couple of bridges and got close-up views of all kinds of boats of all sizes.
We wandered the streets and canals and took advantage of lots of photo ops. Canals, colorful boats strung in a row, reflections on the water. The morning market is a local hang-out and shop where locals hang out and buy their produce and fish for the day. This market is not to be missed but keep in mind it closes at noon.
We examined bins of olives, oysters, shrimp, mussels, clams, winkles, cheeses, and sausages. You can find food stalls where monkfish, cuttlefish, bream, squid, and octopus are featured in authentic local recipes, like stuffed squid or “tielles” (octopus pies).
We were on the main street in Sete on a Wednesday when the outdoor farmer’s market is also open. A treat to see the displays of fresh produce, embroidered pouches of lavender, bakery goods, cheeses, and more.
After the market stop, we left the tour and went off on our own. I sampled fresh-from-the-sea oysters while Bob enjoyed a local wine — “nice, a red blend, modestly dry.”
We had our first adventure at the convenient and friendly staffed pharmacy where none of the staff spoke English. Bob needed a special cleanser for his hard contacts and we were both surprised and pleased by how well one can manage complex conversations using the Google Translate app.
Other cruisers ventured to the top of St. Clair — a hard uphill hike or a bus ride — for the view of the canals and seaport and to admire the painted walls of the Chapel of Notre Dame and the Cimetiere Marin (cemetery).
The included tour was fine and we enjoyed exploring this small French village. Other cruisers spoke positively about their tours to Montpellier and the Thau Lagoon. If we had a do-over, I think we would try to do a half-day optional tour elsewhere, and then explore Sete on our own. Since the ship doesn’t leave port until 2100 there is plenty of time to comfortably do both.
