This was my fourth visit to Sète, three with Christine and once when she graciously let me stay in her condo during my first big self-supported tour. Over the course of those visits, I’d explored most of the highlights of Sète: the sandy beaches along the Mediterranean; a walk along the quais and canals of the port; a climb up Mont Saint Clair, and a bike ride around the Étang du Thau to the neighboring port city of Meze. But my two favorite memories of Sète were walking along former salt marshes of Étang de Thau, and exploring La Pointe Courte, where I enjoyed a simple but delicious meal of freshly caught dorade at a shack of a restaurant, followed by a slow stroll through the small fishing district. Today both events were on our agenda: lunch in La Pointe Courte followed by an afternoon walk along the Étang de Thau.
The morning activities included a few errands and a trip to the market to restock some provisions. Our plans for the day changed almost immediately on arriving at the Sète outdoor market when we were drawn to a very large pan of paella. Christine, who is very discerning when it comes food, perused the table and the line of people waiting to be served and suggested we have paella for lunch. I couldn’t help but agree, putting off a visit to Pointe Court until my next visit to Sète.
The woman (cook?) staffing the table kept a constant batter with the customers - here she is ladling a heaping portion of tajine for the customer ahead of us in line
We set out for the Étang de Thau and our afternoon walk along the Villeroy salt marshes at just past two, after an enjoyable paella lunch. Now a conservation area, the former salt marshes are located near the beginning of the Lido du Thau, the long dune cord that separates the Étang de Thau and the Mediterranean Sea. It is a starkly beautiful landscape rich in biodiversity that has been described as a real eulogy to silence and contemplation.
Our walk took us along the strip of land bordering the old salt tables, adjacent to the seawater lagoon. There is so much to appreciate here – the interplay of sky, sea, and small bits of land where a wide variety flora and fauna find their niche and thrive. Today I was drawn to waterfowl. Birds have garnered quite a bit of attention in some recent CycleBlaze journals, notably Scott Andersons ongoing 2023 bird quest that you can follow here and here. I am certainly far from a birder, able to identify only a handful of species by sight - cardinal, robin and blue jay for example. But today I was compelled by the rich diversity and quantity of birds to point my camera their way. And I even tried to identify some of them by name! I don't guarantee my identifications, so please feel free to correct me.
The camera cannot capture the “silence and contemplation” of the Villeroy salt marshes, but maybe one or two the following pictures will entice you to come and experience it for yourselves. It's a special place.
The Villeroy salt marshes. Our walk was along the strip of land at the far right, heading toward the horizon
