Blood Moon?

Doesn't look too promising, does it?

Nope, no eclipse to be seen :-(

Visiting Sète - Tips for the English-Speaker

Visiting Sète, and you don't know French? Here are a few things that may help:

• Arriving: make sure you have the address of where you're staying written down. If you use a taxi, you can hand this to the driver and not worry too much about getting there. If you come by train, see my earlier post about the station. You can take a bus from there, or a taxi. If there are no taxis waiting in front, go back into the train station and try the information desk (usually, someone can speak enough English to help you get a taxi). See my bus post for more info on how they work.
• Fun things to do: once you're settled, your first stop should be at the Tourist Office (look for the flags)! There is always someone who speaks English, and they are extremely helpful. They can help you get tickets, bus passes, bike rentals (either directly or tell you where to go), or simply tell you something about the town. This is true of all French tourist offices, by the way. The office is between the bus stops Passage du Dauphin and Les Pénitents. 

  

  Tourist Office

• Food! 

1. Restaurants in France have their own, seemingly *secret* language... Go with a sense of adventure, and experience something different!
2. Farmer's markets - the big one is Wednesday mornings in centre-ville, all along the street between the Aristide-Briand and Léon Blum (these are not marked as such in Google maps; just (1) look around the "Halles", and (2) follow the crowd! It will be a madhouse of French! Rely on gestures and holding out money :-\
3. Les Halles, since we're there, are the daily covered markets - stalls inside a building where you can buy all sorts of products. You can also sit at a table (first come, so be aware), order a drink, and eat whatever you bring - you can bring your own picnic, buy from the Farmer's market, or buy from one or more of the stalls inside. They are open every morning, but close down about 1:30. Note that fewer shops open are open on Mondays. 

   

   Exterior Les Halles

4. Épiceries, or fruit and vegetable stands, are scattered all over town - just look for the produce displayed! Prices are marked; sometimes it's help yourself, sometimes it's don't touch!
5. Grocery stores - Auchan (across from the Hospital) is the big one, followed by Monoprix (Passage du Dauphin), and several smaller Carrefours. This is the easiest way to get food - you can usually see what it is without worrying about what it's called :-D. In Auchan, (1) you weigh and price-sticker your own produce (unless it's in a package or by piece) - I recommend watching someone else,
   
   (2) you get a ticket for help at the fish and deli sections that are manned - use your "bonjour" and gestures!
   
6. Do not miss out on (1) tielle, a sort of octopus empanada - there are at least 10 places that make this; they're everywhere (just don't get them from the supermarket; those just aren't right), (2) une baguette - the best is from La Pétrisane, inside the Auchan shopping center.
   
   Next is Phénix in the Corniche, then Epi d'Or just off the Rond-point de l'Europe. (3) a chocolate éclair from La Mie Coline just outside the Passage du Dauphin.

• Money: 

1. many places will take an American credit card, but not all! Try it, but if it doesn't work, make sure you have enough cash on hand to cover it ;-) 
2. ATMs are all over the place - look for one that works for you. They work pretty much like ATMs everywhere else - card, code, action, receipt, money. But in French... If you don't understand something on your first try, look up some of the key words and try again.
3. For purchases under 15€, most stores want cash

• Emergencies: there are all sorts of emergencies, of course :-) 

1.  For the life-threatening type, call 112 - this is the European-wide emergency response number (similar to 911 in the USA). If you start speaking in English, they will make sure someone answers you in English; they will assess your situation and send the appropriate help. 
2.  If you need medical attention, but are still mobile, you can go directly to the hospital (many Sète buses have a stop for "hôpital" - see the bus post indicated above).
3.  If you just need advice or a little something for a traveler's maladie, go to a pharmacy - most pharmacists speak English, and are able to do a lot more for you than a US pharmacist. Look for the green plus sign; this indicates a pharmacy all over Europe. 
   

• General advice: 

1.  download the French-English dictionary for Google translate; you'll have it available offline, and lots of people know how to use it.
2.  gestures work surprisingly well! Just remember that "one" starts with the thumb ;-) 
3.  accept that there will be a *lot* that you won't understand! Just go with it :-)
4.  learn a few key words, and use them: "bonjour" (hello) should be the first word out of your mouth - to the taxi driver, bus driver, sales clerk, everyone! "Merci" (thank you), as always ;-). "Au revoir" (sort of good-bye, but not forever) should be said whenever you leave - the bus, taxi, store, etc.

Sète Bus System

Sète (and the nearby towns) is served by an extensive bus system - you can get nearly anywhere!

Buses in Sète

The city buses are yellow, and look like this (but I have also been on a white one...). The lighted sign shows the line number and the name of the terminus, so you know which direction it's going. You can pick up "horaires" (schedules) at the train station, tourist office, and the bus office inside the Passage du Dauphin.*

Bus stops often look like this, but many also have covered benches

You get on in front, and exit from the middle or back doors. You can pay your fare in several ways: (1) monthly or yearly pass; hold the pass above the device on the right, and it will light green for ok (2) multi-fare or week-pass card; drop it into the slot (color side towards you) in the top of the device on the left, and it will stamp it (3) cash; pay the driver directly (1.30€; 20€ is the largest bill accepted); your ticket will print from the device on the right, and is good for transfers up to an hour. (4) no charge; line 6 is free - and now all electric! Just hop on!

Some lines (most buses on line 3) have a computerized sign that tells you what the next stop is. Don't forget to push the "stop" button when you see yours coming up (and make sure the "arret demandé" sign has been lit red).

Where can you go?

Almost all lines go to the "Gare SNCF" (train station) and centre-ville - see the inset in the above map. Line 6 is free.

Many lines (1, 2, 3, 7) go to the hospital (and the Auchan shopping center across the street)

Lines 3 and 9 go along the Mediterranean side to the Corniche (cliffs and small pebble beachs). 9 continues down the 8 kilometers of sandy beaches to Marseillan, and 3 goes further around the island (stop at "ifremer" for a short walk to the Lido, a sandy-beach-and-restaurant area)

Line 5 goes up the mountain for great views, then down to the Corniche.

Summer - it's crowded! They add more buses to some routes, and they run till almost midnight. But they are still almost always late, so don't count on the schedule; just go with it! AND! If you need the bus to catch a train, make sure to build in plenty of time (half an hour is not too much)!

Etiquette: each situation has it's rules, both stated and simply understood.

• Sète uses a pseudo-line; you almost form a line, but when the bus arrives, just go - sometimes you gesture to others to precede, and you may hear "allez-y" (go ahead)
• Always say "bonjour" to the driver when you get on, and "merci, au revoir" when you get off
• Offer your seat to someone else if they are older, handicapped, or pregnant. (That is, jump up, and gesture your seat to them)
• Make sure to always stamp / validate your pass; there are often transport police who check this, and there is a fine for not doing so.
• Spelled out as not allowed: no smoking, no eating or drinking (water is ok tho), no feet on the seats
• Commonly seen: baby carriages, shopping caddies, wheelchairs (the bus has a retractable ramp), beach equipment, dogs (big and small). I haven't seen bikes on the bus, nor stowed on the front as in some places.

~~~
* For current schedules online, go here: http://mobilite.agglopole.fr/Pratique/Lignes-et-horaires
There is also Hérault Transport, the regional bus company (orange buses), if you want to go farther afield. See here: https://www.herault-transport.fr

Carte de Séjour !!!

I'm so excited! And I just can't hide it! :-D

Why? Well! Yesterday, I got the all-important text from my préfecture - my Carte de Séjour, my legal French ID that says I can live and work here, was ready and waiting!

My Text!

So (obviously), we immediately went online and paid the fee (yes, 269€), and printed the proof. And got train tickets! And double-checked that it wasn't a strike day LOL! And rearranged chores...

What led up to this miraculous event? I will tell you; a *lot* of paperwork, and a *ton* of waiting! I got my visa in December 2016, came to France at the end of January, 2017, and applied for the 10 year residency card in December, 2017. I could only do that (the longer-than-1-year card) because of my long-term marriage to a French national - but that also added a few steps :-)

In December, I got a récépissé (sort of a receipt for having submitted my request, as well as a temporary residency card). Well, it is only temporary, so I had to ask for another one in April. And that one was going to expire in July (em, you know, soon!). So, I went in and asked about it... Ah, well, see the whole story here.

ANYWAY! I got to the Montpellier Préfecture...
1:22, got in line
1:48, showed my stuff at the desk and got a ticket:
- passport
- old titre (in the passport)
- récépissé, and
- timbre (proof that I paid the fee)
My ticket showed that there were 40 people ahead of me (I had #49). Anyone superstitious? The 49ers are my favorite American football team ;-)
2:40, there's my number! I go to the window, pass in my small pile, and wait a minute for the agent to check through it. Then I get my passport back, and my brand new card! I checked it for correctness,* and signed a receipt.
2:45, I walked away with ***THIS!***

10 whole years!

2:55,  back at the gare, I had just missed a train, so waited for the next one
5:15, home sweet home!
AND! There's a nice bottle of bubbly in the fridge!
:-D :-D :-D

~~~
* our street name is very long, and it doesn't all fit on the card; when I mentioned this, my agent said "pas grave" (no problem), the record is correct.

Santa María Ship - Escale Part 2

Earlier this year, we celebrated the Escale à Sète, a week of all sorts of sailing ships hanging out in the canals of Sète. But we missed one! The Santa María, the flagship of Christopher Columbus, wasn't quite ready...

This week, she's here! Today, we went to visit :-)

Spanish flag

Captain's quarters include an office

Down into the hold - this area was originally used for cargo; on this ship, it's an education center

Typical educational materials

It's hard to believe that this small ship of 28 meters crossed the Atlantic ocean! Even at that, it was the largest of the three ships, and carried 52 men.

~~~
More info:
Christopher Columbus ships: http://www.christopher-columbus.eu/columbus-ships.htm
Santa María:  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_María_(ship)
This replica ship is expected to recreate the route to America later this year (after hurricane season!)

Sailing and Relaxing

This Summer is a little more relaxing than it was last year. Then, we went to concerts and music festivals. This year, we're more involved with our community; more of our outings are with clubs.

Last week was the Fête de la Saint-Pierre, the patron saint of fishermen, and so an important event in Sète - the fishing port is turned into a giant amusement park, with carnival rides, music, and food booths. The statue of Saint Pierre is paraded around the streets, accompanied by music and torches. Then on Sunday, it is taken out onto the sea for a ceremony - boats gather, there is a mass and blessing, and flowers tossed into the sea. It's a time to remember fishermen lost to the sea.

Our sailing club joined the festivities; we took the two boats, Draug and Vagabond, out ahead, and waited for the fishermen to come.

Vagabond, from Draug

Draug, from Vagabond; not my photo :-(
I'm standing by the mast

Photo by Jean Marc Anselme

Waiting for the fishermen

Sète, from the Mediterranean

Some decided to swim a while

Here they come! Les Pêcheurs arrivent !

The ceremony

Relaxing and sailing around afterwards

A few weeks ago, this was the opposite view - the Mediterranean from a beach on Sète! Another association had a year's end party at a "paillote," a temporary restaurant on the beach; it was a lot of fun, with plenty of visiting with new friends.

Sprinkled in, we joined a party to celebrate Neighbor's day - it's an excuse to get to know your neighbors, so we did! :-)

Sète takes some time to get to know beneath the tourism and Festivals - a lot of things worth knowing are by word of mouth. We're getting there :-)