SUPERSTOCK; ILLUSTRATION: SCOTTJESSOP
on the road
may2014
23
lane.This isagutsy, compact littlecarwith
plentyof oomph in its 1.6diesel engine.
Fromadistance theViaducduMillau looks
likeamirageon the landscape, towering350
metresabove thevalley, sevenwhitecabled
pillars formingsevenshining triangles.At times
mist rising from thevalleyswirlsbeneath it,
creating thesurreal impression that thebridge
is floatingonair.As I driveover it I squint upat
its impossibleproportionsand feel ashiver of
vertigo thrill.But it’sover ina flashso I turnoff
at thevisitorcentreon theother side forabetter
look. Itwasabit of adetour, I thinkas I turn the
Suzuki around, butwell worthseeing. Foster’s
bridge isagob-smacking feat of engineering–
“amiracleof equilibrium”as (then)President
JacquesChiracdescribed it, even if it costsa
whopping€15 tocross it onceandbackagain.
Bynow thesun isshiningso I openup the
panoramicsun roof formycruisebacksouth
to thecoast.My last stop for theday is the little
fishingport ofSète,perchedonanalmost-
islandbetween theThau lagoonand thesea.
It’s likeaminiMarseille,withbrightlypainted
buildingsandamixof pleasurecruisersand
fishingboats lining thebustlingquayside.
Loomingabove is thesteepMontStClair.
Aclimb to the top reveals terrificviewsdown
the 12kmsof beach to thesouth-west, towards
MarseillanandBeziers, andacross the lagoon
toBouzigues, self-proclaimedoyster capital
of France.Sètehasa lively fishauctiondaily
wherevisitorscan takea tour andwatchboats
come inandunload their catch, thenwitness
the local fishmongersbid for thesame fishhalf
anhour later– it’sa fascinatingglimpse into
the lifeof thisbusyworkingport.
Thesea, naturally, hasahuge influenceon
thecuisinehereanda jumbleof seafood
restaurantsalong thewater jostle for attention.
The local
soupedepoisson
isa richvelvety
concoctionofwhite fishandshellfish, tomato,
onion, fennel, garlicandsaffron, servedwith
croutons, aioli andgruyerecheese.Stuffed
musselsandmonkfishstew (
bourride
) arealso
signaturedishes, but perhaps themost beloved
speciality is the lowly
tielle
, a rough-lookingbut
tastypiemadeof octopusstewed in tomatoes
whicharriveda fewhundredyearsagowith the
Neapolitan fishermanwhocamehere forwork.
Languedocwines,made fromgrapesgrown
on thecoastal plains, arebest known for their
full-bodiedspicy reds, but the regionalso
producessomeexcellent bone-drywhites
whichmarryperfectlywithshellfish.Witha
glassof chilledPicpoul dePinet, aplateof local
oystersandagentlebreeze ripplingoff the
Mediterranean,asunny terraceby thewaterside
inSète isagoodplace tobeaseveningsettles.
Formore information visit languedoc.com,
resamontpellier.comand tourisme-sete.com
■
MercureMontpellier Centre
Abright, clean,
central staywithanexcellent breakfast and
comfortablebeds.Rooms from€84.
mercure.com
■
Hotel deParis,Sète
Strangely incongruouswith
its seaside surrounds, theParis isall urban slate
greysandboldminimal styling, but it'savery
pleasant place to staynext to thebusyquayside.
There'sagoodbar and restaurant andstaff are top
notch.Rooms from€99.
hoteldeparis-sete.com
wheretostay
