Day 3 - Sunday April 16 - Sete France

I made it to FRANCE!   What a day!    I finally was able to use one of the only two French phrases I have memorized.   Où sont les toilettes?   Where is the bathroom?  Four semesters of COLLEGE French have finally paid off!  

Sete' France, what a beautiful little town.  We had a tour guide to beat all tour guides today.   He had a great wealth of information AND he was funny as can be AND he was a musician.

We started our day a little earlier than yesterday.   Both of us managed to get up at 5:30 am and have breakfast.   From the windows on the ship in the dining room we saw the sun come up over France.

Our tour left at 8:35 am.   It was the "Walking Tour of Sete France".  It was a two hour tour of the cutest town on the Mediterranean coast (so far).  

We walked all over town and today, just by coincidence the town was having a swimming race in the canal.  

Our guide introduced us to some of the possible restaurants to eat at if we chose to stay in town.  We did.  He also took us to the local market.  It reminded me of the Reading Terminal in Philadelphia.   Seafood!  Sete is known for oysters and muscles. Wayne eats raw seafood.  I'll try it before this month is over but I didn't today.  Wayne said they were MUCH more salty than he eats in the US.  

I walked through the "farmers market" taking pictures of all the fresh seafood and vegetables and fruit.  I found a combination patisserie and boulangerie.  I had a blast looking at all the beaufiful pastries and breads.  I bought ONE, JUST ONE chocolate croissant.  Bettiann told me I must try a french croissant.  She wasn't wrong.   Terry, you would have really enjoyed your time here.   

We left the tour group, or rather, they left us and we stayed in town to have a coffee and wait for the lunch hour for a real taste of seafood.  We sat by the canal and watch all the swimmers racing up and down the canal.  We have no idea who won but it was fun watching the crowd cheer from the bridge over the canal.

While we were having coffee, a group of french speaking adults and children sat down; eventually the grandparents came.  We moved to another table to give them room.  The grandfather tried to strike up a conversation with me.  I WAS IN DEEP TROUBLE.   All I could manage were a lot of smiles.  Oh well, I guess I should have paid more attention in French class.  I know my sister, Lynore, would have tried to converse with them.  I couldn't get to first base.  When we left the table, I did manage a weak "pardonne-moi".  Enough said on this subject!

On to lunch.   Trying to read the chalkboard menu was a riot.  Wayne finally found a use for my cell phone.  I was typing in the french words on the chalkboard and we finally figured out what to order.  Wayne had the raw seafood platter.  I had Linguines Aux Moules Farcie.  Translated, I had Stuffed Muscles.  How do you stuff a muscle?   Well, you do.  And it was stuffed, as our guide said, "stuffed with meat of pork".  Lunch was wonderful!

           The chalkboard           Wayne's raw seafood lunch

My wonderful STUFFED muscles

The bill for both of us, in Euros

Tipping is NOT expected in Europe and France is included.  Servers get paid a real wage, including medical benefits, etc. Tipping is ONLY for "service' above and beyond.

Another observation.   No one sitting in the cafes were on their cell phones!   Everyone was actually talking to each other; even kids and teenagers.   They were talking with each other!

We only walked a little over 7,000 steps today.  Tonight, dinner in the World Buffet.  Wayne wants to eat light!  HA!

Update, that didn't happen!  I had a NY strip steak with mushroom risotto and some steamed vegetables.  I'm keeping to my promise of only one dessert each night (if you don't count the gelato)!