MARSEILLAN: A TOUR OF MY NEW VILLAGE
When I first visited Marseillan, I was convinced it would be the only time that I stepped foot in the village. Its location was a negative, too far from the area in which I had anticipated relocating. However, the house which I had come to view was beautiful and well located within the old section near the center village and Carrefour and Aldi. The July afternoon brought out the tourists and the vitality was obvious. I bit the bullet on the rental price and after several months, the rewards of my decision are still being discovered.
Marseillan is really two separate villages. The main village is on the Etang de Thau which is famous for oysters and mussels. They are great and cheap. Most restaurants feature both and midday menus always offer moules et frites. There are numerous coquillage shops in the community and along the etang several businesses sell them shucked or in the shell for the more adventurous patrons. It's a treat to sit overlooking the water while enjoying a dozen with a cold beer. The lake is huge and sailboats of all sizes share the space with fishing boats. There is no beach here in the village, but the views from the harbor and parks along the water compensate.
The beaches are in Marseillan Plage, five kilometers away. They are typical of those elsewhere on the Mediterranean, wide and wonderful. This is where most tourists gather and it is much like others from Italy to Portugal; souvenir shops, bars and restaurants, and kiddie activities fill the space. Campgrounds are crammed with RVs from nearly every European nation. In summer months buses run every half hour from the main village to the Plage and since parking is scarce ridership is significant. During the winter it's a ghost town as very few businesses are open. If you are looking for a peaceful beach experience go elsewhere. If you are looking for a place with activities for the kids amidst a throbbing pace of life the plage is the place for you.
There is no true center square, but rather a bustling few blocks within an area including a couple of small squares. The municipal offices, numerous bars and restaurants, three pharmacies, two flower shops, several banks, a multitude of real estate offices plus several bakeries are woven into the portion of the village which is always active and in the summer months quite chaotic. Of course there is a Spar and three fruit and vegetable stands offer fresh produce at attractive prices. Tuesday is market day and the three main bars and the tea room are full of chattering patrons. I join several friends at the Marine Bar. Included are a couple of Brits who live on a 38 foot yacht which is in no danger of being confiscated by the French government, Michel, a musician from Switzerland and his wife Neva from Slovenia, Giovanna, an artist from Sardinia and a French couple who own a vineyard. The expat population here is much different than Quillan and I have met no other Americans.
I have just located an apartment which will suite my needs for the coming year. I'm pleased that I will be able to stay in the village that has become home. As the summer progresses I will be able to judge whether or not the chaos of thousands of tourists is bearable. For twenty three years being amidst over twenty thousand college students didn't cause major mental issues. I should be no worse than I am perceived to be at the present.
NOTE: It has been several weeks between blogs because my old computer made its last spelling error and my new one has a European keyboard which will require relearning certain skills. Something about an old dog.