April 19: Creative St Etienne

We jumped off the train in St Etienne yesterday afternoon. Tomorrow, we head to Le-Puy-en-Velay, the start of our camino. As this is the closest rail station and we had not been here before, we took a day to explore. It’s a small provincial town, and, curiously, a UNESCO Creative City since 2010. Best known as a coal mining centre (19th Century) and a powerhouse of weapons manufacture (20th Century), it is a once-rich town trying to reinvent itself.

These days, it’s a student town, with a well-respected Design college and, “undergoing a vast urban renewal programme” (thank you Wikipedia). It’s certainly a place with statement architecture and a post-industrial vibe, trying very hard to become a post-industrial scene.

A major claim to fame in modern times is the football (soccer) club: AS St Etienne. Known locally as “the greens”, they were a force in 1970s European football. Although now something of a faded glory, local passion remains high. That is, at least, to judge from the number of kids in green football shirts at the train station yesterday, evidently (and excitedly) heading towards the weekend game. UK readers of a certain age may recall “Sainte-Etienne” as a ‘90s indie band (I do). Apparently, they are named after the football team, rather than the city.

We are staying right by the station, which boasts decorative brickwork and stands on a fine square. This morning, we wandered to the square’s nice-looking café (a conservatory style, with traditional green trim, plate-glass windows and smart round tables in decorative iron) for a coffee. Surprisingly, “deux cafés, s’il vous plait” produced ristrettos, even more potent than espressos. We loitered until midday, sipping (gingerly), reading, until the place filled up with immaculately dressed older women and it was evident that church had kicked out. We then wandered over to the station and got a second round of “cafés allongés” (basically, an “Americano”) from the concession there!

I added a Video page to our website this afternoon: “New for SuperTrip 2026”. Carey is focusing videos and using AI to support rapid editing, so he already has 5 reels produced. They are too big for our FLCKR albums, so he’s posting to his YouTube page (and I am linking there). He’s clearly having a lot of fun figuring out how it works. In fact, as I speak, he is flying his drone INSIDE our hotel room… I will continue posting stills every day. The videos will be a lot more ad hoc. I’ll add a new tab every time Carey has one ready.

I am glad we took a day here. It’s a different experience, the opposite of touristy. We’re picnicking today, probably for the last time before Spain. I bought some deep, fudgy, 2-year-old comte cheese; sweet vine-ripened tomatoes; fresh bread and a croissant d’armand which looks like someone sat on it (as it is supposed to do). With a glass of chilled rosé, it is perfect. Carey added some spicy sausage to his plate. Delicious!