Saint-Etienne, France

[Border City Boy]

In the Périgord thread, PhilippeMTL asked stéphanois forumer Sandy when we were going to see a thread on St. Etienne.

So, here it is



Looking out the window of my hotel towards "les mamelles"











Another view of the hill. The hill is made up of the waste from the old coal mines.









L'Hotel-de-ville (City Hall)



I think this is La Prefecture? If I'm wrong I'm sure Sandy can correct me.













Some amazing architecture in St. Etienne























The oldest building in town.



The Furania. The hotel we stayed at. Cheap and clean.



At the 58ieme Foire de St. Etienne

















Cette ville pue? Je ne pense pas!

Allez les Verts!

[Sandy]

Great!! just a quickly few words comment because I don't work on Wednesday afternoon and with this sunny sky I will take some more shots to show you what have change compared to your pics (St Etienne hab been under construction for at least 2 years)
Sorry I didn't saw your thread before going to work this morning...

Be back and congratulations , some are greater than mine!!

[PhilippeMtl]

Thank you for this nice thread, beautiful. Do you have some pictures of the old industrial parts or it is already bulldozed?

Est ce qu'il reste des traces de du passé industriel de la ville? Est-ce que la ville est considéré dans la région de Lyon ou elle forme sa propre richesse?

[SLO]

Lovely town, like a slice of Paris.
Id love to go someday....I'd like to see more pix....
thanks.

[Chelsea Spy]

tres joli... it looks very quiet though - were you out on a Sunday morning?

[Border City Boy]

Chelsea, it might have been. We were there for four days, and it got much busier than it shows in my photos. The mornign I went out with the camera is was looking like it was going to rain. It was early and there weren't many people out.

SLO - It is neat to visit, and it's easy to reach by train from Paris, Lyon or Geneva. Also RyanAir flies to St. Etienne from London.

Philippe, j'ai rien vu, mais il y a une musée de la mine qui explore l'histoire de cette industrie au ville. C'est tres interessant. Mais je n'ai pas vu des ancien usines a St. Etienne, je pense que il sont deja disparu.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-%C3%89tienne


Je ne suis pas certain, mais il semble que les deux sont tres different. St. Etienne est la préfecture de la département de la Lorie. Lyon est la préfecture de la département de la Rhone. Ils sont proche (60 km) mais il sont deux villes et regions completment séparé.

Pendant ma visite, nous avons fait une jour a Lyon, et il y a beacoup d'usines anciennes la

[Border City Boy]

Sandy - How was it during the World Cup? Was it very busy?

[M II A II R II K]

Stunning!

[big T]

cool thread, I wasn't expecting to see StE on SSP!

yeah St Etienne is very much its own cultural center even though Lyon is close by and much bigger. If you speak French you can often tell by their accent whether someone is from St Etienne or Lyon. There's a long history of rivalry between the two also.

[Sandy]

Originally Posted by Border City Boy

Sandy - How was it during the World Cup? Was it very busy?

I'm not expert in sport and to be honnest I have never been to an ASSE soccer game, but in 98 when France won, it was amazing there was people everywhere, it was a big fiesta!! and last time in 2006, France finally lost but I remember my street blocked by supporters' cars and a lot of honks all night.
Soccer is our national game, so everytime France or our St Etienne team "Les Verts" win everybody is in the street.

Here is the prefecture : not a really good shot but our cabs were on strike today (welcome to France The strikecountry ) and were demonstrated in front of it.



This is the building renovated on your last pic :



and your hotel is about 40m from my appartment, same street other way view, up to the pizzeria sign, your hotel sign is same side near the grey car in the background.



SLO : I have many pics which I took last Sunday and this afternoon with view of the coal mine pit (hope it's the good word), our tramway, street views, some nice buildings and very old one... I will post them this week end.

St Etienne is not really a slice of Paris but I think Lyon is, and it's just 1 hour drive so you can visit them 2.
Just ouside "Sainté" as Stéphanois say, there's a lot of nature with Pilat régional park so we have all advantages of a little big town with the countryside really close, so you can go shopping and trekking the same day!

So thanks everybody for your interest in my town, I'm seeing it with an other view now, maybe it's a town which worth finally to be shown even if it's not Paris.

[SLO]

^^Thank you. I havent been to France in 11 years (before kids), but I'd like to plan a trip with my kids.....
Yes it looks like a lovely place.

[pablosan]

Thanks for the photos. They are beautiful.

[Ex-Ithacan]

Beautiful city. The narrow streets add to the seeming density. Thanks.

[Border City Boy]

Sandy,

My familiy lives on the next block over...

[Sandy]

When I say the world is small....
I saw your interesting website and left a comment.

[Border City Boy]

I saw that... Thanks. I wonder if "les mamelles" was a nickname given to the hills by the workers? My relatives had family that worked at the mines (above ground in the offices mind you...).

[Complex01]

Ah very very nice...

[Sandy]

Originally Posted by Border City Boy

I saw that... Thanks. I wonder if "les mamelles" was a nickname given to the hills by the workers? My relatives had family that worked at the mines (above ground in the offices mind you...).

OK, you're right I searched on the internet and found this : http://www.as1t.com/content/blogcategory/154/466/ , this is a kind of dictionary with words used in our usual language, as Stéphanois, which can't be understood in other French region, so for "crassier" : For people crossing or new arrivants, in Saint-Etienne spoke of "teat" to evoke both slag located at Clapier, next to the Mine Museum. ( google language tool, easier for me, maybe not correct but understandable, isn't it?)

So thanks to you I've learned something today.

[gatt]

first time i see photos if Saint-Etienne.j'aimerais bien y aller.

[Border City Boy]

Yes Sandy - Local Slang.. Nice link!

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Gatt - C'est une tres joil coin de la France.