top of page
THE DAY THE TALL SHIPS CAME IN
ESCALE À SÉTE 15-21 APRIL
Out of the mists of time they came
Topsails flying high
True sirens of the sea...
Beginning April 15 thousands of spectators will be unable to resist the call of the siren as they are lured to the 'Île Singulière' for Escale à Sète a biennial festival of maritime traditions.It is possibly the most seductive festival of its kind anywhere, given Sète's natural charm, beauty, deep-rooted nautical culture and its status as the Mediterranean's major fishing port. 'Escale', by the way means stopover, and the tall ships will grace the port for six days, weighing anchor at the end of the Easter weekend. On April 15 the majestic Sedov and Kruzenshtern (both Russian and the world's largest sailing ships) will billow into port, followed three days later by a flotilla of more than 100 vessels from seafaring nations that include Scotland and Ireland. Windjammers, three- and four-masted schooners, steamships, trawlers...will line every quay in the heart of town and welcome visitors aboard. Music, parades, guided tours, food, art exhibitions, children's treasure hunts and more will provide entertainment on dry land, all with a decidedly nautical air.At night the town will be ablaze with the ships' lights.
In 2012 Escale à Sète attracted an unprecedented 200,000 spectators, far exceeding the expectations of the organisers and restaurateurs alike. As a result, the unthinkable happened: for what must be the first time in history, Sète ran out of food! As for 'shuttle diplomacy', one foreign ambassador, trapped in a traffic jam, missed seeing his country's shipsail in. This year the town is well prepared. According to a spokesperson, shuttles will take visitors from parking lots into the town centre, while Escale à Assiette, with 50 participating restaurants and food stands, should provide enough sustenance for the entire French Navy. How many visitors are expected? That is anyone's guess, but estimates are well in excess of 2012 numbers. The festival's success owes much to afleet of volunteers or 'bénévoles' commanded by Wolfgang Idiri, the Festival's director. When the call for 'all hands on deck' is issued, volunteers are assigned a variety of tasks as varied as meeting and greeting visitors to checking tickets. I enlisted along with members of a Sète association (AGLR) and the work was fun and rewarding. Not only did we gain a unique insider's view on the complex logistics of organising a major festival,
but mingling with the local community and meeting people from many parts of the world was well worth every minute. Escapades à SèteThe Town of Sète offers has organised a breathtaking calendar of entertainment and events in which more than 700 artists, athletes and professionals from the maritime world will participate. A sampling: When My Ship Comes In there will be a grand parade of boat crews from Ireland, Scotland, France, Japan, Indian Ocean nations, Italy, Greece, Czech Republic, Spain, and RussiaWater Jousting visitors will be entertained royally by a sport which was staged in 1666 to honour Louis XIV on his visit to Sète. The 'Sun King' had created the town to allow ships passage to the south of France bearing his treasures, wine and foodLet Them Eat Cake? Not this time around:renowned chefs will share secrets of preparing seafood; visit the Town centre village éscale in Les Halles (covered market); and a participating restaurant in Escale à Assiette will never be far awayLet The Music Play It will! The whole town will sway to the sound of Irish sea shanties and nautical music from 30 groups playing in every available corner.A Learning Experience from experts in a number of maritime professions including environmentalistsChild's Play Barberousette’s Treasure Hunt and study groupsArts & Culture Exhibitions of paintings, photographs and models Escale BleuSOS! (Save Our Seas)Escale Bleu's experts will educate festival goers on the challenges and solutions of protecting the environment. Among them, guest of honour Maud Fontenoy will focus on raising awareness among school children about the importance of clean seas. Fontenoy has established a foundation dedicated to this end and holds the Ordre national du mérite (French Order of Merit) among several other titles. Having rowed across the Atlantic and Pacific and sailed solo around the Antarctic she is quite an expert. As you can see, Escale à Sète is just the tip of the iceberg for the Île Singulière. And so for now, Anchors Aweigh Like phantoms of the past they flewLight as the ocean sprayA wonder to behold they were As they sailed upon their way.
For a detailed calendar of events, please refer to Escale à Sète's website:
www.escaleasete.com
bottom of page