Escale à Sète Program Part I

Escale à Sète

I'm getting ready for the week's festivities! Tonight we went to hear 18th century Sea Chanties at the Théâtre Molière.
And here's what's coming up...

PROGRAM (part 1)

Tuesday 27:
8-11 Arrival Parade of the tallships, sailing in to Sète along the "Citrus Route" Barcelona-Sète (https://www.livescience.com/59896-ancient-citrus-trade-routes.html) - visible from the môle (breakwater), or the sea (that's where I'll be!)
9:30 villages open (food and souvenir stands)
12:00 music from the times of the Hermione (~1780), quai République, du Commandant Samary, d'Alger, and du Maroc (all around the "notch" of quais in these pictures of Sète)

5:00 pm Mediterranean Parade, with bagpipes, oboes, and drums - between quai République and Maroc
6:00 pm Welcome for the seafarers by Sète sailors, quai du Maroc

Wednesday 28
9:30 villages open (food and souvenir stands), tallship tours begin **
10 Parade of young jouteurs, with oboes and drums
10:30 Joutes (on chariots, not boats - young children)
12:30 Battle of tallships; re-enactment with cannons, foghorns, bells; on the water/quais at quai d'Alger
3:00 Arrival and parade; "Hats of the Ship's Apprentices." Students of Bassin de Thau march to bagpipes, ending at quai du Maroc; followed by Popular Sea Songs of the region.
3:00 Team Parade; traditional sports; on the water at quai d'Alger
6:00 Parade of submariners, quai du Maroc to République
7:00 Submariners party

Thursday 29
9:30 villages open (food and souvenir stands), tallship tours begin **
10:00 Parade of River Music, Toulouse Conservatory, quai du Maroc to République
11:30 Presentation at podium Marine Nationale, with bagpipes, oboes, drums; quai République, by the ship Santa Eulalia
12:30 Presentation at podium Marine Nationale
3:00 Team Parade; traditional sports; on the water at quai d'Alger
5:00 Parade of seafarers, quai République to d'Algers
6:00 Presentation, quai d'Alger
9:00 Parade of Sailors; "Navirade Nocturne" - historical sailing boats and small boats; fireworks, cannons, traditional music; on the water at quai d'Alger

Friday 30
9:30 villages open (food and souvenir stands), tallship tours begin **
10:00 Parade of tallships "Navirade Santa-Eulalia" 100th anniversary of this 3-masted ship from Barcelona; flotilla of traditional boats, with Catelonian bagpipes, from quais République to fishing port. More traditional boats arrive throughout the day (des latines, des barquettes, des goélettes et des péniches). Santa Eulalia berths at the criée (fish auction house, on the big island of Sète, at the end of the canal near the breakwater - see the drawn map)

Escale à Sète map

10:00 - 5:00 free initiation to rowing, leaves from the criée
11:30 Opening of concerts, criée
3:00 Team Parade; traditional sports; on the water at quai d'Alger
6:00 Ship's Apprentices concert
7:00 Parade ; Sailors of 18th century, traditional music, flags; from quai du Général Durand to Samary
8:00 Traditional music and soup

~~~

The program continues through the weekend and Monday; part 2 to come!

** Correction : tickets required; presale by internet is all sold out; you can still buy tickets on the day of, but the line is ~20 minutes, and the times sell out fast.