Stopover in Sète 2024: “Perfect for the Easter weekend!”, visitors from elsewhere are enjoying themselves

The Puydômoise Annie Joncoux. Free Midi – Baptiste Ansé

Arthur, the Parisian admirer of Belem. Free Midi – Baptiste Ansé

Jinglu Wang visiting Sète takes advantage of new traditions like tielle. Free Midi – Baptiste Ansé

Aurélie et Mickaël Martin, avec leur fils Samuel. Midi Libre – Baptiste Ansé

The 7th edition of Escale à Sète is in full swing. More than 70,000 people attended the demonstration on Thursday March 28. Among them, its share of new visitors from all over France…. and elsewhere.

"Perfect for Easter weekend"

Coming from Puy-de-Dôme, Annie Joncoux and her companion are in Escale to see all the sailboats. "I found out about the festival on social media. My husband and I thought it was perfect for the Easter weekend", says the fifty-year-old. "We arrived yesterday and we're staying until& ;rsquo;see you Monday so we have time to see a variety of activities."

In its department protected from the wind thanks to the volcanic chain, it is unaccustomed to Mediterranean breezes blowing up to 45 km/h during Escale. "I’I was afraid it would be worse, Annie enjoys saying. When I looked at the weather forecast, I saw bad weather all the time, so we're not going to complain."

What warmed Annie’s hands during the day was the hot fish soup she enjoyed this lunchtime.

In China, there are no similar holidays

It’s surely the one that comes from the most distant city. Originally from Ma’anshan in China, two hours from Shanghai, Jinglu came to visit a friend in Montpellier. She took advantage of this stay to drop by the Sète maritime festival.
His biggest surprise is to see so many old ships lined up in one place. "In China, there are no similar festivals, so it’s a good surprise", she exclaims. When the totemic parade passes before our eyes, we sense a certain surprise. "It’s fun, it’s like Chinese New Year with the dragon."

Fan of French culinary culture, she takes advantage of Escale to taste regional products. His discovery of the day: the Tielle Sétoise! "I think I'll take a second one for this evening", she enjoys saying, after having only taken a bite of the first.

The Belem: "a legendary and historic boat"

Originally from Paris, Arthur came to see his grandmother in the south for the weekend. They both came specially to admire the measurements of the Belem. "We hear so much about this boat, that we wanted to see it in real life", says the young man.

Coming for the day, they are happy to finally see the French three-masted ship. Arthur is not a fan, nor passionate, but for him the Belem "remains a legendary and historic boat". When the French boat leaves the port of Sète this Monday, it will be to pick up the Olympic flame in Greece.

"Besides that, we make some great discoveries, it’is much better than the gathering of large sailing ships, the Armada of Rouen !, judge le Parisien. Here, when you wait, there are activities all around, it’s more entertaining, even if it took more than three quarters of an hour to park."

"The little one loved it"

This is a first for Aurélie and Mickaël Martin, but also for their child, only one year old, Samuel.
The family from Aix-en-Provence had already come to the singular island last February. "We love the city, and the locals advised us to come during Stopover in Sète", exclaims the mother. "The Sétois sold it to us very well, to be honest!"

And expectations are there. "The little one loved it, he played with mini-sailing boats in the maritime village, we feel that he is attentive and that he appreciates all the traditional music that the fanfares play."

The only thing the family regrets is that "because of the wind, we can't eat in the stands outside. With the little one it’s impossible", declares, disappointed, Aurélie. "But we saw Belem, so the festival remains grandiose", continues Mickaël, enthusiastically.