We are back in Vannes in the Gulf of Morbihan. From May 14 to 21,
the Gulf of Morbihan Week (la semaine du Gotfe mor bihan) takes place. For us, the mythical French sea festivals are a constant
challenge. In some segments, Days in Bay, Days of Latin Sail, Fiumara and Rota Palagružona have earned festival titles, while in
others we still have a lot to learn from the French. Sixteen small towns have agreed on the organization and are all busy with the
joint festival. They volunteer and do not look at what other community members contribute. Everyone, by their own desire and
decision, works as best and as much as they can.
So, this year we are represented by two beautiful boats, Zora from
Malinska on Krk and Mila from Šepurina on the island of Prvić. One was recently renovated, so it looks like a new building, while
the other has always been carefully maintained and so it always looks like a new building. With the support of local tourist boards
and municipalities (Malinska and Vodice), they are increasing the visibility of their places in terms of maritime, cultural and
tourism. Although there are only two small boats in the company of several dozen large sailboats, about a hundred classic wooden
yachts and thousands of small sailboats and rowing vessels are specially presented on the festival's official website, as is Croatia.
A big festival becomes a significant event if every participant is made aware that the hosts feel honored by their participation. We
feel that way.
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As many times before, the CRONAVES association organizes large events and performances abroad. All their activities are aimed at promoting Croatian maritime heritage. In Dalmatia, despite the great navigation potential, there is no association capable of preparing and implementing complex organizational tasks. The association was founded in 2014 and organized promotional performances in Brest, Morbihan, Sete and Marseillan. Some of its members have been in the organization of maritime events since the performance in Brest in 2008. According to Željko Jerat's principle "go to others and others will come to you", they accepted representatives of all major French festivals. The association has organized Dani u Vali four times, a festival of the sea that has been held in Stari Grad on Hvar since 2016. and has been raised to an international level.
As a new activity, a gr
oup of photographers from the association organizes large photo exhibitions. This year, the exhibitions in Ljubljana and in Vannes (Morbihan) are very notable, and arrangements are being made for several more locations. |
Day of d'Arz island |
From early morning, ships from all sides sail towards the island of d'Arz. Thousands of boats, mostly small, gather on the large sandy beach and the anchorage in front of it. They celebrate the whole day with traditional songs, dance and music. It is the loudest woodwind instrument with a shape and sound very similar to Istrian roženice. But there are also bagpipes and drums and wistful sailor songs and dances. There are 42 islands in the Gulf of Morbihan. Only the two largest, d'Arz and Moines, are in public use. On the island of d'Arz there is an ornithological nature park and the remains of a former salt pan, but also a place for the annual gathering of the inhabitants of the bay and their guests. |
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visit to island aux Moines |
We were guests on Iles aux Moines.
A small place of a few hundred people and everyone is engrossed in the festival. As volunteers, they strive to contribute in any way to
the success of the festival. In front of Port Blanc, on the mainland, and the island of Iles aux Moines, there is an anchorage for large
sailing ships. In the strait between the two largest islands, there are very strong sea currents at the time of high tide. There are some
attractions everywhere. Neither travelers nor hosts are ever bored. We were given a warm welcome in memory of the twinning with the island
of Pašman in 2015. Then we were participants in a solemn moment, as evidenced by a stone plaque with an inscription in the port. We
responded with a Dalmatian song. |
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Croatian day |
During the festival, the organizers of the Croatian performance organize Croatian Day. Formal representatives of the organizers as well as guests and friends participating in the festival are present. On that occasion, a photo exhibition was opened in cooperation with MVEP, HTZ office Paris, VRH Paris and the Cronaves association. The photographs on display are the work of members of the Cronaves association: Boško Lučev, Andrina Luić, Vislav Torre and Dubravka Pajk, and the theme is ships, sails and the sea under the title "Croatia, home of the sea". The festival was presented by the deputy mayor of Vannes, Mr. Fabien le Guernevé, and the Croatian performance was presented by the authorized head of the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Paris, Mr. Jure Vujić. On the occasion, the head of the HTZ office Mrs. Danijela Mihalić Đurica and the president of Cronaves association Mr. Plamenko Bavčević.
The socializing continued with specialties that are increasingly becoming a recognizable sign of Croatia. In such situations, the song starts spontaneously. A regional newspaper also wrote about the Croatian performance and explained why the French value the Croatian maritime tradition.
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festival |
The festival consists of two groups of activities. In the harbors there are tents with various exhibits and presentations, and at sea numerous flotillas that sail daily according to the established schedule. At the same time, there are daily sailings in the bay. Interesting things happen on them too. Our crews showed how to catch cuttlefish with hand tools (oars and paddles). They succeeded, so the volunteers showed how to eat them in a traditional ceremony called "marenda". |
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Vannes |
Vannes and its port are the heart of the festival. In the harbor there are a large number of exhibition tents and accompanying tourist facilities. There are numerous street manifestations on the streets that activate people, so in the afternoon and evening there is a very lively bustle, one might say a buzz. Street entertainers and fire eaters attract attention; magicians of the real and virtual sectors show their reach, and rockers play regardless. The port, where it exists, is the heart of life. The bay's relatively small population swells during the festival. Several hundred thousand people come to see the events, so in terms of tourism, this week is the richest. |
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Grand parade |
The big parade is the central event for the participants. To get to know that navigation, we need to understand the Gulf of Morbihan. His name means little sea. This small sea is well protected from the waves of the mighty Atlantic. The entrance to the bay is about 900m wide, while the bay is 10-15km in diameter. Although navigation in the bay is very demanding due to strong sea currents in places and numerous shoals, everything is full of small vessels. Thousands of small sailboats and rowing boats are tied to buoys or stranded on sandbanks waiting for the tide. The vast majority of them have never sailed from the bay, so the Great Parade is a good opportunity for them to experience that. Strandings and capsizes are quickly detected and repaired by the maritime safety service. Many small vessels are waiting in one of the many bays for the movement of the tide to join the voyage. The second largest group are sailboats that, due to their navigational capabilities, can go out into the ocean despite the wind and waves. The third group are large ships that can sail the Atlantic with eternal maritime caution and good weather forecasting. The bay is large enough to occupy the attention of tourist sailors for years. Leaving the bay means going into an inhospitable environment. The captains of our two boats decided to sail by engine. They won't sail. The safety of the ship and the crew is above all else. Paying attention to sea currents, invisible shoals in a cloudy sea, thousands of vessels, sailing rules and sailing at the same time is not a pleasure. A short trip to the Atlantic is a challenge they did not resist. Returning to the starting port also means quickly preparing for tomorrow's departure at dawn. |
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