Saturday, March 30, 2013

Salon Nautique



Because La Ciotat is right on the Mediterranean, and since there is normally not much to do here, their annual boat show, or salon nautique was a big draw this weekend. I went with the other assistants, and although I am not much of a boat/ship/sea person, mostly because my life has never occasioned long ocean voyages, I found it interesting. I would have found it more interesting if, for example, I were purchasing a boat, scuba gear or other sea paraphernalia.

There was also an educational pavilion, which had facts on the Mediterranean: historical accounts of sailors, merchants and pirates; animal and plant species particular to the marine ecosystem (you could pet a sting ray!) as well as an environmentally-conscious poster stating how long it takes certain pieces of trash to disintegrate in the ocean. How long? Too damn, long people: stop throwing your trash in the ocean!!!!
A Coke can takes between 300 and 500 years, for example.







There was also a lighthearted presentation/remix of the medieval fair from the fall (because Marseilles is the European Capital of Culture this year, they're doing it again in the summer). The band circled around the pavilion and played us a few songs. It was raining, so the place was pretty packed. Then, there was a sword fight between two rival pirates. I was "kidnapped" by one of them--wrong place, wrong time--but he let me go pretty quickly. I didn't have enough for a decent ransom price. ;)



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