An arrival in parade in the port of Toulon
Après Sète âeuros where the Hermione was at the heart of the nautical celebrations âeuros, it is now in Toulon that the frigate continues its journey in the Mediterranean. The public present for the arrival of the ship was able to admire a splendid nautical parade from the beaches of Mourillon to the Royal Tower, through the great pass of Saint-Mandrier. For its arrival in the harbor, the Hermione was accompanied by Le Mutin, a wooden dundee of the French Navy; by the frigate Aconit, of the La Fayette type, a more modern ship of the French Navy, and by about a hundred pleasure boats, before joining the Corsica quay, while sending salvos of cannons ( Editor's note: The Hermione has 28 cannons firing 12-pound balls, earning her the nickname "12-pound frigate" ).
"We have come a long way from Rochefort to greet this great port, the first military port in Europe which has always known how to keep its place. For us, it was a great moment of history, we felt a great emotion on board when L'Hermione crossed the passes that we generously saluted with cannon fire. More than 60 cannon shots were fired today said Commander Cariou, who spent part of his military career in Toulon.
To welcome the Hermione, the commander received from Hubert Falco, mayor of Toulon, mouthpieces (wooden or metal artillery pieces closing the mouth of a gun) bearing the coat of arms of the city of Toulon.
The quays in celebration
The quai de la Corse, where the frigate is moored, will be in the heart of the city. Indeed, many visits of the Hermione are planned until Sunday, April 8. The Mutin âeuros oldest sailing ship of the French Navy âeuros is also in the program of animations.
Ãeuros quai, the animations will be numerous, with street art troops, a marine village, concerts, workshops for young people and other musical animations.
On Monday, April 9, L'Hermione will set sail for the Golden Islands and the waters of the Port-Cros National Park, then head for Marseille with a stopover from April 12 to 16, followed by Port Vendres on April 20.
" It's incredible to be here, on board L'Hermione. I had not seen the ship since the training in Rochefort. The captain told us about the history of this frigate in the 18th century and when I arrived to embark in Sète, I said to myself "Wow! I am going to relive the history, but also write a new chapter thanks to the IOF. I am so proud to be part of this journey, we are the ambassadors of freedom, we carry the values of sharing and tolerance, it is something strong for me. Being at sea is a great feeling, once you get over the sea sickness (laughs). It's so beautiful, so big" explains Fredelyne Tilus, a French-speaking manager from Haiti.
