A day of conviviality: Marseille - Méditerranée

On Saturday October 12, 2024, the Marseille-Provence group's ISAE alumni day was held in the bucholic setting of the Peirecedes wine estate, near Cuers in the Massif des Maures (Var). It was a day of conviviality and intergenerational encounters, with 6 of the 26 participants being from the class of 2023.

We were welcomed by the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Baccino, whose vineyard produces organic AOP Côtes de Provence Pierrefeu wines, in the middle of a sea of vines dominated by the rocky peaks of the old Maures massif, towering above forests of oak and chestnut trees, some of them centuries old.

After a welcome snack, blending the aromas of exotic coffee with those of local grape-based fruit juices, we were taken on a tour of the estate by the very educational Mr Baccino, part of whose estate is reserved for training future winemakers.

The visit was punctuated by a tasting session, the originality of which lay in the fact that the precious liquid was taken straight from the processing vats, in a half-juice / half-wine state. We then made our way to the vaulted cellar room, where we were comfortably seated in an amphitheatre formation to listen to the lecture given by General (2S) Patrick Brethous, whose military career has been long, brilliant and extremely varied, since he has taken part in all the regional conflicts in which France has been involved since the 90s, for the French army and more particularly the Special Forces and the ALAT.

Patrick, now special advisor to the CEO of Airbus Helicopters for military affairs, presented his analysis of the feedback from these various conflicts on the future doctrine for the use of helicopters and other flying machines with vertical landing capability, not forgetting the drones that distinguished themselves in the war in Ukraine but also in the conflict in the Middle East.

He then went on to outline the recommended strategy for Airbus, and more specifically Airbus Helicopters, in designing its future weapons systems and equipment offering. Questions came thick and fast, pertinent and even daring. And it was in a spirit of openness, trust and enrichment that Patrick answered each and every one of them, much to the delight of the questioner.

The debate continued at the table, the clock ticking, but no one had noticed. Caterer Cathy was in her starting-block, and the mild autumn weather allowed us to lunch on the terrace overlooking the vines, under the trellis whose colors were a clear sign that autumn had arrived.

The food, too, was in the color of autumn: Périgourdine salad, beef with pumpkin purée and chanterelle mushrooms, a round of local cheeses and chocolate and chestnut fondant. The lunch break was prolonged to enjoy and digest the copious menu, and provided an opportunity for cross-fertilization and networking for the newcomers who joined the old-timers from the previous edition.

It was time to bid farewell to our hosts, but not without a visit to the "store" and a souvenir of this Provencal place. The more adventurous among us set off for the picturesque village of Collobrières, renowned for its chestnut festival every Sunday in October and its factory-museum, which makes the best chestnut jams and marrons glacés in the PACA region, and one of the best in France. From the village we then tackled the narrow, winding road to the Chartreuse de la Verne, which winds its way up the hillside between chestnut and cork oak trees, expecting to come nose-to-nose with a wild boar at every turn. But the reward is more than worth the effort and stress. Before our eyes, the chartreuse seemed to emerge miraculously from this mysterious, dense forest world as far as the eye could see, reflecting a warm orange color, bathed in the light of the late autumn afternoon.

Brightened up, we walked the few hundred metres that separated us. Then we left the forest vault for the 12th-century monastic vault. A community of nuns who have taken a vow of silence have returned to live in this place at the end of the world since its restoration began over 20 years ago. Our guide led us through this gigantic labyrinth, reminiscent in places of the Abbey of the Name of the Rose. When you think that in the 80s, the monastery was still in ruins, you realize just how much energy and determination went into this titanic restoration project.

At the end of the visit, it was time to part and say 'see you next year'. A big thank you to the association who supported us in this project, to our dear alumni who came and gave shape to this day like no other, and a big 'welcome' to those who weren't able to join us this year,

See you next year!

The organizers:

Laurent Vecco, Paul Gibert, Arnaud Becker, Gilles Arnaud