They Save Houses Don't They?

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Restored and sailing for the second time, The Star of India sails with a fleet in attendance, 1984.

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Us’selves: He volunteers, I launder and write. It’s a good rhythm for the day. Herself: Few people ever mention sex in OD. Reading: Mindless books. Must be where my brain is. Balance: Actually thinking beyond the surface on some small things.

There is something really exciting happening in Rotterdam next month. Historic. I love it.

Almost every town, big or small, has a historical society. Sometimes it was Grandpa Mathews who collected farm implements in his historic barn which started it. Or Mrs. Grace Oglebie saved every bit of town history here in her living room then donated her house to the town. That sort of thing.

Sometimes, in the biggest sense, whole towns are saved. Williamsburg. Think of one man doing that. I was married in Bruton Parish Church before one had to pay to get in….but I digress.

Sometimes Whole museums are devoted to trains, and sometimes ships are saved. Almost any river town or city near the ocean has a Maritime Historical Society. Sometimes it’s just a rowing or punting club. There are some wonderful stops on the byways where you can see shining varnish hanging high up in the rafters of a time greyed building. Here our greyed building is the USS Midway. Up and down every coast you can find these buildings and organizations all carefully saving their piece of the ocean’s history.

Few of the giant modern commercial ships were saved. We have a Victory ship here and a landing craft there, but we have only four liners open for viewing that document “the only way to cross” the oceans until the jets took over the skies.

In Long Beach we have the HMS Queen Mary….the epitome of British Deco styling. In Japan there is the Hikawa Maru.... designed at the height of the 1920’s. We have the magic 1960’s QE2....her fate now hanging in the balance as the country which bought her says it is broke.

The fourth, in Holland, there’s a much anticipated, exciting moment arriving in February when the Rotterdam is opened as a hotel and meeting center. From Maritime Matters News page comes this news:

“After years of speculation and restoration, from lay up in the Bahamas and moving between various shipyards in Gibraltar, Poland and Wilhelmshaven, Germany, she returned to her former Holland America Line homeport, the city of Rotterdam, on August 4, 2008. For Aad Hoogesteger's latest images of her splendidly restored interiors, please visit www.aadhoogesteger.nl/bezoekssrotterdam.”