16 November 2017

METAMORPHOSIS: From Liners to Cruise Ships (Part 4)


Sunday 1st October 2017, Monfalcone
After that visit to the MuCa, we headed for local viewing areas so we could take photographs of the two new MSC ships in the Fincantieri shipyard. Finding somewhere with public access proved slightly difficult but eventually we found a small creek with a short boardwalk. I remembered the tune from The Drifters song (Under the Boardwalk) and, although it wasn't strictly accurate, I amused myself by walking along and humming it.

The views across this part of Panzano Bay to the Fincantieri shipyard were rewarding and we could see MSC SEASIDE and just the stern part of MSC SEA VIEW over the water. We could also see a couple of Grimaldi vehicle carriers, SPES and GRANDE DETROIT, although they were partly hidden by trees.


View from the boardwalk


The bow on MSC Seaside


MSC Seaside and MSC Sea View stern


View across Panzano Bay from the creek


Two more ships could be seen


Grimaldi vehicle carrier Spes, built in 1993


MSC Seaside


Grimaldi vehicle carrier Grande Detroit, built in 2005


Last view of MSC Seaside


Ancient & Modern perhaps


From the boardwalk I could see the remains of what looked like an old boat on a nearby grassy bank, in complete contrast with the nearly completed MSC SEASIDE in the shipyard - Ancient & Modern personified perhaps.

After many photographs were taken, we had to head back to the hire car and take to the road again, this time to the fabled city of Venice. We waved farewell to the shipyard, to the eye-catching water tower that somehow managed to survive war damage, the MuCa Museum with its details of the great entrepreneurial Cosulich family, and this delightful part of the Italian coast.


To be concluded...