Goodbye, sweet old Lady.

[logansrogue]

Today I said goodbye to the Queen Elizabeth II for the last time. She was gorgeous in the bright morning sun, turning and being tugged into berth. So huge and majestic. And she was tear-jerkingly, breathtakingly grand as she powered out of port, into a glorious WA sunset. I am going to miss her *SO MUCH*. I love visiting her every year or so, waving hello as she comes into harbour, then waving goodbye as she goes. She's going to be drydocked in Dubai and will become a hotel. So, should I ever make that trip to Egypt I keep promising myself for one day, I can sort of pop by and see her. But no more the transatlantic queen.

It feels wrong to me somehow. There should be a ship like her on the waves, an echo of all those beautiful, graceful liners that would make trips across the Atlantic. Black hull, white top, that deep burnt orange stack... *sigh*. Fremantle Harbour will never be that grand again. Those slick white ships that shoot around the ocean these days with cheap casinos and heaps of shops... they're nothing on the liners.

I cried as the horn blasted through me one last time. I kept wishing that this was just one more time and that she'd come back again. I was thinking, "Why must this be the last time? It's such a wonderful experience! Why wouldn't people want to experience this sort of thing again and again?" So many boats came out to see her off. So many people waved and called out 'good-bye'.

We took plenty of photos and Scotty took some great footage. So Karen from Canada - keep an eye out, I'll be linking to it and posting pics!

I'm absolutely exhausted now, after an early start and two outings in one day. My heart is a little heavy. So many beautiful things must pass.

Comments

[caitlen.livejournal.com]

The Queen Vic's pretty nice, and she's got a dark blue hull like the QE2. Just a wee bit taller... :)

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

So is the QEII being decommissioned/scrapped?

[shrydar.livejournal.com]

Aww. rabbit1080 and I were watching her sail off into the sunset too. We were just downstream of where the Rottnest Ferry docks from a quarter to seven 'til around half past, then wandered up the train line to just near McDonalds to watch a little longer.

I don't think I'd ever seen her before - she was quite something.

[simons-flower.livejournal.com]

You know, for a moment, I thought you wrote "Goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II" and my jaw dropped as I thought, "I didn't know she died! They didn't mention that on NPR!"

*headdesk*

I'm only on my first cup of coffee.

[firvulag.livejournal.com]

Isn't Dubai on the other side of Saudi Arabia, in the UAE? Sure you could just add that to a trip to Egypt I guess, but you could add it to a trip to England also.

She is a massive ship, and no suprise that her future is to be a hotel.

[http://users.livejournal.com/lothar_/]

I was thinking the same thing too; whoops.

[xedra.livejournal.com]

You have really beautiful memories of the grand lady, to be sure.
*hugs*