As you can see above, the clean lines of the Medina, Roma, and the Franca C truly is a testimony of this 'tough American ship' borne in the docks of Newport News. The standard of maintenance is astounding considering it was run by a 'volunteer crew' when she sailed as the MV Doulos.
We worked at least 12 - 14 hours a day during the dry docking period, but it was considered nothing compared to the excellent 'food & beverage' crew for providing us almost-bottomless feeding! Our consumption skills took a twist one day when we uncovered a 'finer-style' of dining that was long lost beneath us.
The crew that worked on the Dining Room, which was the Rapallo Restaurant during her days as the MS Franca C, were replacing the electrical cables, therefore wood paneling and fittings had to be removed. The steel bulkheads were 'needle gunned' to remove rust and then treated with industrial 'rust remover'.
This is what the 'restaurant' looked like (bottom) on the MS Franca C. (Note: In fact, nothing's changed when she was the MV Doulos. I've just realised that we've been using and sitting on the very chairs that belonged to the Franca C all the time! In 1977 when the ship was renovated, they just left it as it was. This includes all the cabin and passageways paneling).
When the wooden panels were removed (the panels just under the windows in the picture above), they found pieces of cutlery and dining menus left there from the time it sailed as the Franca C. How it got there, no one knew. Probably it was during the time of transition and renovation to the MV Doulos that some workmen decided to dispose of them and left it there behind the panelling, or someone purposefully hid it to be found again in the future - this, is purely just speculations.
It was such an 'eye-opener' that it was the talk of the day. For me, first it was the wooden block from the propeller shaft, and now this! We were suddenly drawn into the past as we stood at the very place where 'meals were served' on the Franca C - and we were holding those menus and pieces of cutleries in our hands! Time stood still for a moment.
We all took a bit of memorabilia for ourselves, some were kept on board for historical keep-sake. I had mine. The piece of lignum vitae (see my earlier post), and now to this. Suddenly I was so proud of being able to be part of her history. I was only a sojourner.
Well, if you don't understand Italian, "English please!" As I was saying, these 'menus' were found hidden behind the wood paneling and we uncovered it by pure happenstance. Imagine having these in your hands standing in Rapallo Restaurant (at the time, our Dining Room), it was like immersing oneself back into the year 1964, the sound of music, Italian speaking voices, the smell of roasted duck bathe in strawberry juices..oh my! I'm hungry now as you are reading this aren't you? And look at that picture above, 'Suckling pig with apples!!!' Ohhh...I'm famished! I need this.
Now do you understand why the Franca C was a world's first in trans-oceanic travel? The world was changing in her time - people needed this. They heard it, they believed it, and they got the journey of their lives.
More to come. Please share if you have anything to add as we go on this journey together.
provided by www.ssmaritime.net
When the wooden panels were removed (the panels just under the windows in the picture above), they found pieces of cutlery and dining menus left there from the time it sailed as the Franca C. How it got there, no one knew. Probably it was during the time of transition and renovation to the MV Doulos that some workmen decided to dispose of them and left it there behind the panelling, or someone purposefully hid it to be found again in the future - this, is purely just speculations.
It was such an 'eye-opener' that it was the talk of the day. For me, first it was the wooden block from the propeller shaft, and now this! We were suddenly drawn into the past as we stood at the very place where 'meals were served' on the Franca C - and we were holding those menus and pieces of cutleries in our hands! Time stood still for a moment.
We all took a bit of memorabilia for ourselves, some were kept on board for historical keep-sake. I had mine. The piece of lignum vitae (see my earlier post), and now to this. Suddenly I was so proud of being able to be part of her history. I was only a sojourner.
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| Bread knives - Rapallo Restaurant |
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| If you are local, something in Italian perhaps? |
"Good morning!" Breakfast is served.
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| Another menu with the 'Costa Line' logo. |
Hungry yet?
November, I bet they're escaping winter for somewhere sunny.
For your enlightenment, we're back in 1964. Do enjoy!
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| The 'Lunch Menu' |
Well, if you don't understand Italian, "English please!" As I was saying, these 'menus' were found hidden behind the wood paneling and we uncovered it by pure happenstance. Imagine having these in your hands standing in Rapallo Restaurant (at the time, our Dining Room), it was like immersing oneself back into the year 1964, the sound of music, Italian speaking voices, the smell of roasted duck bathe in strawberry juices..oh my! I'm hungry now as you are reading this aren't you? And look at that picture above, 'Suckling pig with apples!!!' Ohhh...I'm famished! I need this.
Now do you understand why the Franca C was a world's first in trans-oceanic travel? The world was changing in her time - people needed this. They heard it, they believed it, and they got the journey of their lives.
More to come. Please share if you have anything to add as we go on this journey together.
That's fantastic Ham. You write so well. It reads great, can't wait for you to share more :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Sue. We've got so much to tell so I thought that putting it down would be great!
ReplyDeleteHere are some menus from Franca "C" in better condition, as well as pics and documents from M/V Roma, SS Medina, and of course M/V Doulos. http://bit.ly/K5iU1p
ReplyDelete