I was in the neighbourhood and thought let's take a look at the town. Really nothing special, but there is a museum island. Den Helder used to be a basis for the marine. At the island is a replica of a VOC ship.
It is huge and exact copies of the original ‘Prins Willim’, the biggest ship ever build by the VOC.
The original perished at the coast of Madagascar in 1662. Fascinating to have witnessed this ship, unfortunately it was closed (I was there on a Sunday), so I couldn't see the ship from the inside.
I took several shots and thought to use some for Daily Photo.
And then it bruned down.
I was working home yesterday and I got an update mail from the news. The same ship has completely burned down the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. Two days after I visited it... These are pictures of the news. I couldn't believe my eyes.
What a waste.
The firemen couldn't do anything.
It's gone now. I am almost superstitious about it. The fact that I have seen it was such a coincident. Such a glorious ship.
11 comments:
Yes, it was a glorious ship. (How I like such ships, when I was a child. I have a small model o polish 'Wodnik' from the same age*. The model was made of cardboard.)
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*) Wodnik was one of the polish ships from the battle of Oliwa. In this battle polish ships were comanded by Dutch admiral Dickman. (I think, Dickman wasn't a real admiral, only an experienced sailor.) In the battle polish ships defeated swedish fleet. It is one of two fleet battles in polish history (of course, before the Second World War).
Oh gosh, it's a pity! How could it happen?So adorable ship and this tragedy!So sorry...
THanks for the pictures and the news!
Léia
Wonderful ship! And it is so sad that it was damaged...
This is quite unlucky, what a pity to know such a beauty and see it burn on the news.
We will surely appreciate more your beautiful photos.
Oh my! That is so sad. I'm glad you got those pictures when you did! It's a shame that you will never be able to go inside now.
Wow, great ship and such a shame. You got to see it though even if only from the outside.
OMG - how terrible!! Have they figured out how/who started the fire?! Awful!
Sad news. Any news about how the fire started?
Oh... I am very sorry for this incident. You know, as an Indonesian I am very familiar with the VOC history. What a glorious ship that was! :(
wow, amazing photos and so sad.
The burning of the ship is suspicious. No doubt. Building the ship is always a buzz, then when it is finished,a nice ceremony, Media... but then... it has to be maintained year in year out and where does the money come from? Keeping such a ship costs hundreds of thousands of Euros. One has to run a full time fund-raising effort to raise that sort of money.. there are about a dozen of VOC ship replicas now competing for that tourist market. Was it so hard that someone dicided to burn the problem??? (there is now an English translation of the 1602 foundation charter of the VOC charter on the internet! Put the word australiaonthemap in google and click on voc charter).
The ship was called the Prins Willem (not Willim); with "basis for the marine" he meant Navy base; with: it was a coincident (= an adjective not a noun) he meant it was coincidental. But that you figured.
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