Some years ago, not sure when exactly, my sister Pia had the (to me) extraordinary idea that she would go and visit QE2, just to see her and greet her, without actually embarking on a voyage.
So she checked the QE2 timetable and her own diary and found that there happened to be a day when her own business in New York and QE2's day there coincided. Taking a taxi to Manhattan, she went to see her, as close as she could get, and enjoyed the moment.
It was quite a few years later, after the sale of QE2 had already been announced, that this memory came back to me, and I realised that I would be in Belgium at a time when QE2 would be spending 15 December 2007 in Zeebrugge, within easy reach of Brussels itself. So, I suggested to a friend that we might make a day of it, and we set out together in the morning.
It was clear, beautiful, frosty weather, absolutely ideal for a day out and lots of photos. I even bought a new camera for the event!
When we arrived in Zeebrugge, QE2 turned out to be quite difficult to find. The port is big and, it being a Saturday, not many people were on duty. We kept seeing tantalising views of her funnel, but it took quite a while until we had located the right approach to her berth. We parked the car and I walked up to the gate.
"Your ship ID?". Of course. No problem. I always (even now) carry my most recent QE2 ID card with me (on this occasion, it was for the Svalbard voyage in June 2006) and took it out as though I had been ready to do so since leaving the ship earlier in the morning. "Can my friend come with me?". No ship ID, no access. So, I told her I would be back soon and walked in, like any passenger wanting to change her clothes before venturing out for a second tour. At the same time, my heart was racing and my feet were dying to perform the most intricate high-leaping jig!
I was wise enough not to try the QE2 security -- not wanting to be deported after I had only just gained access! And so, I walked around, looked at her from all possible angles, enjoyed the hum of the engines and watched the passengers come and go between the ship and their excursion buses. It was hard enough to tear myself away and return to my waiting friend.
She had meanwhile scouted out the surrounding area and had found a great vantage point where photographers were gathering, and which would be well suited to watching QE2 sail away later in the evening.
And so, we drove off, had a delicious lunch and took a walk around a nature reserve in the area, under the freezing but clear blue sky.
As dusk began to fall, we were back with the ship, and my access card got me in once more. The tugs were gathering, passengers were returning, some walking alongside the ship taking pictures, and I even chatted with a few of them. Darkness fell, and her lights glowed warmly. The last passengers embarked, and preparations for sailaway began. This is when the security guards on board noticed me. "Are you a passenger?", they asked me. "No, sadly not this time", I had to be honest. And they told me they were still waiting for one last passenger to embark, so that they could pull up the gangway. This is when I should have suggested to them to test my ID card!
I decided that it was no longer fair (if ever it was!) to keep my friend waiting and returned to the gate, where the security man should have wondered why I was walking out again... but he asked no questions. We took up our position at the vantage point, chatted with the other photographers, even exchanged e-mail addresses with one of them who had a particularly good camera, and waited.
Aurora, which had also spent that day in Zeebrugge, left first. Then QE2 turned, showed us all her sides, and majestically made for the harbour exit. At which stage, she blew her whistle -- and I almost jumped for joy!
My friend was remarkably patient to put up with all this behaviour
.
When we returned to the car, we found the harbour gate locked, and the car inside. It took quite a bit of phoning and pleading until someone came and opened it for us, with a warning that we should not have parked right by the security gate!
My friend had the brilliant idea that we should make for the coast and see whether we could find the lights of the QE2 sailing out -- so we raced to the coast road and did indeed catch a final glimpse of her, lights ablaze, sailing back towards Southampton with all her lucky passengers...
The photos of the day are here :
https://www.flickr.com/photos/prondis_in_kenya/sets/72157603462363986/~~~~~~~
It seems to me that Pia and I were not the only ones to visit QE2. If you were lucky enough to have been able to do so, it would be lovely to read your story too
!
