Our last day of our trip we will spend with family. It will be so great seeing them again. Last Spring when I was cycling in Netherlands with my sisters, I had a very nice surprise when we got off the boat from Enkhuizen and there was Ome Hans & Tante Inneke, and Inne and Vonnetje to greet us, and now a year later we will spend time with them again. They probably see me more than some of their relatives in their own Country. lol. I hear that others (I don’t want to list them all in case I miss someone) will be joining us for the day in Rotterdam and we are looking forward to seeing and hanging out with everyone!
So Bart and I learned something new from Vonnetje – that Bart’s Pake and Beppe came for a visit to Canada on the S.S. Rotterdam. Bart thought they flew. He remembers them coming for a visit in 1968 (he has a good memory for a 4 year old!), I am sure from pictures. He says that his Beppe passed away not too long after that visit.
So I was like, wow, didn’t it take weeks to travel across the ocean in the 60’s? Through researching online, I found out that it was a ship designed to handle better at sea in rough waters, and therefore not only did it make transatlantic crossings, but it also cruised in “opulence” (the dictionary definition “great wealth or luxuriousness”). The first voyage was Sept 1959, and how long did it take a ship like this to cross the ocean in 1968? I don’t know exactly, but in 1776 it took 25 to 30 days, and currently it takes about 6 to 8 days.
So I want to believe that Bart’s Pake and Beppe came across in luxury and enjoyed themselves! Unlike when my parents immigrated to Canada by boat in 1952, when it was not a pleasant ride (and that is for another blog another day!)
The S.S. Rotterdam has quite an interesting history if you want to read more about it click here.
Why am I excited?
Not only I am excited to see some of our family……..I am excited as we are going to stay overnight on the S.S. Rotterdam. Yes in 2013 it was sold to a Dutch family business who owned other hotels in Netherlands and they converted it into the S.S. Rotterdam Hotel & restaurant and it sits in port in Rotterdam. I see on the website that you can take tours on the ship, so if we have time I think that would be a cool thing to do.
We will enjoy all the luxuries on board without being able to move! (the motor, etc. was removed and so it can no longer sail). Bon Voyage!!
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