Belos Navios de Sonho

Todos os navios são belos mas uns ainda mais que outros, o que, nos dias que correm, é uma situação cada vez mais rara.
Este anúncio publicitário lembra-me o FLANDRE da French Line, que veio muitas vezes a Lisboa, não só como FLANDRE, com o casco preto original e depois todo branco, quando fazia a carreira da América Central, mas como CARLA C e no final como PALLAS ATHENA com as cores originalíssimas da Epirotiki. Era um navio com linhas tipicamente francesas, um tanto antiquadas para a data de construção, 1952, contemporâneo do nosso VERA CRUZ, infinitamente mais moderno e evoluído tecnicamente.
O FLANDRE tinha um casco a lembrar os cruzadores da Marinha Francesa de antes da Segunda Guerra Mundial e uma altivez invulgar.
De facto, para mim todos os navios são belos, mas neste porto da minha aldeia uns são mais que outros. O FLANDRE era belíssimo. Publiquei uma imagem do FLANDRE em Lisboa no meu livo dedicado ao paquete FRANCE de 1962.
Texto e imagens /Text and images copyright L.M.Correia. Favor não piratear. Respeite o meu trabalho / No piracy, please. For other posts and images, check our archive at the right column of the main page. Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Thanks for your visit and comments. Luís Miguel Correia

CARLA C in San Juan

The Italian passenger ship CARLA COSTA berthed in San Juan, Puerto Rico,  from an original painting by Kevin Murphy.

The CARLA C was the former Frnch Line's FLANDRE. 

Texto e imagens /Text and images copyright L.M.Correia. Favor não piratear. Respeite o meu trabalho / No piracy, please. For other posts and images, check our archive at the right column of the main page. Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Thanks for your visit and comments. Luís Miguel Correia

PALLAS ATHENA in Lisbon

A magnificent passenger ship photographed in Lisbon on 10 June 1992: the PALLAS ATHENA, former CARLA COSTA, CARLA C, FLANDRE of 1952.

She made several cruises in 1992 under the Panama registry and paid a few calls to Lisbon. She did not return again and was lost by fire in Piraeus in March 1994.
Compare this photo with the ship's original look here. More photos of PALLAS ATHENA here.

Texto e imagens /Text and images copyright L.M.Correia. For other posts and images, check our archive at the right column of the main page. Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Thanks for your visit and comments. Luís Miguel Correia

French Line's FLANDRE of 1952

A beautiful liner, the FLANDRE of 1952 served the French Line for  almost 16 years until sold and delivered in February 1968 to Costa Line, when she became the CARLA C. Between late 1968 and August 1970 the CARLA C operated under charter to Princess Cruises and in 1974 was sent to Amsterdam to have the steam turbines replaced by diesel engines. This refit allowed the CARLA C to operate under Costa colours until her sale to Epirotiki in 1992. Renamed PALLAS ATHENA, she was lost by fire in March 1994 in Piraeus and scrapped in Aliaga in 1995.

Texto e imagens /Text and images copyright L.M.Correia. For other posts and images, check our archive at the right column of the main page. Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Thanks for your visit and comments. Luís Miguel Correia

My favourite passenger ships

Photograph of the French Line turbine steamship FLANDRE, a beauty from the 1950s seen here in her original form with North Atlantic French Line black hull. In 1962 she was transferred to the Caribbean service and repainted in white. Then in 1967 she was sold to Costa Line becoming the CARLA C. In 1975 her turbines were replaced by Diesel engines and so she enjoyed a long life cruising for the Italians. In the end she became Epirotiki Lines' PALLAS ATHENA and was destroyed by fire in Piraeus.
Texto e imagens /Text and images copyright L.M.Correia. For other posts and images, check our archive at the right column of the main page. Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Thanks for your visit and comments. Luís Miguel Correia