Looting Sebastian
So today was the real day of loot. Having determined what I lacked in my wardrobe department, we hailed off for several local department stores and malls for more pants and unspeakables. The local Bealls sounded like they had fed helium to their announcers because "Help needed in lingerie" was spoken with a high pitched squeak of amusing proportions. The regular mall was losing both its Suncoast and Waldenbooks in short order. The WFC loot had included Lois McMaster Bujold's "Paladin of Souls", but I didn't have "Curse of Chalion" yet, so I picked up a copy. The Waldens had a large manga section which they didn't spread out over two areas. Everyone parked themselves in front of those shelves, making it hard to browse. Tokyopop must be changing their cover stock, because the latest FAKE feels different than the previous four GNs. So at least I will have more interesting reading for the trip back.
When we came back, we went out for some treasure hunting sightseeing in the form of two museums. Back when the Atocha was first discovered, I had acquired an interest in the Spanish treasure fleets lost off Florida. McLarty Treasure Museum at Sebastian Inlet was smaller than the grandiose Mel Fisher Treasure Museum but Mel's could boast prettier booty. I wasn't sure which struck my fancy more the gold coins or the emerald encrusted crucifixes. However the historian and archaeology nut in me had to wince hearing old Mel's methods for dredging up the treasure, basically using the equivalent of a vacuum cleaner. Then they covered their butts by nicely cataloging and drawing the individual artifacts, claiming that they had found a bountiful of material for research purposes. And how much was lost? I was strangely reminded of Schliemann bulldozing through the walls of Troy.
The PoTC fan though was intrigued by a reference back at the McLarty museum, which dealt with the Spanish treasure fleet wrecks in 1715 from a hurricane. After the wrecks, those who survived tried to salvage what they could. One Henry Jennings, English pirate or privateer depending on the reference, came up to Sebastian Inlet to take the recovered gold back to Port Royal, Jamaica. I don't know why but I feel like there's fic to be found.
When we came back, we went out for some treasure hunting sightseeing in the form of two museums. Back when the Atocha was first discovered, I had acquired an interest in the Spanish treasure fleets lost off Florida. McLarty Treasure Museum at Sebastian Inlet was smaller than the grandiose Mel Fisher Treasure Museum but Mel's could boast prettier booty. I wasn't sure which struck my fancy more the gold coins or the emerald encrusted crucifixes. However the historian and archaeology nut in me had to wince hearing old Mel's methods for dredging up the treasure, basically using the equivalent of a vacuum cleaner. Then they covered their butts by nicely cataloging and drawing the individual artifacts, claiming that they had found a bountiful of material for research purposes. And how much was lost? I was strangely reminded of Schliemann bulldozing through the walls of Troy.
The PoTC fan though was intrigued by a reference back at the McLarty museum, which dealt with the Spanish treasure fleet wrecks in 1715 from a hurricane. After the wrecks, those who survived tried to salvage what they could. One Henry Jennings, English pirate or privateer depending on the reference, came up to Sebastian Inlet to take the recovered gold back to Port Royal, Jamaica. I don't know why but I feel like there's fic to be found.