Baltimore (CA 68) - Naval Cruise Book

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ROME TOUR I i Baggage and lire in hand, our tour party arrived in Rome ' s ultra-modern railroad terminal. Hustling a bit, we squared ourselves away in hotel rooms and hopped aboard a sight-seeing bus. Rome - the Eternal City - remains as interesting as history intended it to be - the old walls, arches and pillars of the Forum, and fountains crumbled in quiet dignity, defying time. The fabled Colliseum, contrary to popular belief, was used not for the sacrifice of Martyrs during the persecutions, but rather for gladiatorial contests. The Martyrs were sacrificed in ' circuses - every one of which has been replaced by a church as a tribute to their suf fering. St. Peter ' s, on the site of Nero ' s mammoth circus, is known throughout the world not only for its varied magni- ficence, but also as the predominant symbol of Christianity. We toured the Catacombs, vast underground galleries which were used as a place where the Christians could hide from the Roman soldiers and where they could bury their dead. As nothing was scheduled for that evening, we had a chance to visit some of the local night spots which proved similar to those in the United States. The following morning we returned to the Vatican City where we visited the huge museum and marvelled at the works of sculpture, paintings, and statues of historical interest. In the afternoon, we had an audience with the Pope, which was of particular interest to us all. That evening we boarded the train to return to Naples with a real hope that we would some day be fortimate enough to return to Rome - the Eternal City. A ,y ' ; MM . ' Wf - ' ' » • !--e

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CAPRI SORRENTO While tied to a buoy at Naples, many men of the Baltimore had the opportunity of touring the beautiful Isle of Capri . The Navy tourists left Naples on the bright, white excursion boat Capri . On arriving at Capri, the party was immediately divided into small groups to tour around the island in motor launches. The coral and rock formations fascinated and caught the eyes of everyone. The most spectacular sight was the world-famous Blue Grotto . A small tunnel in the side of a huge bluff led to an enormous cavern, which assumed an almost eerie blueness from the reflection of the sun ' s rays which entered through the cavern ' s single opening and filtered tlirough the water. Lunch was served the touring party at the Hotel Metropole, where a real Italian spaghetti meal was thoroughly enjoyed. In typical Itahan tradition, a violinist and guitarist played and sang songs of the Isle to the saUors. Later , the party again broke up into small groups, hired taxis to complete the tour on their own, and returned to the ship in the evening. The Isle of Capri

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