Des Moines (CA 134) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 30 text:

' But Gunner, I — ' Son, square away that uniform. We ' re flagship sailors Three sliutters snap, and an impression is recorded. Signs of our times: the omnipresent coffee mess. Now and ju proof! ' the best way to operate is to tiirow out the BuPers Manual, close both eyes, ry-rig it... Why one kid got 180 days leave last year — the system ' s fool-

Page 32 text:

Me tOKc , ' pn uice Villefranche, a cubistic portrait of old colorfully stained houses fronting the harbor, is one of the most picturesque ports of the world. The town itself be- gins at the waterline and extends up the slope of the Maritime Alps until touching the Grande Corniche, where it becomes scrub pine and rock and uninhabited scenario. As soon as the ship moors to its buoy, we know we ' re home. The sun glows a little warmer and seems nearer, the skies are a rich indigo heightened by clouds boiling over the cliffs of Beaulieu, and the odor of French cuisine wafts across the harbor, urging those of appetite to sample its source. Bumboats, skiffs, and pedalos make for the ship; awater skier flashes by, arm raised in greeting. Fish- ermen ply their nets, waiting patiently for the tide. The entrance to the Chapelle St. Pierre is thronged with sunbaked tourists waiting to gawk at the mean- dering handiwork of I ' enjant terrible, Jean Cocteau. Painters set up easels and try to capture the light and color and tempo of this little thriving hamlet. The entire Cote d ' Azur converges on Villefranche; on one side lies the happy little province of Monaco, and to the left, Nice is but a cabfare away... Nice with its crowded Promenade, its casino, its bikini- bright beaches and tumultuous nightlife. You might run across Gina Lollobrigida or Brigitte Bardot in the Ruhl bar, you never can tell ... anything is probable on the Riviera. The language may seem strange at first, but hearts are just as light in one land as another. From the beaming smile of Mom Germaine to the cordial salu- tation of a gendarme on his rounds of the 02 level, it ' s always grand to be back in our home port of Ville- franche, where Dame Welcome never fails to recognize her wayward sons of the sea. . .