Fort Mandan (LSD 21) - Naval Cruise Book

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FRANCE The Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees are only a small fraction of the beauties Paris has to offer. Nice was only a few miles from Cannes. This statue in Massena Square was a sight many of us saw there. The casino at Cannes is one of the feature at- tractions for tourists. Most of us never ventured inside. This statue is one of many which adorn the streets and parks of Cannes. The boulevard here is near the beach. A few blocks from the beach and the nightclubs, one can view a simple scene such as this in Cannes. 11

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CANNES This view was a familiar one — it was one of the first things we saw coming up into Cannes from Fleet Landing. Cannes has many beautiful parks with trees, flowers, statues and structures such as this one. Men pass, but France is eternal. HENRI -HONORE ' GIRAUD After a hurried review of our parlez-vous and oui, oui, we arrived at Cannes, France for a full week of life on the fabled French Riviera. We were all remorseful that we were a bit early for bikini season, but we found conso- lation elsewhere. The trip covering the Riviera area had much to offer--Nice, Monaco and Monte Carlo (we missed Grace), and some can- did shots for our shutter bug friends. Some of us managed to get in a short excursion to the French Alps for sight-seeing and skiing. Others made the long haul to Paris and came back ex- claiming c ' est magnifique! We sampled the champagne, the cognac, the hospitality, the sights--and some of us even came to like that black, syrupy substance the French call coffee. In France we found beauty, culture, tradition, history, and gaiety. We found congeniality. We found modern architecture, and structures erected hundreds of years ago. We saw many aspects of France --some of us saw the big city, others the rural areas, others the resort areas. But most of us gathered up memories that will make France eternal for us. The Funel perfume factory produces many pleasant fra- grancies. Some of us were able to see how they are made in the factory. Cannes is now a modern resort area, but scenes such as this old church are reminiscent of the past. 10

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NAPLES, ITALY Our fleet landing in Naples was located near the Maritime Station, pictured here with ships at the station and in the harbor in the background. The Piazza Delia Borsa is located in the heart of Naples. This shot shows the area as it is illuminated at night. Italia! O Italia! Thou who has the fatal gift of beauty. GEORGE NOEL GORDON, LORD BYRON After the serenity of Spain and the gaiety of France, we found ourselves amidst the beauty and romanticism of Italy when we reached Naples, our third liberty port. And we were not long in discovering that Italy is, indeed, endowed with the fatal gift of beauty. Our timing could not have been better, for Easter weekend came during our visit here and many of us were able to be in Rome for the celebration of this religious holiday. And in Rome we visited the famous churches and cathedrals, the Vatican, the crumbling remains of what was once the heart of the old Roman Empire, and the thriving center of modern Rome. We saw paintings and statues famous throughout the world; and we heard many stories of the grandeur that once was Rome, and witnessed the grandeur that still is Rome. Those of us who could not make it to Rome were not without attractions. Once mighty Vesuvius was visible from our anchorage. Some of us ventured up for a closer look. And Pompeii, the town that once was destroyed by the raging lava gushing from Vesuvius, was only a short distance away. The ruins still present attest to the magnitude of the tragedy that occurred many years ago. Sorrento and the beautiful Isle of Capri were also nearby. In Naples we ate pizza, ravioli, and spaghetti; we drank red wines, among other things; and we occa- sionally sang Scusa me, but you see, back in old Napoli, that ' s amore. And we, naturally, purchased souvenir items, the main ones of which were the cameos made in Naples. We ran across quite a few of our buddies from other ships in the Sixth Fleet. We considered ourselves fortunate for having three consecutive liberty ports, made the most of the op- portunity, and then settled down to thinking about that first amphibious landing coming up. From our anchorage we had a good view of once mighty Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that destroyed a whole town with its deadly lava. 12