Fort Mandan (LSD 21) - Naval Cruise Book

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CATANIA, SICILY Tis distance lends enchantment to the view, And robes the mountain in its azure hue. THOMAS CAMPBELL As we pulled into Catania, Sicily there was enchantment in the distant view of Mt. Etna with snow still visible on the peaks, and cloud formations twining round its summit. And we found later that there were other attractions to make this a welcome liberty port after our first operation at Porto Scudo, Sardinia. Some of us mustered the energy to ascend Etna. (Well, we must concede that we did ride a bus nine -tenths of the way up). There we saw the last traces of snow that was beginning to melt with the coming of spring, and warily peered into crevices reported to tunnel 4,000 feet down. (We took the guide ' s word for it.) The ancient city of Syracuse was a new sight for some of us. There we saw the remains of Greek influence, and witnessed other sights in this city that Shakespeare made the locale of his Comedy of Errors. And for further diversion, some of us made our way to Taormina, perhaps the grand gathering place in Sicily for tourists. And, finally, there was Catania itself, quiet but pretty and pleasing. Beautiful parks and imposing churches were among the things which helped to make Catania an interesting port. This tusked elephant located in a water fountain in the center of town was the town symbol of Catania. ■r mmma ii •- • ' t J! u -.;- «sx»sfei«;; J ' .— HBRHk Miw- , v Catania has several churches with interesting architecture. This is one of them. Here is a monument to King Victor Emanual II, the man who was responsible for the unification of Italy. This street scene with trolleys, busses, horses, and bicycles captures something of the atmosphere of Catania. The central crater of Mt. Etna is a gaping hole, shown here with snow still clinging to the rim. 14

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Town Hall Square shows the very center of activity in Naples. The view up the hill in the background is one of the finest Naples has to offer. This old fortress was one of the first sights we saw as we left fleet landing. Many cameras snapped the Maschio Angioino. Weary from walking and sightseeing, we found it an absolute necessity now and then to revitalize ourselves with liquid refreshment. And there were times, after a long, hard day, when the refreshment we needed turned out be somewhat more than liquid. The trip to Rome was the highlight of the Naples visit for many of us. Saint Peter ' s Square was one of the landmarks we witnessed there. ,, Somewhere in the heart of Rome ... The Trevi Fountain is familiar to us as the fountain in the movie Three Coins In A Fountain.

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San Remo has many beautiful parks and many beautiful statues. This is one of the more prominent statues. SAN REMO, ITALY Beauty, thou wild fantastic ape, Who dost in every country change thy shape ! ABRAHAM COWLEY After one operation with plenty of sand and wind under our belts, we journeyed back to the Riviera- -the Italian Riviera this time. We were told that San Remo was a world vacationland, and we soon discovered why. Although we arrived a bit too early for the season, wt nonetheless found plenty to keep us occupied in San Remo. Here and there we found a bikini with a girl in it. We saw the luxurious hotels and clubs that become home to many playboys during the summer. We ate in fine restaurants that served chef d ' ouevres of culinary art. A few of us tried swimming, even though it was still some- what chilly. And the sightseeing was superb- -we got our eyes full of everything from beautiful parks and statues to exquisitely constructed young damsels. Some of us, still vaguely remembering an eventful week at Cannes earlier in the cruise, ventured back down the French coastline. We revisited Cannes, and dropped by Nice, Golfe Juan, Menton, and Monaco, among other places. We found San Remo itself to be very picturesque, with green hills, mountains in the background, beautiful buildings, and nice beaches. We were somewhat disappointed that we arrived just barely too early for the Cannes Film Festival, and for the visit of Louis (Satchmo) Armstrong in San Remo. But we didn ' t let it get us down. We made San Remo a big port because we knew it would be the last Western port we would see for a long time. The next lap of our cruise was to be in the Eastern Mediterranean. While in San Remo some of us ventured back to Cannes, Nice, or Monaco. This scene is of a boulevard in Cannes. The Municipal Casino looked fancy from the outside. Most of us didn ' t venture inside. Many dollars turn over here each night. I ) This Russian Church in San Remo gives an Asiatic touch to Western Europe. The architecture makes it a sight worth weeing.