Mount Vernon (AP 22) - Naval Cruise Book

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The buildings were +imber-fronied siucco, of ihe Shakespeare era. The caihedral, however, was na'rural red sandsrone, mellowed by 'ihe driving, dampened wind. lnierred wi'rh local arisfocracy is ihe local pub-owner. Chesier fronis on 'fhe River Dee, marker of 'rhe division between Eng- land and Wales. Punis and mo+or crai+ furnished a busman's holiday +o 'ihose so inclined To ride. The +rip gave +he rravelers rhe opporfuniiy oi viewing Eafon Hall, seal' of fhe Earl of Derby, promoier of rhe horse race bearing his name. SOUTHPORT had been modified from her peacefime baihing resori career info a barbed wire barrier againsi' +he invader. Her hoiels had been converied info hospiials and resi' centers. 454'

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LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, lhird largesl ol England's porls ol call had as ils main allraclion a giganlic lloaling pier. Il was large enough lo accommodale bolh ourselves -and our sisler ship, lhe USS Wakefield , al lhe same lime. Like an elevalor, il rose and lell wilh lhe lhirly lool change ol lide, allowing ships moored alongside lo sel lheir lines laul, and nol shill wilh lhe lide changes. There is a slory lhe Brilish lell. ll Liverpool does nol have rain in lhe morning, she'll have il in lhe allernoon. ll lhe cily has rain in lhe morn- ing she'll possibly have il in lhe allernoon, anyway. The conlinual log, rain, or dampness hovers over lhe cily, adding deeper silence lo lhe blackened ruins and lhe gulled churches. This was lhe ship's lirsl close- up ol buildings wilhoul rools, and spaces wilhoul buildings. The air raid shellers and emergency waler lanks were spolled in lhe rubble, oases which proved lheir worlh. Four years ol war were showing in lhe laces and .1 ' ' clolhing ol lhe people. The lighls came on during one ol lhe ship's slays in porl. 2 ilxlames such as Princess Slreel, Lime Slreel, and The Taller Thealer helped cloak lhe cnly wilh lhe All English leeling. Double-decked lrams emi narrow guage lrains, liny aulos and funny money were new exper- ierices, soon lo become as familiar as lheir American counlerparls. Liverpool mighl be well remembered as a depol lor lrips lo Chesler and Soulhporl. CHESTER had been an ancienl camp of lhe Rgmang. Walls builf by lhem slill surround lhe Tudor slyle cily and gheli-er if from fhe modern d5Y.W0VlCl- From a lower alop lhis wall, Charles ll saw lhe deleal ol his arymies on lhe plains of Chesler. In one ol lhe wall's lowers, Turner, one o EngIand's greal arlisls had a sludio,

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The pier of NAPLES, ITALY, Molo Luigi Razza, more lhan any ofher single i+em, lies a dying memorial lo The deposed Fascisfi. The false facade of marble and gilf fell wifh ihe crumbled rubble of The sfafe. Bronze sfal. ues, 'rypifying 'rhe spirif of 'rhe undying ancienfs, however, remained erecl, haughfily surveying 'rhe remnanfs of fhe lale regime. Dead, bloafed which once profecled fhe Halian lifeline clog fhe bay. All Naples, however, is noi in ruins. The Casfle of Sf. Elmo, sfill inlacf, dominales 'rhe ci+y's highesf hill. To 'rhis vanfage poinf, Naples rises from fhe shore fo display herself, garbed wilh one of The world's mosf beauliful localions. Buildings, some ancienl, some modern, ferrace 'rhe hill's side, falling away info fhe blue wafers a+ +he cify's shore. Mounf Vesuvius, wi+h delica+e pink clouds afloal overhead forms a disfanl baclc- drop. Virgil, who was believed +o be a sorcerer, once puf fhe newly laid egg of a sea serpenf in+o an iron cage. By magic, +he egg was fransformed info 'rhe Caslel dell'Ovo lCas+le of 'rhe Eggl. The casfle slill sfandsg Virgil's lomb, also, is in Naples. The San Carlo Opera house, foo, survived fhe onslaughl fo remain a gem in 'rhe dusf of +he ci+y. Wi'rh i+s area of 5l57 square yards and sfalls capable of seafing IOOO specfarors, ir is one of Europe's larges'r, wi+h i1's plush, and gill, and emblazoned ceiling, if is one of +he world's mosl' elaborafe. All Haly sings: lhe opera is The spirif of her singing. ships , i 'UI g , f . 1. I1 4 X 56 , , s flllvfi ' .J 4.. s