Pawcatuck (AO 108) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 38 text:

.+i,, 1 FLORENCE The trip to Florence, Italy, including a stop at Pisa, was the main conducted tour while the Pawcatuck was at Leghorn. Starting early in thenmorning and winding through the more industrial section of Leghorn., then through the semi-agricultural landscape that eklsts 1n the Province of Tuscany, the tour party arrived in Pisa. Although the surrounding area shows quite a few signs of the battles of the last War, the Cathedral, the Bap- tistry and the Leaning Tower, for which Pisa is so famous, remain unscathed. The Cathedral was very impressive but did not have the simplicity and beauty that characterized the Baptistry. And the tower itself, containing the bells to toll the events at the Cathedral, stands, as an engineering phenomenon rather than an example of Italian artistry and architecture. The trip from Pisa to Florence, although containing no specific sights of interest, was characterized by the North Italian agrarian landscape and glimpses of the local inhabitants and their Ways. Upon entering Florence, the visitor is immediately impressed by the higher standards of living visible as -compared to other Italian cities. Transportation, up- keep of the buildings, dress of the citizens and the higher quality of the local merchandise all impress one that Florence is a wealthy and prosperous city. Lunch was served in a fine local restaurant. Easily remembered was the narrow circular stairway and long climb to the head of the stairs. The tour visited the Medici Chapel containing statues of Michaelangelo of Dawn, Dusk, Day and Night, the residential district, ,a mosaic factory, a leather goods factory, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and the most interesting and outstanding part of the trip, the Pitti Palace. At the Pitti one saw the world famous Madonna of the Chair gy liaphael, and paintings by Rubens, Titian and Van yc . Although much more of Florence could have been seen, and there certainly was quite a bit more to be seen, those in the tour parties feel they gained a bit of an insight into Florentine character and the forces be- hind her people's pride. BARCELONA The .Pawcatuck's first visit to Spain found many of us anxious to make a tour to the city of Barcelona, our port of call, and to the rather mysterious place called Monserrat. We had heard that Monserrat was the traditional place of the Holy Grail, the cup used by Christ at the Last Supper, but other than that we were not well versed. First, of course, a bus took us around the city of Barcelona, starting out about 0800. We saw the Cathedrals and large buildings of this city of nearly two million inhabitants, and then began our ride to Monserrat. We were surprised and inspired when out Of 1'el3t1Ve1Y flat country a mountain seemed to rise ver-

Page 37 text:

Q f W xyf ruins seem to bear out the fact that the morals of the mlpeople left much to be desired. Ra' Leaving Pompeii we headed for Amalfi. The wind- wing road we took gave us a wonderful view of the Medi- iogterranean many hundreds of feet below. Arriving at hAmalfi, a quaint resort town, we stopped for dinner. EHere we enjoyed an excellent meal made more pleasant Wg by the music of a small Spanish band. 4 Our iinal stop was at another resort town, Sorrento. if Unfortunately we .stayed at this world famous mecca ll for tourists only long enough to take a hurried look if' around and buy a few souvenirs, but many of us felt th that we should like to return some day and explore more closely its narrow streets shaded by beautiful Utrees, and hear again the music and laughter of its Epeople. ' is A half hour later we were back in Naples, tired per- haps, but content in the knowledge that we carried with us a few more unforgettable memories of our Mediter- ranean cruise. CAPRI 3 About twenty miles south of Naples lies the famous E Isle of Capri. The two hour trip is made in a sturdy 9 open excursion boat. The trip went rapidly, though, 9 with animated but limited conversations with the Ital- X ian passengers. 9 First on the agenda was the Blue Grotto. The Grotto is a water filled cavern which can be entered only from f the sea. The opening is so low that a rowboat is the e largest craft able to squeeze through. Even then it is necessary for the occupants to lie prone at the entrance. - Once inside, however, the cavern enlarges considerably. 1 The most striking feature of the grotto is the eerie, luminous, blue glow that the water gives forth. The - small boats slipping through the glowing water in the t otherwise darkened cave give one the impression that he has been transplanted to a strange new world of fantasy. E I . In order to get to the more elevated parts of the is- ' land it was necessary to ride the Funiculare, a cable car which runs up into the hills at about a forty-five degree angle. By this time we had worked up a sizeable appe- tite and so were grateful for the opportunity to take time off for lunch. In the afternoon we were shown the exotic rock gar- dens of the island and were treated to some breathtak- ing views of the rocky crags jutting into the sea far below. A visit to the Ville of St. Michael and a bus ride around the island completed the days activities. By seven P. M. we were back in Naples. To us the Isle of Capri was no longer merely the title of a song.

Page 39 text:

tically with no apparent access to the top. This was the mount called Monserrat. Winding roads led us to a place near the top where a temple, the Sanctuary of the Holy Grail, was built amongst the jagged rocks. Many tourists were here and upon entering this beauti- ful church we found the quite massive altar covered with gold and lighted by hundreds of candles. A chorus of monks from the nearby monastery chanted during the mass in progress, adding much to the impressive scene. We had lunch and then took a cable car up an incredi- bly steep incline to the top of the mountain. From this point we could see the Spanish countryside for many mi es. In the afternoon, upon our return to the city we went on a shopping and photography tour convinced that here was not only the largest but probably the most interesting city in Spain with its beautiful buildings, wide avenues and very friendly people. Many of us were able to see a bull fight while in Bar- celona. This is a festive event in the lives of the Spanish people and it is accompanied by colorful pageantry and stirring music. Although we were in Barcelona only a few days we feel that we have made new friends and are now fa- miliar with some of the customs and traditions of another European nation. THE RIVIERA TOUR Of the numerous tours afforded us on the Mediter- ranean cruise, that of the French Riviera was consider- ed by many to be the most interesting. A large share of the credit was due our guide, a charming French girl whose easy manner and sparkling wit put us immedi- ately at our ease. Leaving Golfe Juan at eight A. M. our bus headed in the direction of the principality of Monaco. A half hour's drive brought us to Nice, fifth largest city in France and world famous as a resort center. A few miles more and we were at the border of the sovereign state of Monaco, population 2500. This nation, whose area numbers but a few square miles, boasts its own ruler, army, navy, postal system, and just about everything else necessary for a country to operate as an independent unit. During World War II, while France was occupied by the Nazis, Monaco re- mained neutral. The country's main source of lncome is the fabulous Monte Carlo and it was here that we made our first stop. As we passed through the spacious rooms the operation of the various games of chance were explained to us. We were also given oa brief de- scription of the many safeguards taken to insure that chance alone decides the results. Before leaving Mon- aco we stopped at the Prince's Palace. Nearby were several souvenir shops where one could purchase tan- gible evidence of the visit. Resuming our trip we drove to an ancient. castle. Some of us recognized it as the site of the movie The Green Glove. From here we had an excellent view of the surrounding countryside.