Pawcatuck (AO 108) - Naval Cruise Book

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A few more miles brought US to the town of Em' This village has a famous outdoor restaurant called the Dove. Deanna Durbin and other famous personages often stop here when visiting the Riviera. Returning to Nice we stopped for a noonday dinner. Some of the courses were new to us but all were tasty. The highlight of the afternoon was the visit to a perfume factory in Grasse. This city has over forty factories and their products are sent the world o-ver. The intricasies of the conversion of lard and flowers into perfume were revealed to us by a delightful factory employee. She frankly admitted that we interested her more as potential husbands than as prospective cus- tomers. This coming from a woman well in her fifties seemed rather ludicrous. Before leaving we were given an opportunity to make whatever purchases we desired in the large showroom. A pleasant ride through the countryside brought us back to the scene of the morning's departure. Though many days would follow, this one would always stand out a bit from the rest. DAMASCUS While the Pawcatuck was in Beirut, Lebanon, during the latter part of October, we made a tour across the frontier to Damascus, Syria, considered by many his- torians and archaeologists to be the oldest inhabited city in the world. It is still flourishing today as it did under the Arameans, Romans and Arabs. In the streets can be seen many people dressed in the same manner as the inhabitants of over two thousand years ago. The mode of life has changed but little for some, while for others the manners and customs of modern Europe have been adopted. The Omayad Mosque with its three minarets is situ- ated in the heart of the old city. In ancient times it was the center of worship of Baal and others gods of the Syrians and later it became the church of St. John the Baptist. It was also the largest place of worship for the Moslems in Syria. The interior of the Mosque IS itself a book on Syrian history. The various shapes of its pillars and arches and the magnificent mosaics still seen th ll ' ' l . on . e wa s are as pages in the history of this ancient city. Walking along the street called Straight is an ex- perience never to be forgotten. Here are shops by the hundreds with people in various garbs milling around, buying, selling, shouting and begging. The shops had everything from the cheapest of trinkets to the cost 19St of gold brocades and bargaining was the favorite pastime. Another famous landmark was the window f St. o Paul set in a stone 'n th t ll f D the disci les f St1P egrea Wa 0 amascus Where . D o . aul contrived to let him down by night Emlong the face of the wall, lowering him to the groun in a hamper in order to save him f th who sought to end his life. rom OSS

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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.

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i . During the tour of Damascus We visited also the Tomb of Salladin and the house of Ananias. We considered our tour into Syria the most pictur- esque of all and returned with many souvenirs from a land Whose history begins at the threshold of civiliza- tion. I PARIS We left Marseilles, France on the night train and ar- rived in Paris the next morning. Late November was not the right time of the year for a tour of Gay Paree, especially after coming from sunny Italy. Paris was cold and foggy and We couldn't see the top of the Eiffel Tower. Things looked pretty gloomy but we didn't let the weather keep us from enjoying ourselves. A brisk walk to the Louvre Art Museum after a few cognacs and even the Mona Lisa seemed to be a little happier than usual. Venus de Milo still doesn't have arms and she really should Wear something in that sort of weather. Notre Dame stands as a beautiful and pure example of the gothic cathedrals of France. Its interior is par- tially illuminated by light coming through one of the most beautiful stained glass Windows ever made. Our tour took us on a round of night clubs, the first night and on the second we saw the famous Folies Bergeref' The Palace of Versailles is a Wonder of elegance and decorative art but the beauty of the gardens was lost in the misty atmosphere. On the last night We ate in a little restaurant on the left bank of the Seine. In this section we met quite a few students. A student in Paris is defined as a person with no visible means' of support, and Who is willing to share anything with you, even your money. Of course we saw the Arch de Triomphe, the Champs Elysee, Napoleon's Tomb, and many other wonderful attractions, but we believe it would be better to make our next tour of Paris in the Spring. v f7f.?T'?