Antares (AK 258) - Naval Cruise Book

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ROME by E. R. Malin On Tuesday morning, 17 Feb. 1953 a tour including 17 men and ofiicers left the ship for two days in Rome. During the five and one-half hour ride the guides pointed out the sites along the old Apian Road. Mr. WALKER, L. PURVIS, and R. HAWKINS made the trip as shore patrol. Upon arriving in Rome, the men were treated to' an Italian favorite - spaghetti. After dinner spaceous rooms were assigned. The tour that afternoon included such wonderful sights as St. Peters Basilica, St. Paul's church, the Pope's summer and winter homes, the Park of Rome and the balcony from which Mussolini gave his speeches during the war. Camera armed sailors including Florian, Austfjord, Stamos, and Vetter took pictures of 'many of the sites. Kelly managed to get his face in most of the pictures much to the dismay of Forte who ran a close second in posing for pictures. Later chow consisted of another spaghetti dinner. The men began to wonder if they ate anything else on this sunny peninsula. Mr. WALKER marveled at the fountains in Rome and wondered how they could waste so much water. On ship fresh water is as valuable as top secret material and as guarded in almost the same manner. ' Kelly, Vetter, Forte, Sz Meier decided to go dancing that night. They met several of the Roman beauties in one establishment. The taste in women varied among the gobs. Kelly preferred fat women. Vetter liked them thin. Vetter was the hit of the evening when 141 he tried to jitter-bug on the dance floor. It was a pleasant evening until Vetter ended up paying the cab fare back to the hotel. Forte's girl was so obliging in relieving him of his last three thousand lire. Crook, Zimmerman, and Saltus had a nice night also and it was difficult to get them up in the morning. On Wednesday morning another tour of the city was conducted. On this trip such tourist attractions as St. John's church, where the 28 steps with Christ's blood are found, St. Mary's Basilica where the Catholic boys received blessed ashes on Ash Wednesday, the pyramid, the Colosseum, Pantheon, Arch of Emperor Titus, and finally the Roman Forum where Julius Caesar was stabbed to death, was seen. The latter was a photographers dream. Mr. SMITH, MEIER, STAMOS, and AUSTFJORD jumped the railing to get a better view of the ruins. A guard took them to an ofiice where they had to pay two- hundred lire each for admission. They returned to the bus amid loud laughter from the other members of the crew. After this tour the journey home was started. On the way the Catacombs were visited. After wandering through these ancient tombs the tour party boarded the bus once again for Naples. An evening meal was served in a small town named Formia. The chow again was spaghetti. The driver made the last part. of the trip at a record breaking speed. . He drove like a wildman taking hair pin curves on two wheels. About 2045 the bus driver left the tour party off at the ship. A -tired but happy group of men climbed the gangway of the ANTARES full of stories to tell their buddies.

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NAPLES Naples was a joy to behold after a long stay in Augusta Bay. This is a scenic paradise containing a beautiful blue bay, the volcano Vesuvius as a back drop, ancient ruins and modern structures. Tours were organized to Rome, Pompeii, and Sorrento. As soon as the ship docked merchants appeared with wares to sell. The American does not know how to bargain with Italian sellers. A few men at first paid the asking price of an article much to the joy and astonishment of the Italians. However, a few tips from WILLIAMS, A. and GIOVANNINI put the men wise. GIOVANNINI surprised everyone with his bargaining. The price on any article was cut in half when he went to work on the merchants. Needless to say he was very busy making purchases for his buddies. Chief Davis later found that Casablanca was a hard place to drive a bargain. The American dollar was equal to 625 lire. Places to see in Naples included the Cameo factory, the Umbergo arcade, ancient castles, the finiculars, and the San Carlo Opera House. Chief TRESSELT and Chief PENDERGRASS enjoyed Naples according to reports. The taxi business was controlled by J. SIMMONS. He managed to get a taxi for everyone at a very reasonable price. People who didn't take advantage of his offer had to argue over the price of fare with the driver half way through the city. Naples was overpopulated with guides. No matter where a person went a guide appeared to show the bewildered sailor the sights of the city. The restaurants had excellent food, ask BALDOSARO, CARTER, R. A., and WALSH for verification. The side walk cafe was a rare sight in Naples but quite common in Casablanca. The most popular items that were purchased included Bara gloves, Borsa- lino hats, 400 day clocks, Cameos and perfume. Naples will be remembered as an excellent liberty port for American sailors. Ni T Lfiwbj-Hfam THE TASTE IN WOMEN VARIED AMONG THE GODS 13

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