Columbus (CA 74) - Naval Cruise Book

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FRA E dur lirsl experience in France was lhe arrival ol Cin- CNELM, Admiral R. L. Conolly. on lhe lOlh'ol'July, I95O, and we gol underway lor Bresl. Aller a log-bound passage across lhe English channel, lhe COLUMBUS enlered lhe harbor al Bresl on lhe morning ol lhe lllh. and exchanged salules wilh lhe French ballleship RICHELIEU which was lorpedoed in lhe harbor during 'lhls pasl War. Slrolling Through Bresl began as a Roman lorlress in lhe middle ages, and gradually developed inlo one ol lhe maior naval bases ol lhe Iolh cenlury. ln lhe Isl World War, Bresl became lhe disembarlcalion porl lor all American lroops. Laler. in lhe second World War, lhe Nazis eslablished a submarine base in Bresl. Unlorlunalely in deslroying lhe sub base. lhe Allies also removed a maior porlion ol lhe cily. Bresl has been a lishing porl 'For cenluries, and is now one ol lhe maior bases ol lhe French Navy. There was lillle lo see or do in Bresl. and il would have been poor liberly excepl lor some line games by lhe baslcelball learn. Then loo, a parly was given by lhe French Navy which was enjoyed by all lhal allendecl -- no doubl helped along by liberal porlions ol line French wine and champagne. On our nexl voyage lo France lhe Sixlh lleel arrived al lhe famous Cole D'Azur or French Riviera, on lhe 22nd of Augusl, and splil up - lhe COLUMBUS anchoring al Cannes. Allhough lhe folks al home were begin- ning lo plan for Aulumn. COLUMBUS men were enioying lhe sandy beaches ol lhis famous resorl cily, and hav- ing swim call on lhe ship every allernoon. Camera lans held lield day on lhe lilm supply. and souvenir hunlers relurned daily wilh lresh loads ol perfume, ololls. and a dozen-and- one olher lhings lo send home. There are a number ol places nearby worlhy ol menlion. Firsl is lhe very elile resorl al,Anlibes. where lhe very rich ol lhe world have buill beaulilul villas. Second is lhe small lown of Grasse, in lhe mounlains norlh ol Cannes. whose perfume laclories ship lheir lragranl bundles all over lhe world. Originally noled lor ils glove laclories, lhe perfume induslry slowly began edging ils way inlo prominence in lhe lblh cenlury, when Calherine de Medicis, an llalian noblewoman, was queen ol France. She could nol sland lhe smell ol lhe lealher-lanning process, so eslablished a small labora- A Parl: in Nice lory lo manulaclure perfume, which was used lo counleracl lhe slench ol lhe lan- ning. ll was from lhis modesl beginning lhal one ol lhe largesl perlume cenlers in lhe world was crealed. A small place. bul quile well lcnown. is Monle Carlo. parl ol lhe liny princi- palily ol Monaco. which was founded in 50 B.C.. by lhe Romans. The chiel induslry , n . t ol Monle Carlo is, ol course. gambling. and il supporls lhe bullc ol lhe populalion. Visilors and gamblers lrom all over lhe world visil lhe Casino every year. lo ef'l0Y lhe moiof and YaClW'f VBCSST Swimming. sailing. parlies. and opera. The Casino employs aboul 3.000 people. ol which 500 are croupiers in lhe gambling hall. They are highly skilled and allend a school for six monlhs lo learn lhe lrade. Nice is iusl a len minule bus ride from Villelranche. ll is silualed on lhe Baie des Angles , and is a highly lrequenled summer and winler resorl lcnown all over lhe world. Nice is lhe largesl cily on lhe Riviera, and whal a cily! Wilh ils balhing beach all along one side ol lhe famous avenue Promenade des Anglais . ils gardens and Tlowgrs eVe YWlTeVer il is V10 WOnCleI' lhal ils quarler million inhabilanls considerlhemselves so lucky, ancl lhal ll rales high on lhe lisl ol good liberly porls. There is much lo do and see in Nice. and lhe nighl lile is lhe linesl' on lhe Riviera. Reminds me - anyone hear lrom Chrisline lalely? Cannes in all ils grandeur

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Ciiy Cenler Plymou'l'l'l Piccadilly Circus, London The Hoe Plymoufh Boy meefs girl Plymouih if

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WAI. M.,-.- ide, in-r Columbus sailors in formaiion 'for parade, held in Nice, on July 4, I95I. A second parade was held on BasTille Day , July I4Th, in which CA74 also pariicipaled. Our arrival aT VilleTranche marlced The TirsT Time we had hiT porT alone since enTering The Med. The name VilleTranche means Tree Town , and iT has been a porT OT call Tor The American Navy Tor IOO years. On The 26+h and 27 oT SepTernber we held a ship's dance aT Jimmy's Place, iusT a Tew sTeps Trom The liberTy landing. AbouT l5O girls Trom The Nice Y. W. C. A. came as hosTesses. and wiTh The ship's cooks supplying The chow, and a local nine piece band, The alzlair was very successTul. Since Then many privaTe parTies have loeen given There, plus anoTher COLUMBUS parTy given in July, l95l. This also was a grand success. On our visiTs To VilleTranche, many Tours were conducTecl To The perTume TacTory aT Grasse. There also were Tive day Tours To Paris and Geneva, SwiTzerland, which made our sTays in Villefranche more enioyable.