Columbus (CA 74) - Naval Cruise Book

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follows the rugged oufline of the mountain face, high above the coast, and commands on the south a lovely and constantly varying panorama of the sea with its bays and promontories. Monte Carlo, a world-famous gambling center despite the fact that the town has only a population of 9,000, is located In the tiny principality of Monaco. The entire area of Monaco is only 8I 2 square miles, but its mild climate and magnificent scenery in addition to its gambling fame have made it a tourist resort and international confer- ence city of wide renown. Our stay in France was graced by very good weather for that time of the year, even though it wasn ' t quite warm enough to enjoy the sandy beaches of Nice and nearby resorts. We still had to take along peacoats but for mid-winter it was, shall we say, — warmer than Boston. For one and all, it was a visit worth remembering. One the like of which comes all too seldom in a sailor ' s life.

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FRANCE prance, the land of beautiful women and wonderful wine, once more opened its hearts and homes to the sailors of the COLUMBUS when the ship visited Toulon and old, familiar Villefranche on this cruise. We were In Toulon from 11-15 December and then went on to Vllle for the holidays from 19 December to 5 January. As on previous visits to Ville, many found their way to Nice for liberty, the perfume factory for bargains, and Monte Carlo for sightseeing and picture taking. While in Toulon there was little in the way of recreation, since the port seemed to compare on a small scale to Norfolk as a sailor ' s town. The visits to the French battleship RIChlELIEU for dinner and supper each day did a great deal for morale, however. The people of Villefranche and the Riviera sector did their best to make our Christmas and New Year celebrations a happy occasion. Most of the night spots and many of the shops were decorated and in at least one Nice store there was a St. Nicholas on hand in person. A large group of French children were entertained on board at a Christmas party, where they watched movies, enjoyed dinner and received a small gift. Ville is a small but rather attractive town, rising in terraces along the rocky shore. The old town with staircase streets and dark archways is typical of the 18th century seaports. The harbor is one of the best between Marseilles and Genoa. Situated some three or four miles from Nice, Villefranche is provided with frequent service by electric tramways and buses. Nearby Nice, a city of a little more than 200,000 is a playground for European and American vacationers during the summer. Located on the beautiful Riviera as it is, the city makes an ideal resort. The surrounding area has many beautiful regions to be explored. A continuous series of tramways follows the coast from Nice to Mentone, the most beautiful part of the French Riviera. The Grande Corniche, which is part of the great military road constructed by Napoleon I in 1806, and connects the two towns also is an exceptionally fine drive. The distance is about 19 miles and it touches neither town nor village except La Turbie. It Stairway to Vll Liberty Landing

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SPAIN v ' ithout a doubt one of the ports most enjoyed on the cruise was Barcelona, Spain. A great many men termed It the best we visited but, of course, there were others who stuck faithfully by their beloved France. No doubt about it, though, Barcelona offered just about anything the liberty-loving sailor could ask for. Wine, women and song were in abundance and there were plenty of worthwhile souvenirs to be purchased at very reasonable prices. For those who like to just see the sights , there was an excellent overnight trip to Madrid and a ski tour to the mountains in addition to the city tour. Several hundred people came aboard each day to look over the ship and no doubt our visit fostered a great deal of good will. It seems fewer ships visit Spain than most of the other Mediterranean ports and the people are not accustomed to having American sailors around. Consequently, we saw few instances of price-hiking and it was