Conyngham (DDG 17) - Naval Cruise Book

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LA SPEZIA AFTER RENDERING PASSING HONORS TO THE NAVAL GUARD DETACHMENT ON SANTA MARIA POINT, WE MED-MOORED AT LA SPEZIA, ONCE THE LARGEST ITALIAN NAV- AL OPERATING BASE. LA SPEZIA IS BUILT UP THROUGH TWO VALLEYS AND IS SPLIT IN THE CENTER BY A RIDGE ALMOST TO THE WATERFRONT. THE SHIP ' S BASKETBALL TEAM DISTINGUISH- ED ITSELF BY DEFEATINGTHE CITY CHAMP- IONS. °ISA AND FLORENCE WERE ONLY A FEW HOURS AWAY BY BUS, SO MANY OF US WERE ABLE TO AGAIN SEE THE LEANING TOWER AND THE BEAUTIFUL CITY OF FLORENCE.

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TARANTO AFTER PARTICIPATING IN A SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSION NEAR GREECE, WE MOORED TO A BUOY IN TARANTO, ONE OF THE FOUR MAJOR NAVAL BASES IN ITALY AND HEAD- QUARTERS FOR THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF ITALIAN NAVAL FORCES. TARANTO DID NOT HAVE THE AIR OF A BIG CITY AND AMUSEMENTS WERE FEW. BUT IT DID GIVE US ANOTHER CHANCE TO SEE THE ' NEW TOWN SINGERS AT THE FLEET CANTEEN.

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2 BARCELONA OUR LAST PORT BEFORE TURNOVER AT PALMA WAS BARCELONA: THE BEST BEING SAVED FOR LAST. BARCELONA, WITH A POPULATION OF 1.700, 000 IS THE CHIEF INDUSTRIAL CITY OF SPAIN AND IS TYPICALLY EUROPEAN WITH NARROW, WINDING STREETS IN THE OLD QUARTER, AND HANDSOME BOULEVARDS IN THE MODERN SECTION. ALTHOUGH WE DIDN ' T GET TO SEE A BULL FIGHT. NO ONESEEMED TO GRUMBLE ABOUT THE LIBERTY AS WE HAD OUR LAST BLAST BEFORE HEADING FOR HOME.