Hale (DD 642) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 43 text:

- X ■:.? ■■ . ¥ wm This port was new to the U.S. Navy, for they only started visiting Spain in Fifty-Two and Fifty-Three. From the pier that we tied up at, it didn ' t look like much, but all hands were in ' for a big surprise. Boy, do I wish I woulda taken Spanish in school, like a lot of my bud- dies. They really had it made. We got there a little late in the season for the bullfights, but the nightclubs and their Spanish dancers kinda made up for it. Castinettes, guittars, full- pleated skirts, clicking heels, and flashing eyes made a combination that even made Par- cesepe speechless. This was probably the cheapest liberty on the whole cruise. You know how a swabbie loves his brew. But over there the cognac and brandy were so good that we forgot all about beer. I guess nobody will blame Columbus for making Barcelona his home port.

Page 42 text:

The time of the year slowed things down, as I said before, but you know the old saying, You can make you own fun anytime anywhere. And brother we did. French food and pastries are known throughout the world, and I ate so much I thought I ' d come back looking like DiBrando. France is noted for its good-looking women. So me and my buddy spent most of the night looking. After a damn good night ' s liberty we headed back to Golfe Juan. All that wine seemed to catch up with us, and we stopped for a cup of coffee. We walked in expecting to see a regular joe pot, but instead came face to face with a miniature boiler plant. Believe it or not, that gadget really made what they call coffee. One thing you learn, never stir it with a spoon, unless you want to dissolve it. I guess this port sounds like pretty good liberty to you, but, believe me, it was only a preliminary to Barcelona.

Page 44 text:

There ' s one big rock right between Spain and Africa that none of us were sorry to see. It meant we were on our way home. We were there just overnight to take on fuel and get the ship ready for the jump to the Azores. We left Gibralter the next day and were damned lucky not to hit rough water all the way to the Ponta Delgada. Just leaving all the cold weather back in Europe we were surprised at the fine weather we hit in Azores. The fueling detail and every- one else were running around in shirt sleeves. We really soaked up the sunshine ' cause most of us knew what the Atlantic was like in the winter. And, brother, we weren ' t wrong.