Hickox (DD 673) - Naval Cruise Book

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MARSEILLE, FRANCE Often called the crossroads of the seven seas. Marseille ' s harbor was crowded with fishing boats of all shape and sizes as we moored port side to the Juneau at one of her many quays. We were quite a way from the center of town, but a quick bus ride and we were at fleet landing and the city proper. Fish carts were many in number along the dock with their hundreds of multi-colored and different named fish. The perennial sidewalk cafes were everywhere. Wherever we went, looking up we would see la Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde, towering over the city. Upon taking the elevator up we found our- selves at the top of the world with the whole seaport spreading out beneath us breathtakingly. This church, still showing the scars of World War II bombs, is dedicated to all those who sail the seas. It was here here that we spent New Years — here that we found Auld Lang Syne among the missing at 2400, on 31 December 1954. The carrier Lake Champlain put on a U. S. O. show while we were here, starring Forest Tucker, Tony Romano, and a group of pretty Hollywood star- lets. Their hangar deck was transformed into a dimly lighted nightclub and we found out that Mr. Sandman was the big song hit back home. So, 1954 was gone and 1955 was here and we were still in Europe. But somehow it seemed that we were rounding the first turn of the last lap.

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Christmas in Second Division compartment. GENOA, ITALY Genoa meant Christmas — away from home — but Christmas just the same. It meant a star on the mast . . . colored lights on the quarter- deck ... a Christmas tree in the compartment ... a good turkey dinner. But Christmas in Italy meant more. It meant a party, for fifty orphans, a brilliantly lighted tree in the Piazza de Ferrari . . . Merry Christmas in Italian . . . the midnight mass in the church of St. Giovanni . . . and thoughts — many thoughts of home. We could visit one of the states along the waterfront — the Texas, the New York, the New Mexico, or the Florida but English there was not the predominant language. In the city itself we saw the home in which Christopher Columbus was born, cnuckled at the Napoleanic dress of the policemen, and came to the conclusion that most everyone here must play the accordian. Some of us left the city and visited Milan, Venice, Florence, the Italian Riveria, the Swiss Alps, or Rome and tried to absorb all the wonderful things that these places had to offer. International Commerce thrived. The junk laden Italian tradesmen and the American white hat continued to try to mentally out joust each other in the middle of the street the seller understanding the word dollar but not too much. The streets rang with Hey Joe, want a salami sandwich? . . . beautiful cameo, Joe, . . . rosary beads? Wanna buy a Berretta, Some got to Rome. The famed cemetery in Genoa. Where the intracacies of a lace design are sculptured to perfection.

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ISTANBUL, TURKEY We fell rather mystic about the whole thing when we anchored opposite a sultan ' s palace in the land of Moslems and mosques. Here we were with another continent, Asia, in sight across the harbor, and, the Black Sea and Rus- sia only a day ' s ride up the Bosphorous. Fleet landing was part of a mosque which unfortunately became enhanced by a whole dead horse floating near the dock which no one seemed to care very much about. We were impressed with the splendor of the Sultan ' s Palace but disappointed to find that the harem was no longer a national institution. We toured the old city and the new city which were separated by two bridges and dis- covered many misconceptions we had of Tur- key. We learned that it is against the law to wear a fei in this country, and that women are no longer permitted to wear veils across their faces. The old city was probably the most interest- ing. We witnessed a Moslem ceremony in one of their churches and saw all the people face Mecca and continually bow with crossed legs. We visited the Sainte Sophia Mosque and the Blue Mosque and had to put on slippers before we went in. We heard and saw two priests at the top of the long thin towers that charac- terize a mosque, alternately calling the people to church in that strange mysterious mode of song they use. We saw a display of priceless Turkish rugs in a museum and wondered which palace floor they had once embossed. We went to the bazaar and found a page from the Arabian Knights. Hundreds of little stores and carts jammed together sold everything imaginable at every imaginable price. We mostly bought brass trays and Turkish cigarette holders, though the favorite was the little silver puzzle rings, over which we went beserk trying to put together. And, oh yes — they had belly dancers, too. No football huddle. Just trying to make out what the guide ' s saying. , ' » x