Lloyd Thomas (DDE 764) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 47 text:

Each sailor has his own experiences of Nice to tell his family-the elderly English couple Who talked of their son in the British Navy, the French girl in the perfume shop who spoke per- fect Berlitz English, the lady from Chicago who stopped and asked for a simple explanation ofa the Franc system! And each hand will tell his family he enjoyed his stay in France, for the French know what Americans expect of France and see to it that we are not disappointed. Villefranche, with its fine foods, unpro- nouncable wines and gifts for the family will be remembered as our favorite liberty during the Mediterranean cruise and is one port we will look forward to visiting again on our future tours of duty. This is Nice? . .

Page 46 text:

Kittie? , l, YN 'ln his xii U ,I - M tl Q Q IM! QLJHC Q The quiet, friendly town of Villefranche would look tempting to a sailor anytime, but after ten days of Grand Slam Oper. ations, this Riviera town takes on all aspects of paradise. From the bay we take in the panorama of perfume shops, pastry stands, quaint French bars and restaurants, the narrow rues by the boat landing, and the seaside highway following the coast to the resort city of Nice. Liberty is plentiful, the prices reason- able, the weather perfect and all hands set their minds to nine days of relaxation before-the long .voyage home. Eventually everyone finds his way to the carnival city of Nice, sprawled between the mountains and the Bay of Angels. It takes only a few minutes to realize that Nice is a city of gaiety, catering to both the busy millionaire and the weekend tourist. The bus drivers always classify us with the latter and drop us off at the business center of town, the Place Massena. If we are lucky enough to find our way out of this center of traffic jams, market stalls, and modern department stores, we're bound to happen on the Promenade des Anglais which borders the most famous beach of all winter play- grounds. It is in the lavish hotels over- looking this boulevard that the wealthy and prominent citizens of the world vacation away their time over pernod at the side- walk cafes.

Page 48 text:

our fo Lggwifzerfancl On 9 March, nine men from the U.S.S. Lloyd Thomas left for Switzerland. Leaving Ville- franche shortly after eight in the morning, we soon found ourselves traveling along the Var River, twisting and turning, and slowly climbing the passes of the French Alps. After a short stop for lunch in the French city of Digne, we were on our way again. Soon after leaving Digne we could see Mount Blanc, which is the highest point on the European continent. That evening found us in Geneva where we-were able to see a little of the night life of that international city. The following morning we were hustled into a waiting bus for a tour of the interesting and historic sights of Geneva, the United Nations Palace, Red Cross Building, and the monument in honor of the Reformation movement. After a short shopping spree and lunch, we climbed back into the bus and again were off on our way, traveling along scenic Lake Genevafthrough the city of Lausanne, slowly making our way north- ward. All along the roadside, we could see the chalets of the Swiss. - About sundown, as we came to the crest of a hill, we suddenly saw the city of Bern stretched out in the valley beneath us. A short stop here for coffee and again we were off for our final destination, Grindelwald. Now out of the rolling hills of central Switzerland, we started climbing into the Swiss Alps. Lying between the Lakes of Thun and Brien is the famous Swiss summer resort of Interlaken. It was here that we picked up our guide who was to take us some seven miles further to Grindelwald. 6: Here at last, at our destination, we were welcomed by an excellent dinner and treated to the friendly hospitality of the Swiss people. After supper small groups left to explore what Grin- delwald had to offer in the way of night spots. Some went to the Rendezvous where they listened to good American music and danced, while others stayed in the hotel for a quid evening. The next morning was a busy one. First the sporting goods store to be outfitted with skis, poles, and shoes, and then back to the hotel to change. That afternoon was one of anxious anti- cipation for a try at skiing. 'Catching the cog railway that takes skiers to the Jungfraujoch, WC were on our way. The Jungfraujoch, ll,330. feet hlgh, IS the highest railway station in Europe- At Kleine Scheidegg, which is about half the distance to the top, the ski run starts. From the train master, who emphatically express his de- SITC? for us to purchase round-trip tickets, to the Swiss ski instructor, who advised us not to make A