Tarawa (CV 40) - Naval Cruise Book

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. Two Royrl Carabinieri police sfand beside one o fhe cop-on-'l'he-corner variety. The harbor of La Spezia loolrs peaceful and orderly. H foolt a 'terrific bearing during the war, buf recovery is being accomplished by careful, steady rebuilding. - These fishermen are more inferesfed in mending 'lheir nefs fhan in felling about fhe whoppers fhal' go? away. LA PEZIA HE PORT of La Spezia, one of the best anchorages in the entire Mediterranean Sea, opens to the south and is surrounded on three sides by excellent natural barriers. It houses many capital ships with ease and has splendid facilities for an entire task group. Napoleon realized the importance of this port and had elaborate plans for it. During World War II the Germans used this harbor extensively and toward the end of the conflict imposed severe damage on this, the pride of the Italian Navy. However, most of the area has been rebuilt since the war and is today serving the Italian Navy as in the past. One of the interesting monuments of the war is a ship which was sunk by the Germans at the mouth of the harbor, it is impossible to enter or leave the port without passing this half-submerged freighter. La Spezia combines many features of Italian life as it is today. The city has a few factories, which are typical of the l industrial north, and also the agrarian life characteristic of the south. Many fishing vessels operate from this quiet city and it is a common sight to see the fishermen and their helpers tending their nets along the shore. A free-lined open-air marker.

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Tlus flagslone slreel leads lo one of +he walchlowers on +l1e cily walls. - T THE BASE of Vesuvius, standing on what was once the seashore, lies the fabulous ruined city of Pompeii. On the 5th of February, 79 A.D., Pompeii was crushed to death by the weight of volcanic ash that formed a blanket thirty feet deep before Mt. Vesuvius ceased its eruption. Three thousand of the city's thirty-five thousand population were killed. The remainder escaped death by putting to sea. Excavated by relatively recent government projects, it now stands as exact evidence of the public and private lives of the Pompeiian people. Many were caught in their daily pursuits and their move- ments stopped much the same as in a photograph, only more permanently. This is a favorite tour spot when the Navy visits Naples. We walked through the ruins and viewed remarkably preserved statues and frescos. The narrow streets had deep ruts cut in the stone by two-wheeled chariots. Marble structures equipped with lead pipe plumbing attest to an advanced civilization which also seems to have been quite uninhibitedg its moral code, by our standards, would leave something to be desired . . . indeed we ponder, what were the doings in the ruins of Pompeii? Vesuvius brooding in the background gives logic to the con- struction of Pompeii's many temples and sacrihcial altars. The tourist breathes a little easier when he is finally outside the city and finds himself surrounded by street urchins at the gate crying, You speak Joe . . . how much for small brass souvenir? P0 ll Only a few square stones remain of whal' was once a marble-paved marlrel' Pompeii was a lhriving seaport cily and as such had need of a holel for lravelers. The remains of 'lhe long holel porch and garden can sl'ill be seen. The museum has a complete scale model of the cily plus many ufensils used by ihe Pompeiians. lncluded in lhe display was a sei of den'lis+'s fools.

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u The famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. Engineers esfimafe fhaf fhis sfrucfure will fopple over in 99 years, or 205l. O US THE NAME of Pisa is synonymous with the Leaning Tower. The Campanile, or bell-tower of Pisa, was begun in ll74. One hundred and seventy-six years later it was completed. The original architects left their work when, after reaching the third story, the foundation began to settle. Subsequently addi- tional stories were added, each of which increased the structure's precarious list. This Cafheclral and Bapfisfry confain works of arf which are repufecl fo be among 'lhe earlies+ of fhe Renaissance. Pl The city of Pisa takes on added interest when one sees the beauty of its sculpture and Romanesque architecture. Many works of art have been accumulating since Pisa, one of the oldest cities in Italy, was founded in 180 B.C. The labor of generation after generation went into constructing the Cathedral and Baptistry. To the tradition of handing down craftsmen's skill from father to son was added that of continuing the work on the architectural marvels. Pisa at one time was a formidable sea power and the influence of other cultures Howed in along with the flourishing sea trade. Roman sculpture mixed with Greek, Byzantine, and Gothic, and the results in turn influenced other centers of culture. The in- termingling is very much in evidence inside of the Cathedral where no two pillars are alike and stone-masonry varies from wall to wall. It is not surprising that Pisa claims to be the birthplace of the Renaissance. In addition to containing intricate mosaic patterns the Baptistry has a peculiar acoustic quality that permits the slightest whisper to be heard seventy feet away. Our guide demonstrated this by singing several notes which seemed to ring for minutes before fading so gradually that it was impossible to say when they ceased to be audible. Also interesting were the shops where small alabaster figurines were sold. These were within the realm of everyone's apprecia- tion for they could be handled and examined closely and their value could be determined by price tags- and not in terms of centuries. The proprietor showed us an entry in his mail order book where a U. S. Senator had sent a gift to a friend in America. The friend-President Trumang the gift-an alabaster donkey.