Blue Memories

FRAGMENTS EXERCISE

It was the last of the heavy gun cruisers. It was big, fast, and beautiful. It was my first ship and the one I really remember.

After weeks at sea, entering port was a treat. We would drop anchor in the harbor. The best place was Villefranche on the Riviera. the houses on the hills were pink, yellow, and tan. The mountains beyond still had snow in the spring.

The Captain would come onto the bridge in his bathrobe and slippers, usually on the mid-watch. Maybe he couldn't sleep or just wanted to talk to someone. It would be dark except for the running lights of the other ships in the task group.

Taking a taxi into Nice along the Grand Corniche, a thousand feet up, you could see the coast curving along the blue-green water toward Italy.

The club was below street level. As you entered , it was very dark. The band was playing "La Vie en Rose" and the dance floor was crowded with sailors and girls. A civilian in the corner was wearing very dark glasses. I was in France.

Leaving port early in the morning. Fog had rolled in from the Mediterranean obscuring the houses and the mountains behind them. The last boats were hoisted aboard, the anchors weighed, and we slipped out quietly. The water was glass-like and clear enought to see the bottom. A few girls on the dock waved. We were underway.

Ed