Feb 1956
It was a vacation that near most did not happen,,With Jean Claude on my mind I did not know if I should leave at that point in time. I considered a few places but ended up keeping it simple. Go to Rome.
The 20th of Feb my leave was approved and sitting in the orderly room. I was due to leave on the 24th Feb.
On the night of the 23rd Feb I was upstairs in my room with a few other soldiers,..The 1st Sgt came in. He walked up to me and he was obviously very drunk. He had my leave paper in his hand. He said "so you want to no you don't want to go,,he went on a little more with words that I did not want it and tore up my leave papers into little pieces throwing them on the floor and leaving.
Sp4 Blankenship was nearby when it happenned. He said "Do you really want to on vacation ?" I said yes. He said "Don't worry give me a few minutes..He went downstairs to the orderly room..I waited and he came back up with new leave papers. Signed by the Lt.?
In town I had bought a new coat it was cold and a knapsack to carry my belongings for the vacation.
The main part of the trip started after I got to Paris. The train was due to leave at 11PM I watched the big clock in the train station and just as the hand of the clock hit 11 PM the train was moving out,,When we reached Switzerland my passport was checked,,by day light I saw the snow covered mountains and the beautiful lake I believe was called lake Major.
At the Italian border I got off and switch to an Italian train.
When it took off I went to the dinning car tray of cheese a really big meal. As it got later in the day a young man came in my apartment he was dressed very well and I got the impression as we talked that he was an actor. We talked about seeing the lights of Rome..He said "If you want to stay awake..drink this special coffee. As a lady passed by with the coffee he ordered two,It was in a very small container and very strong.
I saw the lights of Rome that night. I wasn't in Rome an hour and I witnessed my first accident with a car and a motorcycle. In Rome he showed me a hotel to stay at but it was very expensive,However I was given a pass "Anticamera Ponitifica" 7 Marzo 1956 so when I got in St. Peters I could see the Pope with other people,That was Pope Pius X11. Walking in St. Peter (where I went in) was a bronze Statue of St. Peter,,,The foot of the statue had start to wear it had been kissed so many times.
I found where the Pope was talking I could see him from a doorway,He spoke in many languages. Towards the end of his talk I saw two nuns take off..Something told me to follow them. The both got in between an altar I went on the other side a minute later the Pope was being carried by us. I looked up I was very close to him.
During the day I went down in the catacombs. There was a simple stone altar the a pathway not to wide,We were told not to leave the path,On the sides in the wall there were places carved out to whole the bones of the martyrs.
I got a bus ride that took us around to all the famous churches, then I was on my way to Naples.
The 20th of Feb my leave was approved and sitting in the orderly room. I was due to leave on the 24th Feb.
On the night of the 23rd Feb I was upstairs in my room with a few other soldiers,..The 1st Sgt came in. He walked up to me and he was obviously very drunk. He had my leave paper in his hand. He said "so you want to no you don't want to go,,he went on a little more with words that I did not want it and tore up my leave papers into little pieces throwing them on the floor and leaving.
Sp4 Blankenship was nearby when it happenned. He said "Do you really want to on vacation ?" I said yes. He said "Don't worry give me a few minutes..He went downstairs to the orderly room..I waited and he came back up with new leave papers. Signed by the Lt.?
In town I had bought a new coat it was cold and a knapsack to carry my belongings for the vacation.
The main part of the trip started after I got to Paris. The train was due to leave at 11PM I watched the big clock in the train station and just as the hand of the clock hit 11 PM the train was moving out,,When we reached Switzerland my passport was checked,,by day light I saw the snow covered mountains and the beautiful lake I believe was called lake Major.
At the Italian border I got off and switch to an Italian train.
When it took off I went to the dinning car tray of cheese a really big meal. As it got later in the day a young man came in my apartment he was dressed very well and I got the impression as we talked that he was an actor. We talked about seeing the lights of Rome..He said "If you want to stay awake..drink this special coffee. As a lady passed by with the coffee he ordered two,It was in a very small container and very strong.
I saw the lights of Rome that night. I wasn't in Rome an hour and I witnessed my first accident with a car and a motorcycle. In Rome he showed me a hotel to stay at but it was very expensive,However I was given a pass "Anticamera Ponitifica" 7 Marzo 1956 so when I got in St. Peters I could see the Pope with other people,That was Pope Pius X11. Walking in St. Peter (where I went in) was a bronze Statue of St. Peter,,,The foot of the statue had start to wear it had been kissed so many times.
I found where the Pope was talking I could see him from a doorway,He spoke in many languages. Towards the end of his talk I saw two nuns take off..Something told me to follow them. The both got in between an altar I went on the other side a minute later the Pope was being carried by us. I looked up I was very close to him.
During the day I went down in the catacombs. There was a simple stone altar the a pathway not to wide,We were told not to leave the path,On the sides in the wall there were places carved out to whole the bones of the martyrs.
I got a bus ride that took us around to all the famous churches, then I was on my way to Naples.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for commenting on my blog!