Show f C Oral Colt harp Reports Trip To Europe EDITOR'S When local residents make noteworthy trips of considerable distance wc are always to relate an account of the as they tell Following is a resume of the trip taken to recently by Oral Coltharp of MY EUROPEAN TOUR By Oral Coltharp Through an invitation from Eve Ashton of I was included in the National Commander's Tour of Europe on the Amer ican Legion Pilgrimage for We embarked from Now York 20 on the Luxury the SS Boarding the Serpentine bands playing gala Arrived at LaHarve left by train for where a royal reception was given us at Pershing Hall by the American Paris The American Legion was organized in Paris after World War I. Official receptions by President the Minister of Foreign Monsieur Christian and the American Ambassador Amory A QUAINT Oral Coltharp c Ashton enjoyed an interesting- side-trip about the French Riviera in a horse-drawn during their European Visited Belleau American and Memorial built by U. S. in honor of her sons 2000 American soldiers are buried Wreaths were laid by Commander Dan Daniels and past president of the American Legion Auxiliary at all War Memorials in the Countries Wives of some of the Paris Post were very gracious and generous with their showing us around Paris They all spoke perfect The official tour Notre Dame Latin The Napoleon's Eiffel Arc de Madeline Palace of The Palace of including the desk where the Versaille Treaty was On the we were taken to the Follies Bergere and the famous night spots of Nice The second stop was Nice on the Stayed at the Hotel overlooking the Mediterranean on the French Ashton and I took a drive in a very quaint horse-drawn They are also found in Paris and Motored to Monaco and Monte Rome Audience with His Pope Pius at his summer Gondolfo in the Throne Room was one of the most thrilling moments to both Catholics and There was hardly a dry eye as He gave us his blessing and offered a prayer for His address and prayers were all in Most of us had our hands filled with religious articles to be blessed and it was suggested I looked like a Vatican City is an artist's and St. Peter's is beyond It contains forty Altars and is the largest Christian Church in the The with its ceiling painted by is beyond Rome itself makes history come alive with its Palace of the the Forum of Julius the the and the famous Roman Venice Visited a Venetian Glass Toured St. Mark's St. Mark's the of the Dueal Palace and Civic St. Mark's Square is magnificent with arcades on both sides of the street with interesting shops and sidewalk In the evening orchestras play in the St. Mark's Basilica contains statues in gold of the 12 Canals of Venice are fascinating with their mode of the colorful gondolas and passenger The people of France and Italy impressed me with their gaiety and Bauer Grunwald Hotel where we stayed was situated at the mouth of the Canal where it flowed into the Adriatic and we had a wonderful view of the ships coming We took a night tour of the Grand Canal and the Narrow Canals in a About 40 gondolas followed a lighted barge which had an orchestra and The music was Switzerland Very but so we missed some of the beauty of the Germany Much destroyed by the but most of it has been i Heidelberg Visited famous University where Student was and saw his Bonn Rousing welcome by the people with bands Countryside is Trip down the Rhine River viewing the Holland and Belgium Our stay in Holland and Belgium was but In Amsterdam the Art Gallery containing Rembrant's famous paintings and other masterpieces are Located here is the famous Hundreds of bicycles are seen the and it seems to be the means of transportation to and from the largest diamond factory in the is a large modern They are busy working on plans for the Fair next We visited the lace factories England Crossing the Channel was very and we landed at The White Cliffs are Rode to London by the train service throughout Europe was at Lancaster House by Her Majesty's Sightseeing Tower of House of of The Queen Victoria Changing of the Guard at the Palace and the Westminister The Abbey contains the Stone of the Throne where the Kings and Queens of England are crowned and many famous The crown jewels are kept in the Tower of We were entertained by all the American Ambassadors except two and also by heads of all seven countries we Throughout the entire trip the the service and the food were and the American Express did everything in their power to give us special food and i Then Army while rest the were happily decorating the barracks for said on Santa Twenty years ago I asked him for a soldier suit and NOW I get |