The old gal is looking pretty darn good.

[DMac]

Not that I figure anybody gives a damn (I get it that arguing about whether the Rs or Ds are the bigger idiots and whether or not we're all going to hell because of our history is the priority) but I went right by the USS Intrepid yesterday and I must say the old gal is looking pretty darn good. She's got quite a history and I spent an awful lot of time on that boat. Went on these three cruises (two Meds and a North Atlantic), saw a lot of places, had a lot fun, brought back quite a few memories, hadn't seen her in close to fifty years.

From April–October 1971, Intrepid took part in NATO exercises, and made calls in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean ports of Lisbon, Plymouth, Kiel, Naples, Cannes, Barcelona, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Greenock, Rosyth, Portsmouth, and Bergen. During this cruise, submarine detection operations were conducted in the Baltic and at the edge of the Barents Sea above the Arctic Circle, under close scrutiny of Soviet air and naval forces. She subsequently returned to her homeport to be refitted.

Beginning in July 1972, Intrepid participated once again in NATO exercises, visiting Copenhagen, Rotterdam, Bergen, Brussels, Portsmouth and Gourock. Intrepid found herself in the Barents and made round the clock flight operations as she was above the Arctic Circle. She cut her North Atlantic cruise short, returned to Quonset Point for a mini-overhaul. She made her final cruise in the Mediterranean, stopping twice in Barcelona and Malaga Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; Nice, France; Naples, Italy; Palma, Majorca; and Piraeus, Greece once. Due to fuel limitations Intrepid spent as much time in port as she did underway.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Intrepid_(CV-11)
This is a picture (bottom one) from one of the cruise books of me (in the white in the middle of the picture looking left) and few buddies in the Copenhagen brewery before we all got thrown out.

[Farfromgeneva]

Lived in Copenhagen for 6-7mo back in the day. Danish women are ridiculous ones, they all ride bikes and basically look like blonde or brunette versions of whatever fantasy every guy has ever had about Scandinavian women. Even the pregnant ones are divorce your wife material.

Did you hate mutton chops? Is that Carlsberg? Did they have the 12% Elephant beer back then?

[DMac]

Danish women are definitely gorgeous, very fit and healthy looking as well. I think they have healthier and more realistic attitude about a lot of things over there too, much more practical people as well. I could have stayed in Copenhagen for a long time and been happy to be there.
Lot of good looking gals in Norway and Germany too.

Mutton chops didn't bother me, I like the differences in different cultures, find it interesting.

Can't remember for sure what we were drinking, pretty sure it was Carlsberg though. Pretty much had to be, I guess.

Don't know about the 12% Elephant beer, do know a 12% beer wouldn't be a good thing for me to be drinking though...the "regular" does a good enough job on me.

Was a lot of hashish in Copenhagen back in the day, much more so than pot.

[Farfromgeneva]

Not sure when you were there exactly, if Christiana had “opened”/taken over by hippies on that unused military land but it was famous for four decades for its markets of weed, hash and mushrooms. Wayyyy better than what you find in Amsterdam. It was like a farmers market too, We had it all figured out. Do classes, grab the free bikes, rode to Christiana and partake and play board games or chess at the main outdoor bar (I preferred chess but my friends thought I was scamming them), ride to Pizza Hut buffet and horrify the local people there with our gluttony, ride back to school or train station to dorms (mine was way out in Albertslund to the west, due North was way nicer if not in town), study or whatever, some nights go back in to bars/clubs, rinse and repeat.

Anyway, they were cool with Christiana for a long time, well self policed/regulates and some people who loved there were wealthy and just liked the lifestyle (net one through one of my professors who was an advisor to their version of congress on financial matters). Was in Time magazine, profiling how the hells angels were the muscle and kept hard drugs out or other bad elements. Then one day a few years back they realized how valuable that land is and nearly a half century of the community is gonzo for....condos.

Still love danish women though.

[FannOLax]

Can't remember for sure what we were drinking, pretty sure it was Carlsberg though. Pretty much had to be, I guess.
...

There's also Tuborg beer that's Danish.

[DMac]

Forgot about that, FanO. As I said, I can't remember, I just know it was beer and I was drinking it.

It was 72-73, Ffg, and I didn't have as much time to get around as you did. I sure liked what I saw/experienced though. Rotterdam was another pretty liberal minded place, liked it a whole lot there too.

[FannOLax]

...
It was 72-73, Ffg, and I didn't have as much time to get around as you did.

In 72-73, I was a very young child; and I don't think I'd set foot outside of the USA yet.

[DMac]

From the quote above,

Intrepid found herself in the Barents and made round the clock flight operations as she was above the Arctic Circle.

Round the clock flight operations is not an exaggeration, fukn planes were flying and landing, non stop. Got some good military planning for ya. Our berthing compartment was directly below the arresting cables and our division worked port and starboard, which is eight on, eight off. Do that for a few days and you don't know if you're getting up for breakfast or mid rats. When those planes hit, they don't hit quietly. Boom, hit the deck, tail hook grabs that arresting cable (well, most of the time anyway), pilot hits full throttle (in case he missed that cable), stretches that cable out to the max til it screeches, then lets go. Cable comes back, FWAP, FWAP, fwap, fwap, fwap. It aint quiet in that compartment, not real conducive for sleeping. My division was responsible for things that kind of really matter, like the air controllers who were directing those planes, the folks who are responsible for knowing where we are and where we're going and what's going on around us, and a few folks keeping their eyes and ears out for those Ruskies....was the cold war and all, ya know...and gathering intelligence. Do you think it makes much sense to put that division, working port and starboard, under the aressting cables? What the eff!!!!

[Farfromgeneva]

Can't remember for sure what we were drinking, pretty sure it was Carlsberg though. Pretty much had to be, I guess.
...

There's also Tuborg beer that's Danish.

Yeah I drank more Tuborg than Carlsberg. Needed to save my money for other “line items” in my budget.