New-York tribune., 1869-04-03
SPAIN.
GRANADA AND THE ALEXANDRA.
rFRnM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENCE


promptness or to wonder at any obstacles thrown IN
your path Spain has the faculty of subduing the
und of the tourist that after few weeks of gal
ant but hopeless struggle he surrenders at discre
ion cease to expect that events will happen in their
ordinary course, or men appear to be governed by
mch motives as control therest of mankind. Having
earned that the nnkeeper charges you at discretion,
you suppose he will take little pains to seize his
victim at least that he will make it easy for the fly
10 find the spiders parlor. Like all other eXpecta-
tions this also is doomed to disappointment Arriv-
ing at Granada, endeavored to 90 to hotel in the
Alhambra grounds, lately christened the Washington
irving The distance from the diligence Office Is less
than mile. The hour was not late; 1T was aoout'
o'clock; but there no hotel omnibus, no porter
no guide carriage to be got, and the choice was
between setting out alone through the streets OF an
intricate city to find my way, and going to another
house hard by for the night. Having learned that
one hotel in Spain not much better than another
naturally did the latter and there reason for
going to the Irving except its situation inside of the
grounds a reason not of much force with traveller
arriving dinnerless after 13 hours in q diligence.
Washington Irving has left his mark on the
Alhambra The only English book to be found in
Granada is his. The guides take it for granted
that all Americans are interested to the smallest
detail concerning him, and they show you the rooms
which he occupied in the palace itself, the court
best loved to gaze on tho landscape below. His
name has gwen popularity a hotel which has little
else to recommend il. An American whom met
had notion that the name given to the inn
because Irving lived there but there is nothing IN
that Until within q few years it was known by the
name of its proprietor. hot-tempered old Spaniard
with theusua innkeepers propensity to plunder. Mr.
Fillmore gave it the of Irving and they show
you his autograph in the belief that it must possess
the highest interest A party of six Americans were
at tho house. and we all agreed that had not found
o worse inn in any Spanish city, 1t is, believe,
recommended in Harper's Handbook Of European
Travel" but that may be easily accounted for. The
sonlnlaw of the proprietor told that he received
note from the editor of that book, calling his alton
ton to the favorable notice of the house. the guide
book and incosng bill for the same. The amount
was eight OF ten pounds and it was paid This may
or may not be true. Irepeat it it was told to me-
because il is not the first the second time that
have heard similar statements in regard to the edl-
toship of that book. they true, travellers viii
indge for themselves how far to trust its opinions.
Perhaps it is a mistake TO live in the Alhambra
grounds for the first day. since the contrast between
the city and the cliff begins at the exterior gate.
The grounds are not what they were in Moorish
DAYS. English elms, the gift of Wellington, are
planted thick on the slope. bordering the three
avenues from the gate, aud daTkening the hillside
with forest What the Moor did was to cover a
barren rock with Yerdure by irrigation. He carried
The water everywhere in rivules. and fouCtans and
cascades freshenng the air and filling it with
music which is sweeter than every other IN tropical
climate regained the pleasure of this contrast by
going out of the hotel without guide, and missing
my way the first step. The path followed carried
me ont of the grounds, and came back to the main
entrance by making the circuit of the walls and
towers thing very good to do before exploring the
interior for it is possible in this way to get a
cePton of the plan of the irregular cGster of towers
and walls, of which the Alhambra fortress |
consists. The palace is but a small part Of
the whole. Once inside, wandered about
for an hour without finding the entrance to
it. There was facade formerly, severe but
very noble, which was pulled down by that vandal
Charles w. to make room for huge pile of what is
called classical architecture meant 20 be palace.
but never finished. 1t and the church behind it are
last outrages of the conquerng Spaniard upon e
nobler race he superseded. They are much out Of
place in the Alhambra the monlsish choir in the
mosque of Cordova. Bat tho Spaniard has never
crgpled to put the mark Of his clumsy hand on the
most delicate fabric Of the Moors The palace itself
has been built upon, Temodeled, barbarized in all
ways The mosaic the inscriptions the incompatible
srabesques the most delicate cOlOring of the walls,
were plastered and whitewashed over, both In the
AlhaInbra and in the Alcaza Of Seville. To every
body who knows Granada even in books the painful
story is familiar but that is reason why the indg
nation every traveller feels should not find fresh
expression good deal has been done in the way
of restoring the Moorish decoration, and Contreras
deserves tie thanks Of every lover OF
art for tho wonderful fidelity and skill
with which he has reproduced much ot
the old work. Unuekily, since the Revolution,
his labors have been stopped for want OF funds
When went back TO Madrid l made such effort as a
FOREIGNER might in the proper quarters TO the
sppropriation of more money! hope not without
success At the same time took the liberty to sug-
gest that this Government should pull down the un-
finished palace of Charles and give us back tho old
Alhamlra or what was left Of it, free from the in
trusion of building which had no relation TO it,
the whole spirit and form Of which were ont of har-
Incny with the place, discredit to the memory OF
Charles not less than an insult to the MoOrs and al
annoyance to every visitor who valued this precious
relic Of Oriental genius. l was half promised 1t
shonld be done bnt am not sanguine.
This palace, which mocks description, has been
hundred times described badly, and have 10 wish
70 add another to the list of failures. If write a.
all it is TO record impressions, to offer here and
there hint which may prove useful TO countrymen
of mine who shall visit Granada. They begin to
outuumbcr all other travellers t0gcther-not ia An
dalusa alone but in Switzerland, in Italy, and all
over Europe. IL anybody cares in bis heart foi Jho
Ahanbra hope lac will take time TO sec 1t, and not
b much 20 SEQ it as to feel it. The towers,
the fountains the halls, soon known. The sys-
ten of decoration may be cOmprehendcd by little
study. Even tho MAJ rs OF arabesquO tracefy. the
Staactte ceilings. the mosaic pattern Of tie vain
scoting and the secret Of the architectural Effects