Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-10-20
Travelling in Snain.

Charles Dudley Warner in the Atlantic for November
The real Spain is the least attractive country
In Europe to the tourist. The traveller goes
there to see certain unique objects. He sees
them, enjoys them, is entranced by them, leaves
them with regret and tender memory, and is
glad to get out Of Spain. There are six things
to see: the Alhambra, the Seville cathedral and
Alcazar, the Mosque of Cordova. Toledo and it's
cathedral the Gallery at Madrid and Monserrat.
The rest is mainly monotOny and weariness
With the exception of the Alhambra which has
spell that an idle man finds hard to break, and
where perhaps he could be content in
definitely, there is no place in Spain that one
can imagine he would like to live in. for the
pleasure OF living. Taking out certain historical
FEATURES and monuments, the towns repeat each
other in their attractions and their disagree
ables. Every town and city in ltalv has it's in
dlvidual character and special charm. To 90
from one to another is always to change the
scene and the delight. This is true of the old
German towns also. Each has character The
where he thinks he could STAY on from month to
month, with growing hOme-like feeling.
think there is nothing of this attraction in Spain
The want OF it may be due to the country itself.
or to the people. fancy that with it's vast arid
plains, treeless and tiresOme. its quilted hills and
its bare escarped mountains, Spain resembles
New Mexico. 1t is an unsoftened. unreljeyed
landscape for the most part. sometimes grand in
Its vastness and sweep. but rugged and I'M
adorned. The want OF grass and gentle verdure
is a serious drawback to the pleasure of the eve.
not compensated by the magic tricks of the sun
light, and the variegated reds, browns, and vel
lows OF the exposed soil and rocks and the
sprlng-time green of the nascent crops
speak, OF course OF the general aspect, for the
mountain regions are rich in wild-fowers. and
the cultivation in the towns is everywhere a re-
deeming feature.
The traveller, of course, gets his impressions
OF people from the outside. These are cor
rect so far as they CO. and it is in q sense safe
to generalize on them, though not to particu-
larize. He catches very soon the moral atmos-
phere Of q strange land. and knows whether It
is agreeable or otherwise, whether the people
seem pleasant or the reverse. He learns to dis
criminate, for example. between the calculated
ge1nuatAc'ahen Of Switzerland and the more
spontaneous friendliness Of Bavaria. He can
pronounce at once upon the cordial good hui
NOR OF the Viennese, the obligingness of the
people OF Edinburgh, the agreeableness of the
Swedes, simply on street-knowledge, without
ever entering private house or receiving any
personal hospitality. He knows the willy. poe
tlcal ways by which he is beguiled in Italy, but
grows fond OF the sunny race. :,
In spain ne 1s pretty certain to be rubbed the
wrong way, most Of the time. He ia conscious
OF an atmosphere of suspicion, of distrust, Of
contempt often. He cannot understand for in
stance, why attendants In churches and cathe-
oIais are SO curt and disobliging,. keeping him
sights he has come far to see, and for which he
is willing to pay. Incidents occurred both at
Granada and Toledo that could be accounted for
| only on the superstition that the custodians
liked to discommode strangers. If we had been
Frenchmen, whom the Spaniards hate as the
despoiers Of churches and galleries, we could
| have understood it. By reputation the
spaniard is at home hospitable, and
| ON acquaintance gracious, and generally
willing to oblige. But the national atmosphere
| is certainly not what the Germans call gemuth-
| Itch. In no other European country is the
| traveller likely to encounter 40 much inciyility
and rudeness, so little attempt at pleasing him
and making him like the country. At least, the
attitude Is that OF indifference whether the
country pleases him OF not. Perhapsthis springs
from noble pride and superiority Perhaps it
is from provincial consciousness Of being about
two hundred years behind the age. But, else
where, the pleasantest people to travel among
are those whose clocks stopped two centuries
ago Individually, / have no doubt, the Span
iards are charming. Collectively, they do not
appear to welcome the stranger, or put them
selves out to make h.e scio1rn agreeable.