Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-08-19
IN SPAIN
A friend has handed us these fresh
notes of European travel, which speak
for themselves:
counts.

nOtes OF European traVel, WHICH speak
for themselves:
GRANADA, July 20, 1892.
Monday was holiday at Seville and the
town was in gala dress-streets decorat-
ed, all the people out in fine costume
in the afternoon there was great bull
fight and in the evening an illumination.
1t was good opportunity to see Span
sh life. The people look much like Ital-
ans, and the women, though graceful in
their black mantillas and lace head
dress, are not at all pretty. The sight at
night, when the boulevard along the
river was crowded and lanterns were
hung everywhere, was very fine.
The bull-fight was as horrible as that
we saw in Paris, but even more brutal
We saw seven bulls killed. They gored
six horses to death, but did not hurt any
of the fighters. 1t was more exciting
than the one in Paris, for the horses
were not padded aud the bulls were
more fierce. The skill of the fighters in
lodging and in spearng the bulls was
greater; but to me the scene was dis
gushing, and | shall not go to another.
The bull ring was enormous and was
crowded, $4,000 people being present.
The most interesting thing in Seville
built about series of courts and decor
ated with delicacy and beauty of archi
tectural adjournment which is marvellous.
No description can give one any idea of
the wonderful effect produced by this ar
chitecture; but ! will show you photo
graphs on my return, which | am sure
you will enjoy.
We left Seville on Tuesday and came
directly to Granada, a journey of eight
hours by slow train. Granada has pleased
us greatly. 1t is at the foot of the snow
mountains-the Sierra Nevada-and is
high, 2000 feet above the sea. The air is
fresh and cool, quite cold at night and
not above 50 degrees at noon. The town
lies about three sides of high hill. on
the summit of which stands the Alham-
bra. The hill is thckly wooded, and in
the trees on a terrace stands the hotel,
named after Washington Irving. The
views about are fine. We can look up to
the Alhambra above us and off over 80
miles of plain to the mountains beyond,
and there are very few views | have seen
which compare with it. 1t is good no.
tel and as this is the of season we are
alone in it, have the best of rooms and
take our meals in a most beautiful gar
den on terrace at the rear. Why it is
that Americans should avoid Spain in
summer | cannot understand. 1t is far
cooler than the region about New York
and the mountain air here is as delightful
as in our mountains.
OF course we have spent good deal
of time in the Alhambra, which is only a
step from the hotel. 1t is like the Krem-
| lin, large enclosed area with many var
ious buildings, some Moorish, others
dating from the time of Charles V. and
Ferdinand and Isabella. We have seen
the spot where Columbus stood when he
received his commission to sail. We
have seen the box from which Isabella
took her Jewels to give him to pay his ex-
penses. But the chief charms in the
Alhambra are the marvellous Moorish
courts and towers, decorated with won
derful pillars, arches, tiles and arabesque
patterns in stuccO, which give it a char
acter different from anything else in the
world. 1t is most fascinating place
and each time we go we see many thing;
not noticed before The Alhambra alone
is worth the trip to Spain. There is 6
fine cathedral in the town and Other
sights less interesting. One of the hills
near by is called the gypsy quarter. The
gypsies live in a set of burrows dug on
in the hill, most squalld lot of habita
tions. They are peculiar race, per
fectly distinct from the Spaniards, We
living among them. AS elsewhere, the,
!, are inveterate beggars and thieves. On
is pestered by their demands wherever h
goes and the guide even accused them o
having on one occasion stolen the top o
carriage while party he was with wa
, watching dance. They dance quee
, sort of fling. even the babies, three year
} old, going through the motions with tn
< older girls. There are numerous hand
2 some villas on the hills about us, wit
. terraced gardens which remind one of tn
: gardens on Lake Como. The views j
. all directions are superb, with the sno,
=. mountains in the background.
=, We go to Madrid tomorrow by way G
t Cordova, A-hours' journey of 80
i miles. Trans are slow and uncertain
but much cleaner than we feared; |
l. fact, we have had, so far, no discomfol
in hotels and railways, no tleas and n
e dirt. From Madrid we go north to Bal
ritz and then to Pau and into the PyreI
Co. ~ 81,