The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-01-19
VALENCIA.
SAID TO BE THE HOME OF THE
MOST BEA UTIFUL WOMEN
I'm Europe-AIong the Spanish Coast of
the Mediterranean

Especial Correspondence of the Journal
and Courier.
Jan. 3.-Of course there is frequent
communication by steamer between
these coast towns of Spain; but the
land-trip, though sometimes arduous
and always more expensive, is too his
torically and scenically interesting to
be neglected, even for ride on the
Mediterranean. The climate is delight
ful-at this season Of the year like New
England May, with soft sea-breezes
waited into the car windows. And
then the enchanting views! On one
side the midsea, which according to
George Elliot, "Moans with memories"
lies dimpling and sparkling in the sun,
its beautifully blue expanse dotted with
queer lateen-rigged feluccas; on the
other, distant mountain range, purple
against the horizon, black in the hOl-
lows, 1iecked with varying shades of
rose and amethyst. The country be-
tween sea and hills is one vas. garden
and vineyard, with here and there
hge piles OF stones heaped up to give
more arabic snace and to serve as q
warm rejecting surface for the vines.
The train is continually hating at way
side villages--all picturesque beyond
compare in life and color; and in every
one of them may be found traces of
by-gone splendors, when Romans or
Moslems ruled the land, Medieval
castles and fortresses, and older tenn
piles, theaters, acqueducts, bridges, at
test the vigor and magnifcence Of the
ancient imperial dominion. Perhaps
the most famous of these ghosts of de-
parted greatness is Saguntum, which
now figures on the map as Murviedro.
1t Is a wild place-a huge rock
crowned with the remains Of Moorish
castle and clothed with prickly pear;
while lower down on side are still more
interesting Roman remains" Few
towns out of Italy hold so prominent a
place in Roman history. From the
time of Hannibal to the fall of the en-
pire it was continually rising into no.
tice. In later days, the vandal Suchet,
used its magnificent Temple Of Diana
then comparatively little ruined-and
it's great amphitheater, to strengthen
his lines during the Peninsula wars;
and even since, the beautifully cut and
polished stones have served as an ex-
haustless quarry for neighboring build
ers
At Valencia del Cid-so named in
honor of the Cid Campeador, born at
Burgos, whose chivalrous deeds made
this region famous for all time to come
you are greeted by a truly southern
mob of hotel-runners shrieking the
merits of their rival houses and each
trying to possess himself by force of
your belongings in the Well-grounded
belief that you will follow them. Woe
betide the tourist who has not decided
upon his resting-place before reaching
this station! 1t is another case of "He
who hesitates Is lost''-or Is liable to be
torn asunder, like Solomons baby We
had previously fixed upon the Fonda
del Cid, solely on account of its name;
and found no reason to regret our
choice, it being as thoroughly comfort
able an inn as tired traveller could de-
sire. Almost opposite it's windows rises
the tall, semi Moorish watch-tower of
Meguelete, built by Juan Franck, in
13S1-the very same to whose top the
Cid led his beloved ximena, to show her
the beautiful country he had rescued
from the Moors. You may climb to the
spot where they stood and enjoy the
same enhancing view-over the innu-
merable towers and domes of the bright
city at it's foot, the extraordinarily fer
tile Vega beyond, and the blue waters
of the Mediterranean.
Valencia is about the size of Seville.
It's clean, well-paved streets are almost
as narrow. and on hot afternoons are
similarly covered by awnings stretched
across-remindin one of Obispo street
in Havana. But there is much more
life here than in Seville-more even
than in the Cuban metropolis; and, un-
like other old Spanish cities. the people
seem to be living In the present, rather
than in the dreamy past. Valencia is
the capital of it's province, the see of an
archbishop, the residence of captain
general formerly of a viceroy); and is
university town as well, with excel
lent schools and several fine art collec-
tons. In form it is almost circular, It's
northern side once washed by the Turia
river, whose now exhausted bed is
crossed by five wide bridges, which
serve as viaducts in times of inunda-
ton, and In dry season for a ''Rambla,'
as at Barcelona. 'Rambla," by the
Way, is common name for the chief
street in towns along the east coast of
Spain. 1t is Moorish word-Ramlek,
near Alexandria, meaning the eame-a
river-bed used as a roadway. Sad to
say, regular warfare against anti
10 h in
old town. Beautiful ajimez windows
have been distressingly modernzed,
and after King Amadeo's visit, about
thirty years ago, nearly all the ancient
walls, which were then perfect, were
pulled down--"to give employment to
the poor" an excuse as asinine as the
action, the streets being then in horri
BILE state and the country roads almost
impossible. There were twelve enor-
nous gates in the battlemented walls
all bearing the city's arms, the four
bars of Catalonia, with a hat indica-
tive of eternal vigilance, and the
words, a quien vea, TODD de revela-
"to him who watches all is revealed"
Several of these gates still retain their
towers and machicolations, standing
alone like melancholy and deserted SEN
tinels of the past. Two of them, built
five centuries ago now serve as prisons
"a sort of Spanish Newgate. Inside
these gates the city is very closely
packed the tall, gloomylooking houses
set close together within gardens, their
fiat roofs covered with cane cages in
which the Valencians, who are great
fanciers, keep pigeons as we do prize