Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-12-09


Grazalema, a Little Honeyconb of
White Houses Plastered Against
Cliffs.
/ started out from the hight noun
tain plateau of Ronda, in Andalusia
just before dawn l wanted to make
Grazalema, a little town situated in
the notch of the Jagged Sierra Graza-
lena, twenty-five miles distant. be-
fore the sun was at his hottest In
order to get away without being pes
tered by the usual Spanish officious-
ness with respect TO guides and horses,
| had advised no one of my intentions.
So, of course. on stealing down from
my room, | found the hotel door lock-
ed, and had TO scramble through a
window to get to the street, like a
panic-stricken housebreaker. Once
ON the high-road however, l felt like
a school boy on holiday.
A heavy mist was hanging over the
whole amphitheatre of the Sierra Ron
da. Only the nobs of mountain sum-
mits We're visible above the clouds.
But the sky showed the rose tints of
coming dawn. The inhabitants of the
town were already astir. women scrub
bing the stone door steps, men load
ing their burros for market, or trudg-
ing eoantrywards to work, with their
farming implements over their Shout
ders. A ready "Con dos" was my
greeting from all.
Not far along on the main road, per-
Eaps a quarter of a mile, | came to a
corner where a rough country road
split off from the macadam carretera
(high-road. and plunged down the
mountainside. ] saw burrors and men
climbing up this from the valley be-
low. Directly opposite. although not
visible because of the mists, lay Gra
balema.
Some Roadside Conversation.
"Grazalema por aqui?" l shouted as
soon as the men were within ear-shot.
Isl, 81 'came the answer.
followed by a stream of unintelligible
Andalusian.
Via mas corta que la carretera?n
Isl ST Abajo al rio :. =.
So down I plunged into the mist to-
ward a river somewhere below that l
knew nothing of The road or path
into which il shortly degenerated was
rough and stony. but edged with moist
grass and flowers. Here and there lit
tie rivulets intersected it, and now and
again a herdsman, with his herd OF
sheep or pigs. would materialize out of
the mist to give me my travelling in
structions in his consonantless Anda-
lusian. Or again a little white farm
house. would jump out at me from the
haze, and n farmers wife give me a
word of cheer and look of wonder.
But "abajcr and al RIO" downward
and riverward, was the principal bur-
den of my travelling orders, shouted
to me from house and field and hili-
side. coupled always with the kindly
condos
/ arrived at the rio a good-sized
brook. thickly overgrown with slim,
feathery poplars, which seem to be the
only pleasure trees the Andalusians
tolerate as opposed to the useful
olive, fig, orange, and mespele.
crossed the "rio"-every trickle in
Spain attains this dignity, just as ev-
cry man is caballero-jumping care
lessly from stone to stone (afterward l
heard it was the beginning of the fa-
nous Guardiana). and on the other
side accosted family of peasants,
III,
riding Ronda wards, to the fair), with
my usual "Grazalema por aqui!
pointing up the steep mountain side
/ was facing.
Isl. 81, En- arriba (upwardse' they
cried, but protesting and shaking their
heads, at the same time, in disapproy-
al of my folly in penetrating to era
zaIema zen nubiles Gin mist.
Cries of the Herdsmen.
So. from now on my marching or
ders changed to En- arriba, From all
| sides the shout came through the mist,
| from unseen sources, in answer TO my
| inquiries. EN- arriba. En- arriba.
amidst the boom of coWDeils
/ and the far-off cries of the herdsmen.
EN- arriba" always till began to feel
myself the only original Spanish Ex-
! celsor.
Part way up the mountain an ola
man amplified the usual instructions
He was sitting on a boulder mlikihs
she goat, which latter took fright al
my sudden appearance out OF the ms
and went capering up the rocky hih-
| side. The old gentleman, far from
showing any resentment at my uh-
timely intrusion, politely directed me
en- arriba, with the additionat inlor
| nation that Grabalema lay TWO anu
one-half leagues distant, meaning
less bit of news to me, But s-So' ne
added would see me there
So, en- arriba again, for about hail
an hour. till quite suddenly | foune
myself above the mist in the eiea
sunshine, with the blue SKY above
facing a titanic gateway OF Gibraltar
like cliffs, between which ran my
path. The thing quite took my breati
away, it was so big and unexpected
like stepping out of Bronx SUBWAY
EXPRESS onto Broadway at wal
street The rocks seemed so terribly
uncompromisngly Jagged and big am
unblinking. Not a leaf of vegetation
on them, although at my feet wa
spread a carpet of waving grain an
poppies. and above was the intehs'
blue of the sky II was as II some o
i the lunar mountains had been drop
ped. right side up, on the green Ierti'
.ity. OF Andaiusia. You felt that ner'