Evening star., 1932-03-27
Changing Spain Is Alluring

has something more than a nodding
acquaintance with Spain as a whole,
who has travelled along the highways Of
the known Spain and the byways Of
the unknown, who has loitered in the
sunlit little towns Of the Mediterranean
seaboard and wandered through the
ancient, magnificent cities of the north.
viii never cease to be astonished that
this wonderfully varied country has
come 50 recently into its own.
For Spain, half of which is a desert,
has the loveliest Of gardens; has, hid
den in the valleys Of its barren uplandS,
lncomparably the most picturesque
towns of Europe (Cuenca, Soria, Ter1el,
Zamora, Ciudad Rodrigo, Toro to
mention but few. 1t has. also, a
cluster of cathedrals worthy to stand
With the great churches of Northern
France-BurgeS, Toledo, Seville and
Leon. OF Leon one American traveller
seld, To walk into Leon Cathedral is
my idea of walking into the glory OF
God" Spain has. in its Prado, one Of
the great museums of Europe; in its
AIhambra, its great Mosque of Cordo-
va, its Alcazar. and Giralda of Seville,
the masterpieces Of Mahometan art.
To the American, Spain offers as well
a history ineXtricably intertwined with
our own. In the Colombina Library at
Seville Cne can see that supremely his
toric manuscript in which Columbus set
out to prove that his theories concern
ing the roundneSs of the earth were
not contrary to Scripture: in the ada
cent cathedral one can see the tomb in
which he lies. North of Cadiz. near
Huelva, Is the Monastery of La Rabida,
to which the great discoverer, after his
first plea for ships had been rejected
by the Spanish court came, footsore,
weary, leading his little son by the
hand-that monastery the prior of
which pleaded a second time before
Isabella and, therefore, in a way, was
indirectly responsible for the discovery
Of America. One can visit the little
port Of Palos, from which the Nina,
the Pinta and the Santa Maria set SAIL
and to which Cortez and Pizarro re-
turned from Mexico and Peru.
Festivals Are ColorfuI.
To lovers of the picturesque, Spain
offers not only her collection of quaint
little towns, but a whole galaxy of an
cient cities-Toledo, wound round by
the abrupt gorge Of the Tagus Segovia,
a great Roman aqueduct striding mag
isterially across its busy little market
place; Salamanca, the oxford of me-
dieval Spain; Santiago de Compostela,
city Of 46 churches, ia towers, 2S8
altars, least known Of the supremely
interesting towns of Europe; Ronda,
Lugc, Merida, Cordoya and many
others
AT the same time. Spain's festivals
are as colorful as any in the civilized
world. Those OF Holy Week are un-
questionably the most impressive, but
a person who has seen the Semana
fhrn1Jnh hxry
hausted the lands resources. At Cor
pus Christi, eight and a half weeks
after Easter, ten coStumed choir
boys dance in solemn and wholly rev.
erent ceremony before the high altar
OF the great Gothic cathedral OF Seville.
On the 18th of April begins the famous
Sevlllian f1esta-the gayest and most
amusing carnival fair of Europe.
In Santiago de Compostela, in July.
the feast day of Spain's patron, st.
James, is celebrated; the 400-pound
silver censor of the old cathedral is
suspended from the vault and swung
by seven men. During these same
months there takes place in Pamplona,
great resort of San Sebastian, q feria
exceeded in brilliance only by that of
Seville. To the picturesque October
Fair of Lugo, quantity dressed Galician
peasants come on muleback and In OK
carts from miles around. In the little
known oasis town of Elche (the one
oasis town of Europe) Is presented in
August the most ancient musical drama
Of the Occident.
Yes, Spain has changed. But the
fiestas go on and the essential color.
the essential flavor Of Spain remains.
There is a certain amount of trafic
cOTOncfinr in I-r,k
city'S most Important street, wheeled
traffic is crowded. into narrow lanes on
the sides, and aiIe wide, shady center
reserved for tbase who prefer to 20
slowly and % foot. Fast, modern
buses connect the gray old city Of
Santiago de ConIpostela with the ports
OF La Coruna and Vigo; but there Is
still grass in the streets of Santiago de
Compostela and the old town has
changed very little since the day when
Chaucers Wife of Bath went there
on one of her pilgrimages.
There are II and IA story buildings
around the Plaza de CASTELAR,, in Va
lencia, but on Thursday mornings an
archaic little court meets outside the
cathedral. two blocks away, to decide,
as it decided three centuries ago, dis
puteS arising over the distribution of
the water which irrigates and renders
fertile the Valencian huerta. There
are magnificent modern hotels In
Granada; but up the Valley of the
Daro. half mile away, the gypsies still
live in caves. There Is a golf course in
Malaga; but one still hears in the
streets on Spring evenings the age-old
nostalgia chant of the Malaguena.
So, underneath it all, Spain remains.
A country with the most modern con-
stitution in the world yet one which is
still the very essence of the Old World.
A country Of modern travel, yet one In
which everywhere the gentle aroma of
the past persists.
And the Spaniard remains. Modern,
liberal, very well aware Of what Is 60
ing on in the world, but never too hiIr-
ried to forget his manners. Modest,
but very sure in his quiet way OF his
country'S future greatness. Reserved.
but far more cordial to any one who
appreciates the beauty and charm of
Spain. And now that the tide of in
ternational travel has definitely set in
SPANS direction, the number Of those
who appreciate that beauty and are
lured by that charm Is certain to in
crease.