The Coolidge examiner., 1936-09-04

"A n ADRID, the Spanish capt.
N n tai; San Sebastian,
i vi Spain's swanky resort
where the American am
bassador summers; Toledo, that
inland Spanish town of oriental at
mosphere, and Barcelona, teeming
Mediterranean port, have been
thrust into the spotlight recently
by political disturbances.
Madrid is a modern capital. There
are only a few narrow streets, old
fashioned dwellings and arcaded
plazas to remind traveller that its
tree-lined boulevards, tall palatial
buildings, subways and airports
evolved from a restricted wall-girt
Spanish town.
While modernization has gone
steadily on in recent years, there
have been times when nearly whole
sections of the city bowed at once
to the plan of the city builders. In
the construction of the splendid
Gran Via, with its big hotels, smart
shops, department stores and sky
scraper business buildings, more
than four thousand dwellings in a
labyrinth of ancient streets in the
heart of the city were demolished.
The Gran Avenida de la Libertad
IS one of the finest boulevards in
Europe with its hanking govern
mental palaces, museums, hotels
and palatial residences overlooking
spacious plazas and parks. The
Avenida's wide, tree-shaded walks
for pedestrians, lying between the
inner and outer automobile and car
riage highways, are normally much
alive by day and literally thronged
by early evening. Rows of chairs
are parked on each side of the
broad walk.
All along the walk are refresh
ment booths where soft drinks are
the main stock in trade AS one sits
slipping a cool, creamy, almond
favored horchata, a boy known as
barquillero appears with barrel
like receptacle containing sweet,
rolled waters called barquillos. One
hands the boy a coin, spins a wheel
atop the barrel and watches for the
figure which indicates the number
of waters one wins.
Parade on the Avenida.
Meanwhile, the sidewalk parade
passes on-army officers in brilliant
uniforms, men garbed in black,
pretty, graceful dark-haired women
and sturdy bareheaded. barelegged
children. Wizened peanut vendors,
and coquettish flower sellers raise
their voices above the din of loud
conversation and laughter. The men
OF Madrid are clean-shaven for the
most part; the women have bobbed
hair. Fans are the vogue in Madrid,
and colorful tint they give to the
afternoon promenaders.
Madrid's summer temperature is
high, but it is a dry heat. In the
sun you broil, but wherever there is
shade, there is breath of cool air
from the nearby mountains. The
city is more than 1000 feet above
sea level.
Abundant water has made it pos
sible thoroughly to flush the streets
from four to six times a day. Along
with this systematic tree planting
and park development have made
a refreshing city in the midst of
scorched plain long stripped of
trees. The old Castilian farmer be-
ieved the birds were mortal ene-
mics and left no haven for them.
Madrid's shops close every after
noon from one or two to four or five
o'clock. The dinner hour is from
$3.50 to 10:30 but there is plenty of
time left to enjoy promenades, band
concerts and movies before retiring,
for even the band concert continues
until 2 o'clock in the morning. II a
traveller stays up to put Madrid to
bed, he is likely to meet huge,
creaking, two wheeled, hooded
carts numbering into town with
country produce bound for the CEN
trail market where hills of vege-
tables are soon to rise.
San Sebastian Is Gay
Vacationists swarm to San Sebas-
tian. A graceful scallop of beach,
constant cooling breezes from the
Bay of Biscay, regattas, yacht rae
ing, tennis tournaments, horse rae
ing, bull fights, roulette, and for
merly royal patronage made San
Sebastian the Newport of Spain.
Wealthy Spaniards from other Sec
tions, diplomats, and foreigners,
however few in the city's 10000
people, have given San Sebastian
European veneer over its native
aspect.
In the midst Of the summer fri
volities of Spain's fashionable world,
local Basques impassively continue
their fishing, speaking their strange
language uninteligible even to
many Spanish visitors. Their name
for their city is Iruchulo.
The city stands near the eastern
end of Spain's northern coast, 10
miles from the French border
where the numerous visitors change
trains on the overnight trip from =,
paric