Madison County Democrat. (London, Ohio) 19??-1958, 1955-04-19
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ENROU1E LONDON III
MADRID. Overnight in jolly
old England after a fast run
into London on the miniature
English train. English count
ryside is everything the travel
folders say amid much toot-
footing of the engine whistle.
We were very much impress
ed with the canals along the
way which go over the roads
without leaking water. Eng
lish customs officials all very
proper and courteous. Euston
station clean as a pin with
rails and ties painted black.
A quick taxi ride to our hotel,
the Mount Royal, did not
hide enormous bomb damage
but much new building is go
ing on and the signs of the
war are fast disappearing ten
years after the end of fighting.
We will return here next
month, so we have stored ex-
cess baggage to meet weight
requirements on plane.
And so, on to Madrid via
B.O.A.C across the English
channel, the isle of Jersey, to
the French coast at Cherbourg
on a beautiful sunny day.
Lunch above the Bay of Bis
cay with the snow-capped Py-
renees mountains shining in
the distance. Lovely sight and
the Bay as smooth as glass,
which is usually very rough
according to fellow passengers
who have made the trip be-
fore. We come in low for our
approach at Madrid which af-
fords a view of greenery very
much different from the SUM-
burned complexion CT north
ern Spain.
Courtesy and kindness are
the watchwords of the Span
lard, whom, we have found,
are 'muy simpatico" to all
"Americanos". Our high school
Spanish very helpful and
many of the natives are pleas
ed at the way we can roll our
RS. Our hotel, the Empera-
dor, is small, neat and comfor-
table - built to last and with
three times as many walters,
porters and chamber-maids as
are necessary. All these things
add to ones comfort however,
and it is a real pleasure to
have so much service.
This is the land of the fin
est seafood in the world.
Other foods are grand, but
the fish dishes are out of this
world. Too, the wines are ex-
cellent and the people here
are very proud of them.
Madrid is a very large city
and the population exceeds q
100000. It is very clean and
the streets are spotless. We
are very fortunate to be here
during Holy Week and its
gala spirit of celebration.
Our visit to the royal palace
was awe-inspiring and the
lush beauty of another era is
a breathless experience. The
palace contains 1854 rooms of
such splendor as to take the
breath away. Napoleon said
that this palace was the most
magnificent in the world and
he should know after all, he
slept in most of them!
The Del Prado art museum
contains over 5000 of the
worlds greatest paintings, in
Guiding those by Goya, Ru-
bens, Velasquez, Bosch, Van
Dyck, del Sarto, Maino, Wat
teau, Titan, Ribera, Holbein,
Ell Greco and Rafael, to name
a few. Goya and Ell Greco
seem to have had a profound
influence on Spain and many
monuments are dedicated TO
them.
Everywhere are the loose
uniformed soldiers of Dictator
Franco who has set out to re-
store Spain to monarchy. The
feeling here seems to be pro-
Franco although it is difficult
to pin down anyone on the
political scene. Signs of the
revolution are in evidence
everywhere. The Reds burned
and bombed many buildings
the palace has many scars.
However, things are generally
in good repair and the people
seem to be enjoying their lives
under more or less stable
government. The press is un-
der government control here
and politics is rather a clos
ed subject.
Attended a reception at the
American Embassy Wednes-
day evening and had a grand
time. AS luck would have it,
met Mr.. John F. Correll of
Mansfield, Ohio. Mr.. Correll
and I hit it off famously es-
pecially after we found that
he is a graduate of Kenyon
College where my two boys go
to school. Corrells wife, Won
ME. is charming. John Lodge,
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