Page:Lands of the Saracen 1859.djvu/413

 

 Spanish Diligence Lines — Leaving Seville — An Unlucky Start — Alcalà of the Bakers — Dinner at Carmona — A Dehesa — The Mayoral and his Team — Ecija — Night Journey — Cordova — The Cathedral-Mosque — Moorish Architecture — The Sierra Morena — A Rainy Journey — A Chapter of Accidents — Baylen — The Fascination of Spain — Jaen — The Vega of Granada.

, November 14, 1852.

is an enviable sensation to feel for the first time that you are in Granada. No amount of travelling can weaken the romantic interest which clings about this storied place, or take away aught from the freshness of that emotion with which you first behold it. I sit almost at the foot of the Alhambra, whose walls I can see from my window, quite satisfied for today with being here. It has been raining since I arrived, the thunder is crashing overhead, and the mountains are covered with clouds, so I am kept in-doors, with the luxury of knowing that all the wonders of the place are within my reach. And now let me beguile the dull weather by giving you a sketch o^ my journey from Seville hither.

There are three lines of stages from Seville to Madrid, and their competition has reduced the fare to $12, which, for a ride of 350 miles, is remarkably cheap. The trip is usually made in three days and a half. A branch line from Baylen — nearly