Viewing page 363 of 978

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Seville, 
May 27th, 1903.

Dear Colonel Hecker:

We (Tom, Coleman and myself) sailed from Naples on the 15th inst. and landed at Gibraltar. From there we made the very interesting trip to Tangier, after which our travels in Spain began. 

Our first stop of importance was at Granada, which we found very interesting, particularly the Alhambra and the Genecalive, the former of course, you have read much about and perhaps the latter too, but if you are unacquainted with the Genevalife I would say that it is an old but rather small palace of mixed moorish and spanish design, loacted near the Alhambra and once used as a summer home for the Moorish Chiefs. It is not owned by an Italian gentleman who also owns the Palazzo Pallapacini near Genoa. Into the Genevalife palace and garden the Italian has introduced some italian features which added to the original morrish-spanish ideas brings a corrupted but after all, an unusually interesting result. The garden is laid out in four terraces one above the other and instead of being divided in the centre as is usual in Italian gardens, the terraces lie in long spaces which are entered at their ends only, and thus seem greater in extent. The casino instead of occupying a central space is built above the upper terrace and high enough to overlook the entire garden and palace. Its view also includes the Alhambra, Granada and the Sierra Nevada mountains. The Genevalife is almost worth a trip from America to Spain if that alone was the quest.

The country from Algeceras (opposite Gibraltar) to Granada is truly beautiful: it is rich in trees of many kinds, grows fine fruit and grain, has plenty of live stock, fine farm houses and interesting villages. There are some fine mountains, splendid valleys and considerable historical interest---water everywhere.

Granada as a city, however, without its ancient buildings, interesting history and gypsy life would be tame enough.

Seville lies in a low, level sort of plain and as a city is more interesting than Granada, but neither aside from their architectural features of great renown can be compared with Naples and other italian towns. The Cathedral