Chapter XV · Information for the Visitor

MOST English visitors to Seville travel by way of Paris, Irún, the Spanish frontier town, and Madrid. By this route the interesting towns of Vittoria, Burgos, Valladolid and Segovia may be visited should the tourist's time permit. Many travellers break their journey at Madrid, spend a day or two in that city, and proceed by the night-express to Seville. For comfort, it is advisable to take the south express train de luxe from the Quai D'Orsay, Paris. This train is made up of first-class carriages only, and provided with sleeping berths, for which there is an extra charge. By the ordinary express trains the journey is slower, and the traveller has to provide his sleeping accommodation in the shape of rugs and pillows. A pillow may be hired at most of the large Spanish railway stations for one peseta, i.e., sevenpence half-penny in British money.

Railway travelling in Spain is not luxurious. The first-class compartments are usually stuffy, and at night they are ill-lighted, while the second-class carriages will not compare with the English third-class. Compartments of the tercera clase (third-class) are uncomfortable and cushionless. They may be used for short day journeys in Spain by the stranger who wishes to come into touch with the people. As a rule, the third-class passengers are quite orderly in behaviour, and the foreigner need not fear to travel with them. Still, from the point of view of comfort, the Spanish third-class cannot be recommended, especially to ladies.

The journey by rail from Madrid is across the monotonous plains of La Mancha, made world-famous by the exploits of Don Quixote, through interminable olive gardens, wide grass meadows, and by groups of bare and fantastic rocks, to ancient Córdova. Thence we reach the fertile land of Andalusia, follow the windings of the clay-stained Guadalquivir, and come into the district of the cactus and almond tree, and a semi-tropical climate.

Before leaving the railway station square, the stranger must submit to the inspection of his luggage by the customs' officers (consumos), who are on the watch for taxed articles. Usually the search is a mere formality, as English visitors are rarely regarded as 'suspects.' Assure the officer that you have nothing to sell, and he will in most instances refrain from overhauling your baggage.

Hotel omnibuses, cabs and outside porters await the arrival of every train at the Estación de Cordoba. The fare for a one-horse carriage to any part of Seville, with one or two passengers, is a peseta, and for each piece of luggage the charge is from half-a-peseta to a peseta. The driver expects a propina ('tip') of at least half-a-peseta. Avoid hotel touts and loafers who crowd outside the railway station.

Hotels.—The majority of English and American visitors stay at the Hôtel de Madrid, at the corner of the Plaza del Pacifico. It is a large house, with a court in the Moorish style, adorned with palms. The position is central. The boarding terms are from about twelve pesetas per day, but the charge is from about fifteen pesetas in the spring season. The Hôtel de Paris is also in the Plaza del Pacifico. Here the tariff is about ten pesetas per diem, and the cuisine is of the first-class Spanish order.

Smaller, but comfortable, hostelries are Hôtel de Roma and the Hôtel Europa, with a pension tariff of ten pesetas. If the visitor desires to see something of the life of Spanish people of the middle-class, he will prefer to take up his quarters in one of the minor hotels. Such a house is that of Juan Zamanillo, Hôtel de la Victoria, in the Plaza Nueva. The charge here is from five pesetas a day, which includes a comfortable bedroom, with clean linen and mosquito curtains to the bed, luncheon (almuerzo), and dinner (comida). The Victoria is frequented by English artists, and the proprietor is accustomed to English guests. The head waiter is an intelligent man. In hotels of this order the sanitary arrangements are Spanish. Even in the first-class houses of Spain these arrangements need improvement. On the other hand, the rooms are scrupulously clean, the cuisine very fair, and the bedrooms comfortable.

At most of the hotels there is an extra charge for the early breakfast (desayuno), which consists of a cup of chocolate, flavoured with cinnamon, or of café con leche (coffee with milk), and a small roll without butter. Many Spaniards take a cup of coffee in their bedrooms about half-past eight in the morning, and do not eat until luncheon, which is usually served in Seville from eleven till one. Visitors who are accustomed to a substantial breakfast often find themselves somewhat faint by the hour of almuerzo. The two meals are much alike in their courses. Soup, fish, meat or poultry, salad, cream cheese of Burgos, fried potatoes, various kinds of cakes and fruit are served at luncheon and dinner. The table wine is provided free of charge, but it is often of a very inferior quality, and should be used sparingly, especially in hot weather. A cheap, palatable wine is the Rioja. Mineral waters can be had at all the hotels and cafés.

At the Spanish houses, as distinguished from the hotels mostly frequented by foreigners, Andalusian dishes form the chief part of the menu. Shad, sea-bream and codfish, garnished with onions, are served cold. Pollo con arroz (fowl with rice), and curried rice, with cockles and sausages, are favourite dishes. One course is usually composed of stewed mutton, or beefsteaks grilled. The meal begins with eggs, boiled, poached, or made into savoury omelettes. Those visitors who do not enjoy the flavour of garlic should say to the waiter, "No ajo, sirvase," i.e., "No garlic, if you please," before ordering an omelette. In the larger hotels the cookery is usually French, with an occasional dish of the country.

Cafés.—Spaniards spend a good share of their leisure time in the cafés. In Seville the chief resorts of this kind are in the Calle de las Sierpes, the Calle Tetuan, and the Plaza Nueva. It is the custom in Spain to make business appointments and to arrange friendly meetings in the cafés. The drinks are coffee, chocolate, tea, wines, liqueurs, and mineral waters. Coffee is usually taken black, with cognac. The spirits are caña, agua ardiente, and cognac. A favourite liqueur is anisette. At some of these houses Bass's ale and Scotch whisky can be obtained. The Spanish bottled cider (sidra) is a refreshing drink, mixed with lemonade, in hot weather.

An English medical practitioner, Dr. Dalebrook, resides in the Calle Albareda, leading out of the Calle Tetuan. A guide, whom I can recommend as well-informed, is Señor Carlos Rudé, 22 Otumba. Señor Rudé is known as "Charles" by the English visitors. He speaks English well, and can obtain entrance to private collections of paintings in the city.

A large stock of interesting photographs of Seville, pictures and characters is kept by Señor Julio Beauchy, 24 Calle de Rioja.

A List of Books upon Seville, or containing References to the City.

History.

'Sevilla' (A volume in the series 'España')—Don Pedro de Madrazo.

'Annales de Sevilla'—Don Ortiz de Zuñiga.

'Sevilla Histórica,' etc.—By 'A Son of Seville.'

'Histoire des Arabes d'Espagne' (3 vols.)—De Circourt.

'Memoirs of the Kings of Spain' (5 vols.)—W. Coxe.

'History of Spain and Portugal'—Dunham.

'Ferdinand and Isabella'—Prescott.

'History of the Reformation in Spain'—T. M'Crie.

'The Ottoman and the Spanish Empires'—L. Ranke.

'History of the Reign of Philip II.'—R. Watson.

'Philip II.'—Prescott.

'Charles V.'—Armstrong.

'Recherches sur l'histoire et la littérature de l'Espagne'—Dozy.

'Spain'—H. E. Watts.

'The Moors in Spain'—S. Lane-Poole.

'The Inquisition'—Llorente.

'The Story of Spain'—E. E. and S. Hale.

'Historia de la Ciudad de Sevilla'—Joaquin Guichot.

'Historia de Sevilla'—Alonso Morgado.

'Antigüedades Prehistóricas de Andalucia'—Miguel de Gongora.

Art.

'Descripción Artística de la Catedral de Sevilla'—Cean Bermudez.

'Seville Mosque Cathedral' (Paper Architect. Society)—R. H. Carpenter.

'An Architect's Note Book in Spain'—D. Wyatt.

'Annals of the Artists of Spain'—Sir W. Stirling-Maxwell.

'Spanish and French Painters'—G. W. Smith.

'Velazquez'—G. C. Williamson.

'The Industrial Arts of Spain'—J. F. Riaño.

'La Giralda'—A. Alvarez Benavides.

'Alcázar de Sevilla'—J. Gestoso y Pérez.

'La Imprenta en Sevilla.'

'Velazquez: Life and Work'—G. H. Stokes.

'Renaissance Architecture and Ornament in Spain'—A. N. Prentice.

'Seville Cathedral' (article in 'Macmillan's Magazine,' May 1903)—Havelock Ellis.

Literature.

'History of Spanish and Portuguese Literature' (2 vols.)—Bouterwek.

'History of Spanish Literature'—Ticknor.

'The Spanish Drama'—G. H. Lewes.

'Vida de Cervantes'—M. F. Navarette.

'Tipografía Española'—Mendez.

'Spanish Literature'—H. Butler Clarke.

'Life of Cervantes '—J. Fitz-Maurice-Kelly.

'Cervantes'—H. E. Watts.

Social and General.

'Letters from Spain'—Doblado (Blanco White).

'Handbook for Spain'—R. Ford.

'Old Court Life in Spain'—F. M. Elliott.

'The Bible in Spain'—Geo. Borrow.

'Spanish Vistas'—G. P. Lathrop.

'Voyage en Espagne'—T. Gautier.

'Spain and Portugal' (Handbook)—Karl Baedeker.

'The Zincali'—Geo. Borrow.

'A Summer in Andalusia' (2 vols.)—R. Bentley.

'Seville' (article in 'Harper's Magazine,' March 1901)—Arthur Symons.

'Spanish Cities'—C. A. Stoddard.

'The Land of the Castanet'—H. Chatfield-Taylor.