1936 On the Continent

Sorolla and Ideal Room on the Calle de la Paz are very good, and you may safely order Valencia’s famous rice dish at either, not to forget a dish of
horchata
.
    There are many open-air cafés, of which I will only mention the Siglo of Plaza de la Reina and the Continental on Calle de la Paz.
    As to ordinary amusements, there are four or five theatres and a number of good cinemas where you can enjoy the latest from Hollywood, accent and all.
    Needless to say, ladies with a mania for undressing are not lacking in Valencia, but perhaps by now you find this too monotonous.
    I find I have said very little about the sights, but then we are not concentrating on the sights in this essay. However, before we leave Valencia we ought to visit thebeach, unless you are staying there, say, at the Termas Victoria.
    As to excursions from Valencia consult, as always, the
P. N. T.
, but you may go to Sagunta on your own account if you wish to walk in the footsteps of Hannibal, who conquered this once important city. Sagunta has a Roman theatre, a bit of its Roman circus, and a citadel on top of a hill.
    But if you enjoy getting the “creeps” go to Jativa, a picturesque old town that once housed the gentle Borgias. The town is sprawled over a hill, with a castle above. It was here that the Borgias plotted, and executed, their little murders.
    The freshwater lagoon of La Albufera is also worth a visit. Here you can indulge in boating, fishing and—between November and March—in wildfowl shooting, for which, however, you have to pay. At Manises you can see how they make
majolica
, while at Carcagente you can see rice fields and the worms at work.
The Balearic Islands
    You probably have an aunt or an uncle or a cousin staying on the Island of Majorca, so I had better concentrate on this island in the Balearic group. But in case you happen to go to Minorca at any time, let me point out the one thing that makes this small island unique. It is that doors and windows close from the
outside
on Minorca and policemen grow fat with idleness. The prisons are naturally empty, and malicious people allege that the last occupant was bribed by someone in authority to commit some petty crime. But even that was very, very long ago. As to Majorca, where so many Aunt Matildas live, in common with the rest of the group it has an excellent all-round climate, except for an occasional cold wind between November and May and a little snow in winter.
    The most important town on Majorca is the capital, Palma de Mallorca. The approach to Palma is very beautiful, and as you step ashore you will see before you a whole collection of beautiful historical buildings, including the cathedral, the sandstone Lonja and the Consulado del Mar.
    Now it is my humble opinion that Palma is not a place to be visited in the course of a tour, unless, of course, you are calling on Aunt Matilda. But for a few weeks’ holiday at any time of the year it is ideal, except that you must be careful about the water or milk you drink. Apparently, successive Spanish governments, of whatever colour, have deliberately left the water supply of Spain in an unsatisfactory state in order to force travel writers to make propaganda for Spanish wines.
    If you go to Palma in summer you must have a tropical outfit, and if in winter you must have warm clothes.
    The hotels are good and inexpensive—even more so than elsewhere in Spain—and there are one or two English boarding houses. In fact, at Palma you feel at home in more senses than one. There is a British vice-consul, English church services, an English teashop, an English circulating library, and a social club. There is also tennis, football, horse racing, though if you are a strict Sabbatarian you will have your doubts about this.
    Adventures are scarce on Majorca, as the island is guaranteed to be free from brigands, perhaps because it is too small for a brigand to hide in. But there are one or two worth—while and many tame excursions. One of the former is to the Cuevas del Drach or Caves of the Dragon, where you will see the most wonderful and fantastic patterns in stalactite reflected in the waters of lovely lagoons.
    Of course, you can do a bit of mountain climbing on Majorca, but the
P. N. T.
office will advise you on, that.

Tangier
    Space is getting short, and we must say “Au revoir!” to Spain proper. But before we return home we must take a trip to Tangier, which was quite a well-known place even before Mr. Hannen Swaffer