They Have A Way Of Throwing One Corner Over The Left
Shoulder, So That A Bright Strip Of Gay Lining Falls Outward And
Pleasantly Relieves The Sombre Monotony Of The Streets.
In this way the
face is completely covered by the heavy woollen folds, only the eyes
being visible under the sombrero.
The true Spaniard breathes no
out-of-doors air all winter except through his cloak, and they stare at
strangers who go about with uncovered faces enjoying the brisk air as if
they were lunatics. But what makes the custom absurdly incongruous is
that the women have no such terror of fresh air. While the hidalgo goes
smothered in his wrappings his wife and daughter wear nothing on their
necks and faces but their pretty complexions, and the gallant breeze,
grateful for this generous confidence, repays them in roses. I have
sometimes fancied that in this land of traditions this difference might
have arisen in those days of adventure when the cavaliers had good
reasons for keeping their faces concealed, while the senoras, we are
bound to believe, have never done anything for which their own beauty
was not the best excuse.
Nearly all there is of interest in Madrid consists in the faces and the
life of its people. There is but one portion of the city which appeals
to the tourist's ordinary set of emotions. This is the old Moors'
quarter, - the intricate jumble of streets and places on the western edge
of the town, overlooking the bankrupt river.
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