They did not expect to see such fine carriages, such handsome
dining saloons, nor such permanent way and stations. Of course we showed
them our best and the best was very good. Ireland is often accused of
neglecting her opportunities, but never her hospitality. On this
occasion, personified by her railway companies, she neglected neither,
and in the latter surpassed herself.
In the autumn of this year I was able to gratify my taste for travel by a
longer excursion than usual. Hitherto my furthest flights had been to
Paris, Belgium, and Holland, but now I went as far as Spain and Portugal.
F. K. was my pleasant companion and we travelled, _via_ Paris, straight
through to Madrid, where we stayed for a week at the Hotel de la Paix, in
the bright and busy and sunny Puerto del Sol. In Madrid we visited the
Royal Palace (or so much of it as was shown to the public--principally
the Royal stables); the Escurial; the Art Galleries and Museums; drove in
the Buen Retiro; witnessed a bull fight, which rather sickened us when
the horses, which never stood a chance in the contest, were ripped up by
the bull; admired dark-eyed senoritas, their mantillas and coquettish
fans, enjoyed the southern sunshine and the Spanish wines; and then left
for Lisbon by an _express_ train that stopped at nearly every station.
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