And in these many years what glory has been Spain’s! She has been aptly
called an “eddy of tribes and races.” Under Moorish rule she commanded
the Mediterranean. Then as a Christian kingdom, beginning with Rodrigo
the Cid and Alfonso VI in the eleventh century, and extending through
several hundred years under such famous rulers as Ferdinand and
Isabella and later Charles V and Philip II, Spain acquired the whole
peninsula and rose to be a great world power. In war she was a dreaded
foe of France, England, and the Netherlands. Her armada for years
swept the seas. In search of treasure and to extend Spain’s power and
possessions, Vasco da Gama discovered India and Columbus opened up the
new continents of the western world.
All the achievements of Spain in the brilliant past are brought home
to the visitor who spends even a few weeks in that country. So many
things in Spain are interesting for what they _were_! The visitor soon
comes to know the mood of Washington Irving, who dwelt for a time in
the Alhambra. His impressions are like those of a beautiful dream.
Irving withdrew from the world of his day and immersed himself in the
romance of the past. That is the mood in which the traveler will enjoy
himself most when visiting many places in Spain.