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9 October 1871 — Tarragona | |
Monday. 9th October [1871]. As unluckily our room was nearly over the stables & omnibuses seemed to be starting at all hours of the night so that we got but little sleep. Immediately after breakfast we went off to the Cathedral. The inside is fine & plain. The Cloister is most beautiful, the heads of the capitals are curiously carved, every one different & the oleanders roses & trees in the centre gave a most picturesque appearance; there are chapels all round but they are totally neglected & the fine iron railings & curious old early retablos are left to decay. In the cloisters still on the wall are the words 6th Company 9th Company &c showing the places where the English were quartered during the Peninsular war. We also saw the Custodia wh is chiefly in gold but the most interesting part of it are the offerings with which it is hung– Some fine old jewels—but the most interesting are an aigrette of gold enamelled & jewelled from the cap of Philip II & the badge & chain of the Golden Fleece given by Charles IV wh is most exquisitely enamelled & set with stones. Leaving the Cathedral we met our V. Consul Señor Consul who having heard of our arrival came in search of us. He took us to the Archeological Museum where are some very good specimens of Roman discoveries made in & near the town, bronzes amphora mosaics &c. I then went home to rest while Henry went to see the Gov: Civil. He came home to have some lunch & then I had a visit from the Govr & when he was gone we got a little carriage & went out. We went down the town to Sr Consul’s & he made us go in to his house & taste some Tarragona wine of his making amongst wh was some very tolerable Champagne! We then drove off about a mile out of the town to see the old Roman Aqueduct. It is very perfect & solid still & the spot is a very pretty one. The ground is covered with a pretty little dwarf oak of wh I got some acorns & the palmito grass wh is used for making paper & quantities of thyme with wh the whole air was scented. On leaving the aqueduct we drove to the garden of the German Consul Mr Muller but we only saw his partner an American Mr Bacot. He was very civil & took us round. The garden has only been made 2 years & it is wonderful to see the growth of the plants & how large orange & other trees transplanted are flourishing– It only wanted grass to make it complete but that will be impossible to get in this climate. When we were landed at the door of the Fonda instead of going in we went up to the top of the hill & thro’ to town gate that I might see the Roman & cyclopean walls & the remains of Pontius Pilate’s house– The cyclopean gate is still used & is very curious. The view from here over the harbour & lower town is very fine & Sr Consul also pointed out to us the remains of the Roman amphitheatre wh remains close to the Convicts prison. A great part of the amphi: having been destroyed by the Govt in making the prison. We had a very good dinner à l’Italian cooked by the master of the hotel. | |
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