truth to tell, the rustic charm of the garden is a
greater attraction than the Eritana cookery. It is i
well, however, not to grumble too much to the pro- i
prietor Manuel, generally known as Manolito, a small
grey-haired Spaniard, who has a twinkle in his eyes. ;
He says little, but what little he says is always to
the point. One of the stories told of him is that a
young Spaniard, who owed Manolito a large sum for ^
dinners, brought some friends to dine, and fussed so
much over the ordering of the meal that he annoyed
Manolito. “ I will bring you a dish, a most extra-
ordinary dish, a dish you have never seen before,” |
said Manolito, and disappeared, to return immediately J
with a large dish capped by a great cover. The dish .
was put before the over-particular Spaniard and the
cover whisked olf. On the dish lay the very long and
much over-due bill.
The Tabernas, or wine-rooms, are part of the |
life of the town. I generally go before dinner to
the Pasaje de la Magdalena, which is '
M?gdalenaa almost opposite the Hotel de Madrid,
Calle de Mendez to drink a glass of very light, very dry j
Manzanilla as an “appetiser.” There
is excellent sherry in the big casks which are named !
after celebrities, Wellington being duly honoured in
this manner, and the prices are extraordinarily cheap. j
I have never been bold enough to try the little crabs j
and the snails which the Spaniards eat as a relish with I v
their wine.
Sevilian Clubs
Of the clubs, the Circulo de Labradores in the
Calle Sierpes is the most important. It has a good
Circulo de reading-room with a supply of foreign
Labradores, newspapers. Strangers properly intro-
Calle Sierpes duced can become temporary members
at a subscription of 20 pesetas a month, except
Spain 295
during the month of April, when the subscription is
100 pesetas.
The two most exclusive clubs are the Casino
Sevilliano in the Plaza del Duque, casino, Plaza
and the Casino Nuevo, more gene- del Duque
rally known as the Casinillo, or Frambrera. The
latter is the sporting club of the city. .
It has a charming little club-house aSim °
which is decorated with shooting and hunting pic-
tures by the best artists of the modern school of
Seville. During the Fair week the other clubs give
rather formal balls in their pavilions on the ground,
but the members of the sporting club engage all the
best professional dancers in Seville to amuse their
guests. The pavilion of this club, which is a plat-
form lighted by many electric lights, is the centre
at night of a vast assemblage of intensely interested
spectators, for all the people who sell and buy at the
Fair gather round to see the fine sight. On the high
platform are the guests and hosts, and the girls in
their bright-coloured garments dancing to the music
of the guitars or sitting and clapping their hands to
mark the beat. All round in the darkness are thou-
sands of eager eyes in dusky faces watching intently
every movement of the dancers.
Robadilla
Page 162
Presented as published in 1903. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
truth to tell, the rustic charm of the garden is a greater attraction than the Eritana cookery. It is i well, however, not to grumble too much to the pro- i prietor Manuel, generally known as Manolito, a small grey-haired Spaniard, who has a twinkle in his eyes. ; He says little, but what little he says is always to the point. One of the stories told of him is that a young Spaniard, who owed Manolito a large sum for ^ dinners, brought some friends to dine, and fussed so much over the ordering of the meal that he annoyed Manolito. “ I will bring you a dish, a most extraordinary dish, a dish you have never seen before,” | said Manolito, and disappeared, to return immediately J with a large dish capped by a great cover. The dish . was put before the over-particular Spaniard and the cover whisked olf. On the dish lay the very long and much over-due bill.
The Tabernas, or wine-rooms, are part of the | life of the town. I generally go before dinner to the Pasaje de la Magdalena, Magdalena almost opposite the Hotel de Madrid,
Calle de Mendez to drink a glass of very light, very dry j Manzanilla as an “appetiser.” There is excellent sherry in the big casks which are named ! after celebrities, Wellington being duly honoured in this manner, and the prices are extraordinarily cheap. j I have never been bold enough to try the little crabs j and the snails which the Spaniards eat as a relish with I v their wine.
Sevilian Clubs
Of the clubs, the Circulo de Labradores in the Calle Sierpes is the most important. It has a good Circulo de reading-room with a supply of foreign
Labradores, newspapers. Strangers properly intro- Calle Sierpes duced can become temporary members at a subscription of 20 pesetas a month, except
Spain 295
during the month of April, when the subscription is 100 pesetas.
The two most exclusive clubs are the Casino Sevilliano in the Plaza del Duque, casino, Plaza and the Casino Nuevo, more gene- del Duque rally known as the Casinillo, or Frambrera. The latter is the sporting club of the city. .
It has a charming little club-house [illustration: Casinillo] which is decorated with shooting and hunting pictures by the best artists of the modern school of Seville. During the Fair week the other clubs give rather formal balls in their pavilions on the ground, but the members of the sporting club engage all the best professional dancers in Seville to amuse their guests. The pavilion of this club, which is a platform lighted by many electric lights, is the centre at night of a vast assemblage of intensely interested spectators, for all the people who sell and buy at the Fair gather round to see the fine sight. On the high platform are the guests and hosts, and the girls in their bright-coloured garments dancing to the music of the guitars or sitting and clapping their hands to mark the beat. All round in the darkness are thousands of eager eyes in dusky faces watching intently every movement of the dancers.
Robadilla