Our North-East Passage 



reaches still caught the golden sky ; and so we saw the 

 last of Guadalquivir. 



Baeza, not very remarkable as you approach, is a curious 

 place inside. There is a vast circular plaza surrounded by 

 columns and arches. Lighted up at night by lamps in the 

 windows, with groups sauntering about in the broad dark 

 space, it struck us as a singular town, unlike anything we had 

 yet seen. We found the Posada de los Jardlnes^ where we 

 supped on asparagus-omelette and salad. The asparagus- 

 omelette is made by frying the ends of the shoots in oil ; 

 and, when they are done enough, the broken eggs are 

 poured into the frying-pan, and the whole mess stirred up. 

 The pan is not set on again, being hot enough to cook 

 the eggs without further application to the fire. A good 

 omelette is founded in the same manner on crisp fried 

 potatoes. 



Up at five next morning, and set off in a mizzling rain. 

 Not having made sufficiently particular inquiries, we of 

 course went wrong ; and as we were busy talking, we got 

 within a mile of Uveda before we found it out. An old 

 man and his son arrived as we stood pondering on our 

 difficulty. He answered our questions about Arquillos 

 civilly enough ; but when we began to consider whether 

 we could not rectify our error now, by going to Vilche and 

 get into our route further on than Arquillos, the old man 

 lost his patience. 



"Vilche, my good sirs, is by no means in the way to 

 Arquillos." 



"That is indifferent to us : we desire to go in a north- 

 east direction, and shall be obliged if you will tell us 

 whether this by-path here, leaving the road, will take us 

 in that line ? " This was too metaphysical an abstraction 

 for him, and he turned to his son : 



254 



