A Farewell to Arms - by Ternest Harfoway

Europe » Spain » Aragon » Zaragoza

It was the late autumn of that year I was in Pyrennes, the mountains were gray becoming white as the clouds descended and dropped they first flakes on the highest peaks. The rivers low from the long summer exposed their smoothed stones and peebles. They were gray also and the road was gray and there was a chill coming. The trees were bare and pointed and held no leaves anymore and it felt like winter already.

Monte carlo

We had been higher in the mountains the previous month and were to move out onto the Aragon plains in the next days. The plains were dry and sandy and yellow and they stretched very far and there was emptyness there. We had been stationed in an apartment in Zaragoza, it was hot there and it was uncomfortable to walk out into the streets, firstly on the skin but secondly on the eyes as the stone there is very yellow or white and sun beats down and reflects against the stone and into your eyes and onto your skin and it is not pleasent. The streets there are wide and there are markets and parks and as the architects had wanted to return to the city they hadn't pulled it down too much. I was glad for that because the cathedral was a very attractive one and had much detail and patterns on it and in it. The plaza there is a broad area that is very reflective at midday and not a place to linger for sake of ones sight. Instead it is better to find one of the many smaller narrower streets that hold cafes that spill onto the roads and have curved wooden chairs with wicker seats and matching tables where one can take a coffee and admire the romance of the city.

The apartment was lovely and Miss Toth took good care of me, she would come in with fruits and pastries from the local shops and we would have a morning brunch on them. When I had first seen Miss Toth she had been beautiful with deep eyes and tanned skin, now in Spain she had taken on a new light. Her face seem to sparkle whenever I saw her and she felt at ease there.

She looked fresh and young and very beautiful. When I saw her I was in love with her. She lowered her head toward the bed and kissed me. I pulled her closer and kissed her. She stopped and stood up. I said we should have a drink, there is a bottle of vermouth in the wardrobe.

She brought it over and a glass. I gave her the glass and poured her a glass and told her that I could drink from the bottle. We drank to the times that were to come. We were to leave tomorrow to Monaco. That is what it was like, then, in those days before Monaco. It was welcome and we were happy and beautiful and in love and it was good and happy.