DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5074#0378
360
GEEEK COSTUME.
islands in the blue sea ; some one of the Bavarian bands
are always within hearing as one walks up and down
the shady paths.
The Queen has also a large farm with a maisonnette
de plaisir at a few miles' distance from the city, reached
by an excellent road lying between gardens hedged
with oleanders; there is a lovely view from the top of
the small tower, and very pleasant are the avenues of
white and yellow roses, the innumerable clover beds
which perfume the air, and the fine trees of this carefully
kept garden. The cow-house, containing about sixty
cows, was worth seeing for its good order and arrange-
ments, besides some gentle and very tame giraffes lately
arrived from Egypt. This is a very pleasant drive
from Athens : we went back slowly, enjoying the sight
of the full moon, with Venus, a little world of glowing
silver, triumphing in radiant beauty over Jupiter,—
while every mountain height — Hymettus, Pentelicus,
Lycabettus, &c, was crowned with immense bonfires to
celebrate the King's birthday: it was most strange and
weird to see the Acropolis lighted up with the brilliant,
fiery glare which revealed every Temple and column in
a strange, uncanny fashion. The town had been very
gay and noisy all day, the German soldiers filling the
streets ; and when we re-entered it, the pavements
outside the cafes were crowded with gentlemen and
ladies, many of the former and nearly all the latter in
the national costume, certainly the most picturesque
man's dress possible. Everybody knows by pictures the
bright waistcoat, hanging jacket, tight cloth buskins,
and full white kilt or petticoat (most ingeniously made)
of the Greek, which become their sharp faces and lithe
figures so well : the only peculiarity of the ladies' cos-
tume is a richly embroidered jacket and a falling
GEEEK COSTUME.
islands in the blue sea ; some one of the Bavarian bands
are always within hearing as one walks up and down
the shady paths.
The Queen has also a large farm with a maisonnette
de plaisir at a few miles' distance from the city, reached
by an excellent road lying between gardens hedged
with oleanders; there is a lovely view from the top of
the small tower, and very pleasant are the avenues of
white and yellow roses, the innumerable clover beds
which perfume the air, and the fine trees of this carefully
kept garden. The cow-house, containing about sixty
cows, was worth seeing for its good order and arrange-
ments, besides some gentle and very tame giraffes lately
arrived from Egypt. This is a very pleasant drive
from Athens : we went back slowly, enjoying the sight
of the full moon, with Venus, a little world of glowing
silver, triumphing in radiant beauty over Jupiter,—
while every mountain height — Hymettus, Pentelicus,
Lycabettus, &c, was crowned with immense bonfires to
celebrate the King's birthday: it was most strange and
weird to see the Acropolis lighted up with the brilliant,
fiery glare which revealed every Temple and column in
a strange, uncanny fashion. The town had been very
gay and noisy all day, the German soldiers filling the
streets ; and when we re-entered it, the pavements
outside the cafes were crowded with gentlemen and
ladies, many of the former and nearly all the latter in
the national costume, certainly the most picturesque
man's dress possible. Everybody knows by pictures the
bright waistcoat, hanging jacket, tight cloth buskins,
and full white kilt or petticoat (most ingeniously made)
of the Greek, which become their sharp faces and lithe
figures so well : the only peculiarity of the ladies' cos-
tume is a richly embroidered jacket and a falling