¶ … Walked Out One Midsummer Morning Laurie Lee wrote his book about his travels in Spain in 1935 to 1936. It is a beautiful book, full of colorful descriptions of the countryside, the people, and a Civil War that is about to start. He literally walked across the country with nothing but a violin and a knapsack, and learned about the people and the places he visited because people befriended him, and he was charming. He visited many cities, including Madrid, Toledo, and Segovia, and friendly Spanish people helped him in his travels. They helped teach him the language,...

He left for Spain on an impulse, but he stayed because he loved the country. He managed to earn a living sometimes by playing his violin with other musicians. While he was living in Castillo during the winter, the Civil War in Spain came closer, and he saw the village church and casino both burned down by the Republicans who were fighting the fascist General Franco. A British destroyer on a "rescue" mission took him away from Spain. He wrote sadly about his leaving. "From that seaborn distance, cut off and secure, I seemed…