Seville (Sevilla) and Madrid

The bus ride from Fuseta to Seville, (Sevilla – how the Spanish say and write it), was easy, uneventful and cheap. I was happy to turn in the rental car, for me, it is always somewhat challenging driving in foreign countries. Taking the bus is definitely the cheapest way to get around in Europe, short of walking. Ours was a non-stop ride and almost completely full.

After settling into our new Airbnb, we set out to get a quick lunch. I found a “locals” place that looked cute with outside seating along a busy pedestrian thruway and under a tree for good shade. The handwritten menu offered only Spanish and the waitress spoke no English so we ordered the only thing that looked familiar: nachos. They were not the nachos that we are accustomed to and who would have thought that mayonnaise would be good on nachos? not us, and still not us, again: having no expectation is a good foundation. We had no expectation for the “ox-tail” and we really enjoyed it!

A highlight of our time in Seville was taking a tour “from the rooftops” of the Cathedral of Seville. The Cathedral itself is awe inspiring being the largest gothic cathedral in the world and the guided tour of the roof and it’s catwalks with explanation of construction was excellent. It is hard to believe that these structures were built hundreds of years ago.

At one of the many tapas bars we frequented, we had chatted-up an English couple, (both Terri and I enjoyed speaking English to someone other than each other), that had just been to a Flamenco dance at the Flamenco Museum. They were so excited by the experience that we sought out the museum for tickets and thoroughly enjoyed the experience as well.

We took a high-speed train from Seville to Madrid and we were very impressed. It is so fast, smooth and comfortable that it will likely be our transport of choice when offered. At one point we were traveling at almost 300 k/hour. For these relatively short to medium distances, it is far faster than flying with no airport hassles.

In these larger cities, I think that shopping is the favorite pastime with every kind of store imaginable. Our shopping logic is simple: with full backpacks, if we can’t eat it, drink it or need it today, the decision is “NO!” Since neither Terri nor I are big “shoppers” we turn to “people-watching” as our favorite pastime, and Europe does not disappoint!

At one point in our touring, we had stopped in a large crowded square to listen to a street band of dulcimer players, a light sprinkle turned quickly into a outright downpour with people dashing for any cover they could find. Ours turned out to be a large window ledge in front of a fancy clothing store. One person deep and with scant coverage, we huddled with a few others lacking the same foresight of having brought no umbrella…

Despite the beautiful churches and plazas of Madrid, our highlight was the Central Park with its Crystal Cathedral, beautiful grounds and many water features. Except that darn rain came again, fortunately, it is good to see from inside the Crystal Cathedral. For those of us that find ourselves “rain-challenged,” we really enjoyed the impromptu downpour!

Next stop: Barcelona by Train 🚄