Hi Jerseysusan -very much enjoying your,post as we just got back from Seville. Only stayed 3 nights.

We stayed in an apartment in Santa Cruz and we also visited the bull ring and took the tour. Was the tour guide the girl with the black ponytail? She was great. We loved Seville.

micheline - glad you are enjoying my report. Not sure if our guide had a ponytail but I thought she did a great job. I really loved Sevilla and would highly recommend it to anyone!

Hi, JS,
How loong was your overall stay? Would love to know your overall itinerary as this will most likely be next year's trip, and I'm already obsessing over planning!

progol

My itinerary follows. I visited Madrid 2 years ago for several days. This trip I only based myself there 2 nights to accomodate day trips. If you plan on visiting Madrid you would need to add days to your trip

Sevilla 5 nights - 1 day trip to Cordoba
Granada 2 nights
Madrid 3 nights - 1 day trip to Segovia, 1 day trip to Toledo

Happy planning!

Thanks, that's very helpful!

Looking forward to hearing more about your trip - it's filled with lots of great detail.

Paule

I hope you'll post more about your trip, as we're seriously considering visiting this area April 2013.

Thanks,
Laura

Sorry for the delay, an unexpected weekend away

Day 3

Breakfast was right by the hotel at Bar Gonzalo. We had decent jamon sandwiches and freshly squeezed orange juice.

We headed to Plaza Nueva as I booked a Sevilla Walking Tours city tour. Our guide was knowledgeable and entertaining. We saw a lot and learned some history and about local culture.

Lunch started at Mesones Serranito as DS wanted some more jamon. We then went to Restaurante Enrique Becerra where we ordered several tapas. DS ordered a bull meat burger which was very tasty. I loved everything I tried. The tapas were inventive and delicious.

After a short break we went to the Real Alcazar. This magnificent palace is a 5 minute walk from our hotel. There is so much detail on every surface and the grounds are beautiful. We found the audio guide to be worth getting.

As it was so hot we went back to the hotel to cool off. We then browsed around the nearby stores for awhile. When we passed the Santa Iglesia Cathedral it was apparent that a wedding was about to take place. We saw so many beautifully dressed women. The mother of the bride or groom had a lace head piece that went to the ground. The bride pulled up in a horse drawn carriage. I kept thinking was what it must take to get married in that Cathedral.

We went to the Teatro Maestranza for a flamenco show. One of the reasons I went to Sevilla in September was the Bienal de Flamenco. We saw Maria Pages in "Utopia". The show was wonderful. She is a magnificent dancer and I was moved to tears. Thanks Kimhe for the recommendation!

After the show DS was hungry so we went to the Bodega Santa Cruz where he got a few sandwiches. I was still stuffed from lunch.


to be continued...

Enrique Becerra is real good.

Very glad and not very surprised you had a great night seeing María Pagés. Here's a review of "Utopía" in one of the most important flamenco magazines, Flamenco-world: http://www.flamenco-world.com/magazine/about/jerez2012/resenas/10032012ing.html

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASRDTyqV714

The major Spanish daily El País says she "touches genius" when presenting her eleven night staging of Utopía in Barcelona these days: http://ccaa.elpais.com/ccaa/2012/09/23/catalunya/1348428840_964019.html

Egbert - I especially appreciated how helpful the staff of Enrique Becerra was. They translated the list of daily specials for us and is was hard deciding what to order as everything sounded delicious!

kimhe - We had front row seats for the show so the emotion shown by Maria Pages was so apparent. It truly was a magical experience!

Day 4 - Day trip to Corduba

We were up early as we had a 9 o'clock train to Corduba. We took a taxi to the Santa Justa station as we were hesitant to trust going by bus on a Sunday morning. We ate our breakfast in the station and who said hello to my son but a man who was in our tour group the day before. Not ten minutes passed and we noticed 2 more couples who also took the tour wheeling their luggage right past our table. What are the odds of that!

The 45 minute train ride was uneventful. I must say I love the Renfe trains. They are cars are clean and comfortable and they are always on time. Being a former New Yorker, I am just not use to this.

We got an excellent local map from the tourist info desk at the station and headed off in a taxi to the Alcazar. The best part of this fortress is the views of the city from the top. Also there is a beautiful garden.

After the Alcazar we took a walk through the Juderia which was pretty quiet as it was still Sunday morning. We decided to walk through a lot of the town as DS spotted many interesting places on our map. As I've said he is an excellent navigator. We saw the Roman ruins, several churches and just enjoyed the feel of Corduba. We rested every once in a while and enjoyed a cold drink. As usual it was hot.

We walked back to the Juderea and found the Calle de las Flores and took the same photos of the flowers as all the tourists standing near us. We then had lunch at Casa Bravo. I had fried eggplant with honey, fried codfish and Pastel Cordoba for dessert. Everything was so good!

After lunch we visited the magnificent Mezquita. Everywhere you look there is something awesome to appreciate, It's almost too much to take in and process if you know what I mean.

We then walked across the nearby Roman bridge and enjoyed the views. I did a little shopping when we walked back across the bridge and then went on another hike of the town primarily because we had time before our return train to Sevilla. We had 830 tickets, we really could have had a shorter day trip.
Anyway DS wanted to look at the bullfighting ring which ended up being nondescript from the outside. We walked back to the station and enjoyed cold drinks while waiting for our train. We joked about all the calories we burnt off walking as we surely walked all over town!

Back in Sevilla we had a late dinner in Casa Robles which is right down the block from our hotel. We ended up ordering a pricey but delicious paella. I'm not sure what possessed us to order something that takes so long to prepare at 10 o'clock but it was worth the wait.

to be continued...

Day 5 Sevilla

We slept a little later, all the way to 9am. I had read about a churros stand near the Alcazar so we decided that would be our breakfast. After a little searching we enjoyed some freshly prepared delicious churros while sitting near the Cathedral.

Next we enjoyed another walk around the Barrion Santa Cruz and did some shopping. It really is such fun to wonder around this area.

After dropping off our purchases at the hotel we walked across one of the bridges over the Rio Guadalquiver to visit the Triana area. We first enjoyed some freshly squeezed orange juice, the easy availability of which is spoiling us.

We walked to Alfareria Street so I could browse through the ceramic shops. It was really hard to decide what to buy but I finally settled on a small platter.

Next was lunch at one of the restaurants along the river, I forgot the name. We had a yummy platter of different sausages and manchego cheese followed by paella. Of course I had sangria which I love. DS had beer which is funny because he doesn't like American beer.

While eating DS noticed a naked couple across the river doing the naughty in the water, for a really long time. We were not the only people who noticed them, but I guess they were not concerned.

After lunch we walked some more along the river and eventually crossed back across the river. We then visited the Cathedral which is of course beautiful. I was starting to feel spoiled by all the splendor we were viewing. While walking around it I was thinking about the couple who got married there, what a setting!

Next we started the walk up the 37 ramps of the Giralda Belltower. It was not nearly as bad as walking up steps but it was very hot and tiring. Fortunately there were plenty of windows. While walking up I was really sorry I hadn't dropped off the platter I bought in Triana, it was it the way. Of course the views on top are wonderful.

While walking back to our hotel and we noticed the annoying gypsy women who pester you by the cathedral cutting sprigs of greeney from the surrounding bushes. What a funny racket that they get their supplies right there!

After cooling off in our room, we walked over to the Metropol Parasol. DS was looking foward to seeing it as he is very interested in architecture. It is called the "giant mushroom" and that is an apt nickname. It really is funny to see such an unusual structure in a city filled with such beautiful old buildings. Non the less we enjoyed walking around the top of it which is reached by an elavator. The views were great. It was funny to spy the Giralda Belltower which we just visited.

We then walked around for a long time as DS wanted to see a Roman monalyth he read about. Even he was stumped by the map and the winging streets, we could not find it.

Giving up we walked over to my dinner pick, Vineria San Telmo. We were a little early so we spent time in the Murilla Garden. At 8 o'clock we walked over to the restaurant. I hadn't made a reservation even though I knew I should have. We were given a table anyway with the agreement that we would be done by 9 o'clock because the table was reserved then. The food was excellent! This was another place I had trouble narrowing down my choices, everything sounded so good. We finished on time and I was so happy we ate there.

to be continued...
Next was lunch at one of the restaurants along the ri

t

Day 6 last day in Sevilla

Breakfast today was also right by hotel at Gusto which has a bigger breakfast menu than our previous stops.

We walked to the Museo de Belle Artes. I spent a pleasurable hour viewing the paintings by various Spanish artists. On the down side I felt like a security guard was following us around.

El Corte Ingles was nearby so we did a little food shopping. I picked up some paprika.

The Casa Pilates was our next stop. I was looking foward to seeing it and my son was too after hearing some scenes from Kingdom of Heaven were shot there. Let me tell you - it was so hard to find! I had warned my son as I read it could be tricky, so my great navigator was getting frustrated as we trooped all around the area. (BTW he didn't give up on finding that Roman monalyth on Day 5 as he went back out after dinner and circled around until he lucked into it). Anyway we finally got there.

You can look around the ground level of the Casa Pilates on your own. The tiles on the walls are stunning and we enjoyed the gardens. The upper level can only be seen with a guide who gives the tour in several languages at once. Our guide, who spoke in a heavily accented English, did a fine job. The rooms are well worth seeing, they are beautifully decorated.

We walked back to our hotel area to have lunch. We ate at Escobas where I had some tasty fish croquettes and gazpacho - boy did I love gazpacho in Sevilla. DS had grilled meats which was served on a kind of skewer contraption I was unformiliar with. Anyway it looked so good that the man at the table next to us ordered it too.

As it was so hot out again we had a brief siesta at the hotel before walking to the Maria Luisa Park. We wanted to see the Plaza Espana, the scale of which is pretty impressive. Additionally it is quite attractive. DS was happy to see it as scenes from Star Wars were filmed there.

After some cooling lemon ices, we continued walking in the park, our goal being the Archeological Museum. Lucky us there was no charge which seemed a just reward after so much walking. I can't say that I would have picked this museum as DS did. Regardless we both enjoyed the displays. There were lots of statues and interesting headstones.

Walking back to the front of the park we stopped to rest a a bench near a pond and watched the ducks. It was a tranquil spot. Leaving the park we stopped at the Alfonso XII Hotel to check it out. What a beautiful place!

We had flamenco tickets for the Andres Marin show at the Teatro de la Vega which is at the front of the Maria Luisa Park. It is a beautiful theater and I was happy to have tickets for a show in a smaller venue. Andres Marin is such an impressive dancer, so imaginative! This performance was much different than any flamenco show I previously attended, not at all traditional. The only music was an electric guitar. Not speaking Spanish was a disadvantage as we couldn't understand the spoken parts. Also we were totally unprepared for the hens on the stage near the end!

We had a late dinner at the Albarama Restaurant. I'm not one for repeating restaurants but DS loved it there. He ate there twice on his own after the previous dinner we enjoyed there.
Once again the meal was inventive and well prepared.

After dinner we sadly walked back to the hotel, knowing we would have to pack our bags as we were leaving for Granada in the morning. We both loved our time in Sevilla and would happily return.

to be continued...

Video from your Andrés Marín night: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnBrEE78_pw

Fine reviews:
http://www.deflamenco.com/revista/paginai.jsp?codigo=3557
http://www.flamenco-world.com/magazine/about/bienal2012/resenas/andresmarin11092012ing.htm

Final thoughts on Sevilla

This was a great city to walk in. We walked everywhere we went. We only went by taxi to and from the train station.

The restaurants were wonderful. I had researched them beforehand and wasn't disappointed by any of them.

Hotel Alminar was a great choice for us. You can't beat the convenience of it's location. The staff was friendly and helpful. Our room was comfortable and reasonably priced.

Day 7 Granada

We had to be up very early as we had a 710 train to Granada. I had considered taking a bus but my son doesn't like being on a bus for so long. We expected to grab a taxi at the Cathedral as we were told they were there 24 hours a day. Unfortunately one wasn't there so we walked on a few more blocks to Plaza Nueva where we saw 2 taxis waiting. In retrospect I should have had the hotel call for a taxi as it was very early in the morning.

Our train made several stops but we expected that. On arrival we took a taxi to the AC Palacio de Santa Paula. This was one of the hotels I booked with Marriot points. Our room, which overlooked the courtyard was on the second floor. It was in the old convent section. The wooden ceiling came to a peak and the arched windows had beautiful wooden shutters. I guess glass bathroom doors are now commonplace as they were in all the hotels we stayed in.

Our first stop was the Royal Chapel which was a 5 minute walk from the hotel. This is where Isabel and Ferdinand are buried. There are also some beautiful items in the treasury.

Next door is the Cathedral which is also worth seeing but pales in comparison to the one in Sevilla. Outside of it there are all kinds of herbs, spices and teas for sale.

For lunch we went to the nearby Pasteleria Lopez Mezquita. I was really looking foward to going there as I read so many good things about it. There were so many sweet and savory pastries for sale and they all looked so good! We made our purchase and I devoured everything on a nearby bench.

After eating we walked over to the Albaicin. As DS was still hungry we stopped in the Teteria Alfaguara. I ordered some tea from a very extensive list and DS, who loves Moroccan food was in his glory. I enjoyed the tea and the decor. This was my first experience smelling pot from the kitchen area.

After lunch we walked around the Albaicin, winding up the steep roads. The views are great. DS was not impressed with the neighborhood, it made him feel unsafe.

We stopped for fruit ices, something we did countless times this trip because of the heat, and then headed back to our room for a siesta.

Dinner was in the Ruta Del Azafran, in the Albaicin. I had made reservations earlier and was glad I did as this insured us of a room with a view of the Alhambra. This was another restaurant I was eager to eat in after reading a poster's recommendation. The fusion food was delicious. I even saved room for dessert which was olive oil ice cream with pineapple and candied ginger, yummy. I really enjoyed the view of the Alhambra.

to be continued...

Savoring the details... Am planning to go next September and love the idea of attending the flamenco festival events.

Keep it coming!
Paule

Oh, thanks for posting this. We went to Spain (Madrid, Segovia, Granada and Torremolinos) in 1987 and I adored every minute of it. Someday, I will go back (just returned from Italy - first time - and I'll go back there, too).

progol,

Lots of excellent flamenco in Sevilla year around, but the Bienal is only every second year, next time in 2014.

Ah, thank you, kimhe, for letting me know. Then I guess we'll just have to find the flamenco that is there year round. I'm not waiting till 2014!

re Day 7 Granada

Ruta Del Azafran Restaurant - I meant to write table not room at the restaurant. In September you are seated outside. The Alhambra is across the river from the restaurant.

LariB - I truly enjoyed this trip, glad you are enjoying my report. Italy is fabulous, I would go back there in a second.

progol - I agree waiting for 2014 is too long!

Day 8 Granada

After a quick continental breakfast at the hotel we walked towards the Cathedral to the bus stop. We boarded the #30 minibus to the Alhambra. The ride was only about 15 minutes. I intended to get off at the Justice Gate as we had already picked up our tickets at La Caixa Bank, which was on Gran Via right near our hotel. However the driver only announced the stop after that so that's when we got off the bus.

Our entry time to the Palacios Nazaries was 10 am so I timed our arrival for 830. I felt the signage was not great, so it took us a bit until we got our bearings. We found the Charles V Palace and rented our audioguides at a stand outside. I expected to leave ID as collateral but the woman wanted 10 euros instead. We toured the palace including the museum on the first floor. The audioguide did a great job of explaining many of the items on display.

We walked across to the Alcazaba. The fortress is well preserved and the views from the top are lovely.

As it was close to 10 we joined the line for the Palacios Nazaries. Entry was slow as your tickets are checked a few times to confirm you are there at the proper time. Words can not describe how beautiful this building is. I was so excited to be there having read so much about it. Like everyone I found the experience to overwhelming. You could hardly decide where to look first!

Leaving the palace you walk through several lovely formal gardens. We then followed the pathway to the Generalife. These English style gardens contained so many beautiful flowers. The gardener in me was salivating!

Back at the front of the Alhambra we stopped at the Laguna Taracea, the shop which sells marquetry. Afterwards we returned our audioguides, which I strongly recommend renting.

We took a taxi back to our hotel. After a quick break we headed out for lunch. We ate at Oliver Restaurante which specializes in seafood. This is another place I was looking foward to eating in. We sat for awhile people watching, enjoying our free rice tapa. My shrimp was so so good.

Later in the afternoon we went to El Corte Ingles where I purchased more food items to bring back.

Dinner was at Restaurante La Cuevade de 1900. I picked this spot for the jamon, something DS loves. At first I wondered if we would be served at all as the waitress did not seem too happy we weren't Spanish. As we made every attempt to communicate in Spanish I was quite unhappy with her attitude and almost left the restaurant without ordering. However DS wanted to stay. The food was pretty good. I had a peasant style dish of fava beans,ham and a fried egg.

Back to our room we packed up as we were leaving for Madrid in the morning. DS was happy to go as he didn't enjoy the feel of Granada nearly as much as Sevilla. He thought a day there would have been more than enough. I don't think you can really see the city without staying one night. In any case we were both thrilled to have seen La Alhambra.

to be continued...

Really enjoying reading your continued trip report, hope you'll keep it coming!

Day 9 Madrid

We took a taxi to the train station and waited for the 910 to Madrid. The station is Granada is very small. This was the first time we were stopped by police who asked to see our passports. One of the jokes in our family is that security/police seem to look my son over pretty carefully overseas, we think because of his Mediterranean skin tone. Several years ago he was almost denied reentry into Israel after a day trip to Petra. In this instance we noticed they also checked a young couple. Happily they let us all on the train.

Once again I enjoyed the views from the train. It's a long ride to Madrid, more than 4 hours. My lucky son slept through most of it.

We took the train to our hotel. It was getting harder to drag our suitcases onto the train, darn those souvenirs! The AC Hotel Recoletos was another one I picked because of my Marriott points. Our room was very modern in decor, spacious and comfortable. It's location suited our itinerary and is only a few blocks from both a metro stop and a Renfe station.

We headed to Retiro Park, which is only a few blocks away. The park is quite lovely. We enjoyed watching people rowing around the lake. DS was so happy to see the Crystal Palace as we ate many meals in it's replica in Disney World. We both loved the rose garden. What variety!

After leaving the park we had a quick bite in the nearby Museo de Jamon. DS is always looking for another opportunity to eat more ham.

We went to the Reina Sofia Museum. It is such a fine collection, and of course the Guernica is so stirring.

We took the metro to the Sol area to wander around. I needed to find a jewely store my daughter loved when we were in Madrid a few years ago. It is called Tierra, and for whatever reason I hadn't noted down their address. We lucked into and I purchased something for DD.

We walked over to the San Mercado market and enjoyed some croquettes. I noticed there was more seating available than a few years ago.

Dinner was in El Arrozal Restaurante. We had paella there on our previous trip to Madrid and DS wanted to go back. I like the decor, there are lots of cases displaying what seem to be the owners various collections. We shared a paella with lots of vegetables and some pork, and of course sangria.

After a leisurely walk back to the Sol metro we took the train to the hotel, where I was happy to call it a day.

to be continued...

There are 2 Tierra Shops in Madrid.They have the friendliest sales people who greet everyone with a flower!
They are from the Canary Islands and have opened a store in New York!Their website with all their products,really lovely and unique, has disappeared but I found a video:
http://vimeo.com/30078536

chapla - I was so happy that the sales people in Tierra still greet you with a flower. Also that they still gave me little cups of ice cream after I made a purchase, one was for my son! Two years ago they told me they were opening a store in New York but somehow we never went. Since my daughter and I both really like their jewelry we must go.

Day 10 Segovia

After a quick breakfast of the fruit we bought at the San Mercado we took the nearby Renfe train to the Charmatin station. We caught the 940 Renfe train to Segovia. When we were settled on the train I realized I left my camera at the hotel. I usually charged it overnight and left it in plain sight on the table by my bed. I was so mad at myself as I was ready early and sat around reading until DS was ready to go. Fortunately he takes a ton of pictures on his own so I knew I could have those.

The short ride was over before we knew it, most of it is in the tunnel. From the station you have to take a 20 minute bus ride into town, bus #11. Once armed with a local map, we started the approx 15 minute walk to the Alcazar. I decided to go to our furthest destination first as I read the Alcazar gets very crowded on the weekend.

The mostly uphill walk passed quickly as the town itself is quite lovely. At the Alcazar we decided to buy tickets for only the castle itself. We originally wanted to walk to the top of the tower too, but the thought of all those narrow winding steps was no longer appealing. DS was very happy to see the Alcazar after learning Walt Disney modelled a castle after it. (Yes we did spend lots of time in Disney World when the kids were little). The renovation of the interior of the castle was well done. There are beautiful tapestries and paintings. We also enjoyed the views of the countryside, even if we werent as high as the tower.

When we exited the Alcazar I noted the hoardes of people heading towards us. I was happy with my decision to go there first. We walked back to the front of town as we had lunch reservations.

Lunch was at Meson de Candido where we were seated by a window. The Aqueduct is right there so we enjoyed the view, even though it was a little obscured by the shades. There are so many interesting photos of famous patron hanging everywhere. We both ordered the suckling pig which was excellent. The meat was so moist and the skin was wonderfully crisp. For dessert I had the panche Segovia which has a marzipan bottom and lots of luscious custard on top. It was so delicious!

We walked to the Cathedral passing several street musicians, one of which had a dog barking along. The Renaissance Cathedral was yet another wonderful building with so much to look at. I know we were getting spoiled by all this beauty.

After this we browse through stores while heading back to the front of town. I bought some cookies from a shop next to the well known Limon y Menta. The woman running the bakery was so grumpy but everything looked so appealing. We next bought gelato at Limon y Menta.

We finally headed to the Roman Aqueduct which is in excellent condition. Once again I thought how amazing it must be to live in such picturesque towns!

We took the 630 train back to Madrid. I found we had just the right amount of time in Segovia. Back in our hotel we rested a bit and headed out for dinner. I thought we would eat right by the hotel but nothing was calling out to us so we took the train to the Sol station knowing there would be tons of restaurants to pick from in that area.

Dinner ended up being in Venta El Buscon. We were seated next to an English couple who was sharing a platter of grilled meat. On their recommendation we ordered it too. For 18 euros you got a large platter with a nice variety of meat. It was served with a large plate of fried potatoes. We had a very pleasant meal as we spoke a lot to the English couple next to us. The waiters were very friendly and our request for our check was met by a pout from the man who seemed to be the manager. He didnt want us to leave and gave us each a free shot. This unplanned meal was great!

Back to the hotel for some much deserved relaxation.

to be continued...

Day 11 Toledo - our last full day

Today was our day trip to Toledo. We boarded the 920 Renfe train in the Atocha station. My breakfast was the delicious cookies I bought in Segovia along with part of a jamon sandwich, DS can't get enough of it! The short scenic ride past quickly and we arrived in Toledo's beautiful train station. We boarded the hop on hop off tourist bus and got off at Plaza Zocodover. We both enjoyed this bus, the audio guide was interested and you are able to see beautiful scenery on the way to town, including a stop at a wonderful viewpoint.

The first place we visited was Santo Tome, the chapel containing Greco's Burial of the Count of Orgaz. There was a tour group viewing it when we got there. We bided our time and inched foward when they left, what a wonderful painting!

We next went to a store owned by Mariano Zamorano. He makes swords and knives. I don't know much about them but the craftmanship seems at a high level. My son bought 2 daggers that he plans on displaying and I bought a pair of earrings.
After walking for a few minutes DS decided he wanted to go back for a sword that he couldn't pass up. Although we were both concerned about whether it would fit in our luggage, DS took a change and purchased it. I also thought he was nuts, as he would have to carry it around the rest of the day.

After purchasing some marzipan, we headed to our next stop, the Santa Cruz Museum which houses several paintings by Greco.
Entry to this lovely museum was free.

We had lunch at the nearby La Tabernita 10. We shared a menu de tapas which was quite good. It think it included 5 or 6 tapas and dessert.

After lunch we went to the Cathedral which only opens at 2 on Sunday. We waited on line to buy our tickets which are sold across the street. An audioguide is included. The cathedral is for lack of a better word awesome. Once again I didn't know where to look first, so much beauty!

We walked back to Plaza Zocodover. DS wanted to walk to the Bisagra Gate. By this point in the day I just didn't want to walk anymore so I didn't join him. When he was done he told me that as the walk was much longer than he realized he was glad I didn't go with him.

We took the hop on/off bus back to the train station. Of course we passed the Bisagra Gate. We bought some grossly overpriced drinks at the station and waited for the 525 train.

When we got back to our hotel we were both relieved that the sword fit in my suitcase. Now my only concern was whether it was a problem to have such a sharp item in my luggage, even if we checking it in.

We had dinner in Venta El Buscon. I'm not one for repeating restaurants but we both looking foward to going back. The same man who seemed to be the mangager was very happy to see us. Even though there were no tables when we got there, he had someone bring one up for us from the basement. We had a delicious feast and more to drink than we intended as extra drinks were sent to our table by our new friend. It was a great last night in Spain.

to be continued...

Day 12 Madrid - homeward bound

Our last breakfast was at Valor As it was a place we greatly enjoyed on our last trip DS wanted to eat there again. I had delicious churros which I dunked in their oh so sweet and thick hot chocolate. DS had a decodent white chocolate fondue which is served with a platter of fruit. We happily devoured this high cal meal.

After breakfast we took the metro to the Estadio Bernabeu which is where Real Madrid plays soccer. DS went on the self guided tour. I really had no interest in joining him, especially after noting there would be a great deal of walking in the heat. While waiting for him I people watched. It was funny to see how many people posed for the same pictures in front of the stadium. DS thought the tour was well done but complained that the souvenirs were very expensive.

We took the metro back to our hotel and dined on sandwiches and fruit we had purchased at the Atocha station the night before. After finishing our packing we checked out and took the Renfe C1 train to the airport. I was kind of hesitant to deal with my luggage. I was concerned about getting it to the train platform and on the train itself, but I managed. The ride to the airport is quick.

I wasn't too happy to show up at the airport without having already checked in and sure enough the man at the Iberia counter was very difficult to understand. Eventually he handed me our boarding passes for the Iberia flight and our connecting one in London on British Airways. Our luggage just barely made the weight restriction. Between the sword and all our other purchases we were lucky to squeak by.

Our flight to London was unevently. We had about an hour between flights so we weren't concerned as we headed to the security check. My hand luggage ended up being a problem as I stupidly put in a bottle of vinegar I purchased in the duty free shop at the Madrid airport. I didn't think to tell the woman at the register that I was taking it onto a plane so it wasn't put in a special box. I was never stopped by security before and found the experience to be very intimidating. He screened every item I had before he let me go.

I have never flown on British Airways before but would happily do it again. The staff was very friendly and helpful. It was nice to be offered so much to eat and drink.

In conclusion our trip was wonderful. I was very happy with our itinerary and our travel arrangements. I have been asked what I enjoyed most and have answered that I could never decide. We had so many terrific experiences and saw so many fantastic sights. And the meals...they were delicious!

Thanks, Susan- wonderful report. I'm saving this and will use it when I begin planning my trip next year.
Paule

So glad you enjoyed Spain - it's pretty fabulous isn't it?

jerseysusan, thank you for this interesting report. Maybe I missed it, but had you been to Andalucia before?

I am contemplating a trip to Spain. I was last there as a child and don't remember a thing (except I hated the food!). If you had to cut two nights from your itinerary, what would you cut--and why?

Hi JerseySusan
Thanks for your post. It's really timely as I am considering visiting Seville later this year. I have never been to Spain and was debating whether that part of the country would be the best place for a first visit, but now I'm so looking forward to it.
I noticed that your flight was initially to Madrid, how long did the journey to Seville take? Also, I am probably going to be there for a maximum of 5 days so would really love to get your ideas of the things I absolutely must see or do.
Thanks again for a great post
Tesita

Paule - I'm glad you enjoyed my report and happy to think it will help you plan your trip

MaisiePlague - Spain is so fabulous!

Leely2 - No I hadn't been to Andalucia before. Two years ago I went to Madrid and Barcelona. Both my son and I were interested in seeing Segovia and Toledo and what we didn't get to visit in Madrid. Originally my mother was going with us on this vacation and she hadn't seen any of Madrid. That is how I started thinking of including the day trips to Segovia and Toledo. If I cut my itinerary perhaps that is what I would remove. My prime objective this trip was Andalucia.

Tesita - Glad you enjoyed my report. Seville is a 2 1/2 train ride from Madrid. A connecting flight was a lot more money so I didn't seriously consider this option. As far as what you should do there off course depends on how you like to spend your time. My son and I were very happy with how we spent our days so maybe you want to do what we did.

Thanks for this report as my husband and I are planning a somewhat similar itinerary for next year. We've visited Madrid and Seville before (I absolutely love Seville!) but would like to visit Toledo, Cordoba, Granada and perhaps Malaga. The information in your report has been very useful. One question - how long was the bus ride from Seville to Granada?

Seems many of us have Andalucia on the brain.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, jerseysusan.

baladeuse - the train rided from Seville to Granada was a little over 3 hours. We didn't take the bus.

The bus ride form Sevilla to Granada is between 2h 45 mins and 3h 30 mins depending on departure. Costs 21€. Nine departures from the Plaza de Armas bus station and one express departure from the Prado de San Sebastián station. Both stations are centrally located. http://www.alsa.es/ Nine