How I fell in love with Spain-a trip report
 

First of all, thanks to everyone who provided advice & info for my trip to Spain. I really appreciated all the help, and hope this trip report in turn can help others.

Now, I’ve read other trip reports and I don’t think I have that magical ability for story-telling...but I will give it a try.

Some background – I’m a female in my late 20s and this was my first trip solo. I was a little apprehensive to take the plunge – just not sure if I’d like traveling alone – but I’m happy to say I loved it! I loved the freedom. It was so liberating and really boosted my confidence. So to anyone else out there contemplating solo travel, my advice is give it a try and you just might surprise yourself. I know I did!

Now back to “how I fell in love with Spain”...

I spent 3 nights in Seville, a day trip to Cordoba and 3 nights in Madrid. While of course I wished I had more time in each place, I felt like this was a pretty good distribution of my time. I feel like I accomplished my “must-sees”, but also had time to wander around and get a feel for the cities.

Part 1 Seville-
Flew Iberia to Madrid & connected to Seville. I had read mixed postings on Iberia, but found them to be adequate. They got me there on time with my luggage so I call that a successful trip. A note on the airport in Madrid – it is huge! Do not book a tight connection time here, you’ll never make it. I felt like I had to walk miles. But the airport is gorgeous (at least terminal 4 which I think is where most international flights arrive). All glass and steel – when I arrived the sun was shining in and I already began to love Spain.

Arrived in Seville mid-afternoon and took a taxi to my hotel – the Casona de San Andres. I guess I should have known I would be getting what I paid for… The problem was that I was in Seville during Feria which meant all the hotel rates were literally double. So I had to rough it here a bit. Ha ha. No, it wasn’t that bad, but definitely not plush. The shower flooded, I found 3 ants in my room & the breakfast consisted of white toast. But the hotel was clean (other than those 3 ants!) and really in a prime location. It’s around the corner from El Corte Ingles and Calle Sierpes. So I can’t complain too much, although I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re looking for cheap.

I absolutely loved Seville. It is so charming. Although I found the streets extremely confusing to navigate. It is a beautiful city. And the people there are so kind and warm. Which is what I found in all of Spain. My knowledge of Spanish is extremely limited and definitely not everyone speaks English. But I always found a way to communicate. I also thought the Spanish have a very vibrant culture and a real joy for life. I always felt a happy and joyous spirit wherever I went. Also, as a side note, I felt completely safe in all of Spain, even being a woman traveling alone. I had read reports about pickpockets and was slightly nervous, but I honestly believe if you are aware, you are very unlikely to be a target.

Now back to Seville – I spent 3 days here and saw so many wonderful things. I’ll try to break up my report so it’s easy to read. So here is what I did in Seville in a nutshell-

The sites-
Cathedral – I was blown away by the enormity of it. It was beautiful – a definite must-see in my opinion. My favorite part was climbing up the Giralda Tower. It was a bright, sunny day and the views of the city were just amazing. I definitely recommend going to the top. Yes, you climb a lot of ramps, but it’s worth it.

Alcazar – I liked the inside of it, but I really think the gardens deserve the most time. They are so lush & gorgeous.

Casa de Pilatos – Definitely make a trip here if you have time. The mosaic work is unbelievable! And for a few extra euros, you can pay to take a tour of the rooms on the upper levels. I definitely recommend doing that – it was really interesting hearing about the history and seeing how the rooms were decorated.

Plaza de Espana & Parque Maria Luisa – Another must-see in my opinion. I know, I have lots of “must sees”. But so many things just took my breath away - I can’t pick just a few! Plaza de Espana is so amazing & grand. And the park across the street was really lovely and peaceful. A great area to just stroll around.

Torre del Oro – For me, not much to see here. But it’s a gorgeous structure by the river. Again, climb to the top for some nice views. But nothing like the views from the Giralda Tower. If you only want one climb in Seville, do it at Giralda! Ha ha

Activities-
Feria – As I mentioned I was in Seville during Feria, which is a big festival. I am so glad I got to see this! It was really cool to see how the locals celebrate. They hold Feria across the river – it was quite a walk – but I just followed the flamenco dresses! Ha ha. It was just so cool! There are rows and rows of “casetas” which are private booths where people eat and party. Then there is also a huge carnival complete with rides and game booths. The atmosphere here was so fun & joyful. All the women in their flamenco dresses – just dancing in the streets! It was really so cool and definitely an experience I’ll never forget. If anyone is ever in Seville during Feria, definitely go and check it out. Be prepared for it to be really crowded, but you just get such a feel for how the people of Seville celebrate. And no, you can’t go into the casetas unless you’re invited. But it doesn’t matter, it’s just fun to walk around and people-watch.

Bullfight – I definitely wasn’t sure about doing this, but I wanted to experience all that Spain has to offer, so I thought I would try it. What can I say – it was tough to watch. There were 3 scheduled bullfights. I only stayed for the first one and left after that. Which was not easy I have to say – in the Plaza de Toros in Seville – there are no aisles or walkways in the arena. You literally have to climb over people to get to your seat. I felt like a trapped sardine. It was quite an experience. Everyone is so into the bullfight, the arena is very quiet for most of the fight. But to be honest, it was just so brutal to watch and I felt very sad for the bull. Yes, I knew the bull would be killed before I got there, but that just doesn’t make it any easier to watch. So I am glad I went to experience it, but once is enough, never again. I did meet some really kind old men here. They didn’t speak a word of English, but were trying very hard to explain to me how the bullfight works and offered me snacks. Just one example of the kindness of Spanarids!

Bus tour – I took the hop on/off bus around Seville. Not a bad way to spend an hour – it gives you a highlight of the big sites of the city.

Flamenco Show – I did my homework and as recommended on this board, I went to Casa de la Memoria. I have to say, it wasn’t entirely what I expected. Maybe I expected more of a “production”. But it was very low key – a tiny little stage with 1 singer, 1 guitarist and a male and female flamenco dancer. I thought the guy was a better dancer. It was ok, but I wish I had time to check out another show. I wonder if I would have liked something else better.

Shopping-
I think if I lived in Spain, I would go broke! The shopping was great. There are tons of shops in the Calle Sierpes and Calle Tetuan area. I got several cute tops for fairly cheap. It depends what your style/age is – but I loved the stores Festa & Zara. And there are plenty of souvenir shops too in this area and also in Barrio Santa Cruz.

Food-
If you like sweets, you will like Seville! I have a big sweet tooth & loved the “churros y chocolate”. So yummy! Also the “gofres” – waffles with chocolate on them. There were also lots of ice cream shops.

For a quick bite, I discovered “Pans & Company” – it’s a chain fast food type place (also in Madrid). Nothing fancy, but a great place to stop for a bocadillo.

For drinks & dancing, try Azucar de Cuba. It’s just down the street from Torre del Oro. This place had a wonderful atmosphere – I just sat and sipped my pina colada. They had a live singer and the crowd was dancing salsa! So fun – it definitely got me in the spirit of Spain.

Ok, I think I covered most everything from Seville…From here, I took the AVE train to Cordoba. That will be Part 2. It might take me some time to finish this trip report, but I wanted to get it started. Everyone has been so kind on this board and I really want to give back. So please let me know if you have any questions, or if you think I can improve my trip report in any way. Thanks!

Can't wait to hear more...

Nice report, Lolly, but you know Zara is a clothing store all over the US and Europe?

Add me to the "can't wait to hear more" camp. I admire you for doing this on your own. I have heard that is not so easy to see the Feria unless you are "invited" into some of the tents - but it sounds like you were able to check it out!

Looking forward to hearing about Cordoba and Madrid!

I'm so glad people are enjoying my report. I wasn't sure if it would be interesting to anyone. I am no Maitaitom (I love his reports!).

Travelgirl2, you are another who writes wonderful trip reports. I read your summer journey with your family and always looked forward to your next installment.

Girlspytravel, I do know there are Zaras in the US. But I'm in the Midwest and we don't have them. We only got H&M last year. We are deprieved!

Rialtogrl, I think I was one of the only tourists at Feria. But that is part of what made it so cool! It was definitely a site to see. One of the good things about travelling alone is that you blend in more I think. There were several times when people would approach me in a store or on the street asking me questions in Spanish, thinking I was a native. Now, that was funny!

Anyway, I was able to type up Part 2 of Cordoba. It's shorter since I was only there a few hours...

Part 2 Cordoba-
I booked my tickets for the AVE online and picked them up at the train station. This was really easy to do, just make sure you have your record locater number and the credit card you used to purchase them. I found all the train stations in Spain to be really well laid out and easy to figure out. And I loved the AVE train. It was such a smooth ride. You even get headphones & a movie. Plus free candy at the end! I would take the train anywhere – it’s a great way to travel!

I hopped on the train from Seville to Cordoba – a quick ride – only about 40 minutes. I got off in Cordoba, then had to go about the task of trying to figure out how to store my luggage. This was the one part of the trip that stressed me out a bit prior to leaving – I don’t know why because it turned out to be easy – but I was worried. Mainly worried about being able to handle my luggage and storing it in Cordoba. I ended up bringing a 24” suitcase & a duffle. No problem at all to manage & store. Figuring out the lockers at Cordoba proved slightly challenging & comical. A nice security guard tried to help me, but he spoke no English & speak basically no Spanish, so there was a lot of miming going on. Ha ha. But again, everyone in Spain was so helpful and kind!

From the train station, you can take the bus into the center of Cordoba to get to the Mezquita. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing, but the nice bus driver told me when to get off. Honestly, I don’t know if I just got lucky and ran into kind people but everyone was wonderful in Spain! It was a short walk from the bus stop to the Mezquita past shops and restaurants. I found a cute pair of shoes here (1 of the 3 pairs I bought in Spain!). Yes, I told you if I lived there, I’d go broke! Ha ha

I got to the Mezquita around 11am and it was quite crowded with lots of groups of schoolchildren. But that didn’t matter at all, because once you walk in, everything else will just fade around you and you will be in awe!

I won’t even try to describe the splendor of the Mezquita because words can’t do it justice. It was absolutely amazing and I am so, so glad I listened to the advice here and made a stop there. It’s a really easy stop if you’re on route from Seville to Madrid and I highly recommend it. The Mezquita is not to be missed. I spent at least a couple hours in there, just marveling at its beauty. I don’t know how many times I can use the adjective amazing, but it really was.

After the Mezquita, I walked around the neighboring streets a bit. They are quite charming & narrow with lots of tourist shops. Then I took a taxi back to the train station. The sun I enjoyed so much in Seville was gone and it was raining, so I just wasn’t motivated to figure out the bus situation. The taxi was about 8 euros I think so definitely worth it.

Got back to the station, retrieved my luggage with no problem (whew!) and settled back onto the AVE for the trip to Madrid.

Part 3 Madrid...to be continued...

Lolly100

What a great trip report. We were in Seville at exactly the same time and also took the short AVE train trip to Cordoba for a one night stop there. It's a coool rail service isn't it?

We too were pleased that we visited Seville at the time of the Feria. The colors were amazing as was the atmposhere. We also went to a bullfight (April 23rd). Unfortunately, it didn't turn out at expected (if you want to read the whole 'sad' story click my name). All in all though I loved the city. We also visited Granada and the Alhambra which we enjoyed very much.

Your style of writing is great. I also did a trip report but the detail you have gone into makes me want to write it all over again LOL.

Many thanks

joe

Hi Lolly,

Thank you for coming back and telling us about your marvelous trip.

You are a great report writer!

Can't wait to hear what you thought of Madrid!

Lolly, Thank you for the report! Can't wait to hear about Madrid! pp

Wonderful report!

I look forward the the Madrid portion too.

Yes, I'm broke :)) Not because of the shopping though...

Looking forward the rest of your report, I'm glad you had a good time round here !!

Lolly100 - great trip report. I'm the same age as you (well ok i'm 30) and I love traveling by myself. On a whole I think it's highly underrated :)

Thanks for posting this brilliant report, Lolly. I'm really enjoying your writing, and you've given me some great ideas for a future trip to Spain.

Lolly - looking forward to your Madrid report. I was in Seville and Cordoba in March so was interested in your take on it, which is pretty much the same as mine was. I'm going to Madrid in July, so really want ato hear what you saw and did there. And although I was with my sister in law in March, in July I'll be solo, so hope you have some good tips for solo females in Mardrid.

I am so happy people are enjoying my trip report! I enjoyed my trip so much, so I'm glad to share my experiences.

joe - How funny we were in Seville at the same time! Wasn't Feria amazing - I loved seeing all the beautiful flamenco dresses. And I'm glad to know I'm the not the only who thinks that 1 bullfight is enough.

isabel - I'm working on the Madrid part now & will hopefully post later today. You were so helpful to me, so I definitely hope my trip report gives you an ideas as a solo female traveller in Madrid. You will love it!

I am leaving for Seville and madrid later this week, I can't wait to hear about the Madrid portion of your trip!

As promised, here is the Madrid portion. I hope you enjoy it!

Part 3 Madrid-
I got off at Madrid Atocha, and wow, it is some train station! It looks like a tropical jungle inside. Pretty cool. I took a taxi to my hotel – the Room Mate Mario. I absolutely loved this hotel & can’t recommend it enough! After coming from the hotel I didn’t like that well in Seville, this was a total change. As soon as I opened the door to my room, I immediately felt comfortable and happy. The hotel is decorated very modern & funky. I loved it. The pictures on its website accurately portray how it is – but it’s even better in person! The staff was especially wonderful – all young, hip guys who spoke English – so I was quite happy about that! Ha ha. And the breakfast was great – a lot better than the white toast in Seville! Lots of good options – breads, fruits, meats, cheeses, cereal, yogurt, etc. The Room Mate Mario is located right off the Plaza Isabel & Opera metro stop, so it’s very convenient. It’s easy walking distance to Plaza Mayor & Puerta del Sol too. I can’t recommend this hotel enough – I loved everything about it and would definitely stay here again.

I’ll try to break up the Madrid portion of my trip as I did for Seville-

Sites-

Prado – I’m not sure what to say here because to be honest, I was underwhelmed at the Prado. I guess maybe because you hear so much about it & it gets so much hype – so my expectations were high. But I was a little disappointed. I thought the collection would be bigger and have more depth. But that is just my opinion & believe me, I certainly do not claim to be a museum expert by any means. I also visited on a rainy afternoon when it was absolutely packed, so it was pretty tough to actually enjoy any of the artwork. So that probably contributed to my feeling about the Prado.

Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum – I felt the exact opposite here as I did at the Prado. I was extremely impressed with this museum. It far exceeded my expectations! I loved the layout – you can follow the artwork in chronological order. And I thought their collection was amazing. There were many paintings I discovered that I absolutely loved. I really enjoyed this museum. Plus, it was alot less crowded than the Prado, making it more enjoyable for me. I would highly recommend this museum. In my opinion, it’s definitely worth the time. I’ll probably get bashed from the Prado lovers for saying this, but I would choose the Thyssen over the Prado any day!

Royal Palace – I really enjoyed touring the palace. You only have access to a small portion of it, but it’s definitely interesting to see the opulence the royals used to live in. And the frescoes on the ceilings were really beautiful. When you walk in & see the grand staircase, it’s quite a site. My best tip here is get there early – I actually got there right when it opened, which was great. I felt like I had the whole place to myself and I think enjoyed it much more because of this. Also, be sure to check out the views of Madrid from the central courtyard – gorgeous! There are also gardens by the Royal Palace. I think they are called Campo de Moro? Please anyone correct me if I’m wrong. But they are beautiful, and again you have great views of the Madrid skyline.

Plaza Mayor- I experienced Plaza Mayor in all its glory at several different times & it was interesting to see how it was different. In the pouring rain, let me tell you, it is deserted! But once the sun comes out, it is filled with people and such a fun, vibrant place to just soak in all in. I did feel like it was primarily tourists there, but that is ok. My favorite time at Plaza Mayor was at twilight, right when the sun was setting & all the lights come on. It was really magical. Around Plaza Mayor, there are some cafes & lots of tourist shops.

Puerta del Sol – I guess they call this the hub of Madrid, and for me it sure was because all the big shopping streets converge here! Ha ha. It was always a really busy area from mid-day until late at night. Great area to walk around.

Plaza de Espana – This was actually one of my favorite spots in Madrid. It’s a gorgeous monument, especially on a sunny day with all the beautiful fountains. I just sat on a bench for a while and enjoyed the beauty of it. It’s just a site to look at, but I found it to be a really special place. I’d definitely recommend taking a walk over there if possible.

Gran Via – If you’re at the Plaza de Espana, you might as well take a stroll down the Gran Via. I felt like this area captured hustle & bustle of Madrid. Again, lots of shopping here and I noticed some theaters too.

Palacio de Communicaciones, Cibeles fountain, Banco de Espana, Metropolis building & Poseidon fountain – These buildings & fountains are all near each other, so it’s a nice stroll around the Paseo del Prado to get to see them all. I’m personally a big fan of fountains, I just find them enchanting. That’s one of the things I love about Europe and I really enjoyed these two. The Palacio de Communicaciones is such a beautiful building – I cannot believe it’s a post office ! The Banco de Espana and Metropolis buildings are really beautiful, older buildings too.

Retiro Park – I had my biggest “wow” moment of the trip in Retiro Park. I walked over one evening, just after the rain had stopped and the sun was coming out. So everything was very green and lush from the rain. I entered from the south side I think and saw some pretty purple flowers, then I turned the corner, and WOW. I saw the lake and the amazing lakeside monument – I’m not sure what it is called? If anyone knows the “official” name, please let me know. But I’m sure you know the one I mean, with all the steps leading down to the lake. I’m not quite sure what struck me so much about seeing it, but I just fell in love with the place! It’s just so grand and beautiful. I just could not stop staring at it. Then I walked around to the other side to sit on the steps and to just soak it all in. It was fairly quiet at the park while I was there, but there were still quite a few people just relaxing there. And I noticed lots of joggers too. I would love to come back during the summer when I would imagine the park really comes to life. I saw lots of ice cream stands & picnic tables, but they were all closed. I’m not sure if that was due to weather or time of day? After I soaked in the beauty by the lakeside, I walked over to the Crystal Palace. This is another gorgeous spot and I was lucky enough to be there at a perfect time. As the sun began to set, it was gleaming off this structure and was so pretty! I really wish I had more time at Retiro, but it was beginning to get dark & I’m not dumb enough to be a single girl roaming around a park at night! So unfortunately I had to leave, but I definitely wish I had more time to explore the park – it was beautiful!

Salamanca district – This area isn’t too far from Retiro and seemed to be a nice residential neighborhood. I noticed lots of cute shops & restaurants. And what really struck me was how much the architecture reminded me of Paris. In fact, I thought this was true in several areas of Madrid. I’d see several buildings and think of Paris. Does anyone else think this, or is it just me?

Austrias district – This area is near Plaza Mayor. I believe it’s one of the older neighborhoods in Madrid It was cool to walk around – there were lots of narrow little streets and neat old churches.

A note on all the sites – As you can see, I did a lot of walking in Madrid. Even in the rain! I really felt like this was the best way to see the city for me. I really enjoyed seeing the different neighborhoods & monuments. I also found Madrid to be really easy to navigate. I thought it was funny because Seville is much smaller, but so much more confusing! Madrid was a piece of cake. I also took the metro too when I was just too tired to walk! I bought a ten-ride card for about 6 euros I think (otherwise it’s 1 euro per ride). And that was great. The Metro is also really easy. It’s so well laid out and really easy to follow. Another note – I always felt completely safe everywhere I went in Madrid. I had read several posts about pickpockets in Spain, so I was a little wary being a solo woman traveler. However, I always felt safe even in the metro stations. And even at night. Now I wasn’t out that late – I probably got back to the hotel around 11pm each night – but I think as long as you are cautious and aware of your surroundings, it is fine.

Shopping, shopping and more shopping-
Really I would be broke, if I lived in Spain! I loved the shopping. I found the clothes & shoes to be much more vibrant and colorful than what I normally see in the US. Plus, I saw lots of fabulous jewelry. (although I sadly couldn’t afford most of that!)

Puerta del Sol – This is quite the hub of shopping. All the streets radiating around it like Alcala, Mayor and San Jeronimo have lots of stores. There is a huge El Corte Ingles and FNAC (department stores). Plus several multi-level stores like sFera, Zara, etc. Some of these stores seemed huge to me because they had 3+ levels of women’s clothes. I was like a kid in a candy store ! ha ha. And speaking of candy, there is a store at the Puerta del Sol called Violetas. It sells the most interesting violet candies. I can’t really describe the taste – maybe of lavender? And they come in the prettiest little boxes – I bought a few for unique gifts.

Plaza Mayor – This area has lots of tourist shops. But I found some great little items for gifts. If you like jewelry, check out the damasquinado. It is the signature style of Toledo and really pretty. I’m glad I bought it here since I never made it to Toledo (more on that later…). I know what I bought was probably not genuine or hand-crafted since it was fairly inexpensive, but it’s still pretty. I bought several pairs of earrings to give to friends and those were a big hit because it’s such a unique style of jewelry. And speaking of jewelry, I fell in love with the Majorica line. It’s made with Mallorca pearls and really had some unique designs. Many stores sell it, including El Corte Ingles. Again, nothing too fancy – I’m a girl on a budget here! (well at least I try to be…) Prices range from about 50-125 euros. They were just beautiful. I bought a necklace for myself and it’s one of my favorite purchases.

Gran Via – If you can’t find what you want around Puerta del Sol or Plaza Mayor, head over to the Gran Via area. Again, more tourist shops and more chain stores.

Salamanca – Unfortunately I was in this neighborhood at night, so all the shops were closed. But they looked really cute – there were some chain stores, but there also seemed to be more smaller, unique boutiques. Probably a good thing they were closed, it saved my pocketbook!

Shopping mall at Principe Pio – I know, how pathetic is it to go to Europe and end up at a shopping mall. But the first night I arrived in Madrid, I was exhausted and it was raining so this seemed like a good option. And I don’t regret it one bit – I found the cutest red shoes at another inexpensive store called Blanco for 13 euros! This mall connects to the metro stop Principe Pio, which is a major stop and was only 1 stop away from the Opera stop where my hotel was located. It was just a typical mall – the usual stores, food court, movie theater, etc. Nothing too exciting, but it was a good way for me to avoid the rain that night. Plus it was kind of fun to just be among the locals of Madrid, who were also just hanging around the mall on a rainy night.

Alright, I’ll wrap up the shopping segment because I’m sure the men reading this have had enough by now! But one quick note on shopping. In Seville, I found that most shops did close for siesta (usually between about 2-5pm). However, in Madrid, I did not find this to be the case. It seemed like most stores were open all day, with the exception of maybe the small mom/pop owned shops.

Food-
Now I’m not a big foodie. In fact, I really don’t like meat or seafood very much (yes, I’m picky), so I think the great dining of Spain was probably lost on me. But despite that, I always felt like there were plenty of options of things I did like. But I don’t have a whole lot of recommendations for dining. I would eat such a huge breakfast at my hotel, that I would usually just end up snacking the rest of the day. But here are some noteworthy things I tried:

Patatas bravas – These are little potatoes with some type of white/red sauce. I’d love to know how the sauce is made because I could not quite place the taste. Does anyone know? My best guess was mayo & a thin salsa, but that can’t be right! Ha ha

Tortilla – Now I did know enough Spanish to know that this did not mean a Mexican style tortilla – the flat bread that you wrap fajitas in. In Spain, it is an egg-type concoction. Compared to US food, most like a quiche I guess. The type I had was egg & potato and really good. I noticed this is eaten for breakfast, but I ate mine at lunch on a sandwich.

HAM! – Unfortunately, like I said I’m not a big meat eater. But I was in Spain, so I had to try to the ham! It wasn’t too bad, sliced really thinly. But yeah, I’m just not a big fan of ham, whether it’s in the US or in Spain. Oh well, I tried. But there is ham everywhere! So many stores with just rows and rows of it. So if you like ham, you are in for a real treat.

Fresh squeezed OJ – I noticed this in both Seville & Madrid. The orange juice is freshly squeezed and in my opinion tastes so much better than the sugary juices you find in the US. Definitely have some with your breakfast!

Nightlife-
I was in Madrid 3 nights and spent one at the mall (ha ha) and the other 2 at some local bars. Unfortunately nothing particularly memorable. I don’t even remember the names of the bars. One was around the corner from my hotel – just a local neighborhood place. Great drinks though, I had a delicious mojito. The other one was near Puerta del Sol, I ordered sangria here and was so disappointed. One of my stereotypes of Spain was that they drink lots of good sangria…whether this is true or not, I don’t know. But the glass I had was terrible! It tasted more like sour Kool-Aid than sangria. I should have known though, I was near the Puerta del Sol so I probably fell into a tourist trap bar with bad sangria. But that’s ok – just another excuse for me to go back to Spain – in search of the perfect sangria! Ha ha

My attempt (and failure) to visit Toledo-
This was one portion of my trip that if I could go back in time, I would probably change. But at the time, I just didn’t know what to do. On my last day in Madrid, I felt satisfied that I had seen quite a bit there, so I thought I’d take a quick trip to Toledo. At my hotel, I looked on line and saw that the Renfe Avant trains run there from the Atocha station and only take about 30 minutes to get there. Perfect, right? Well, not so perfect if you don’t plan ahead…

I took the metro to the Atocha station and arrived about 30 minutes before a train was scheduled to depart. I thought this would be plenty of time to buy a ticket and get to the platform. From what I experienced in Seville & Cordoba, this would be easily do-able. Well, the Madrid station is a whole other story – it was a zoo! I arrived at the metro stop & followed the signs to the Renfe trains. There were wall-to-wall people everywhere. The lines for tickets were so long. It took me a while to figure out that there was one line for tickets if you want to travel that day & one line for tickets for future travel. You had to take a number to get in line for travel that day & there were over 40 people ahead of me! And the line was not moving quickly. There was no way I would make that train, and the next one didn’t leave for another 2+ hours.

I did notice self-serve machines and tried to use one, but with no success. For some reason, I couldn’t find Toledo to select as my destination. I saw every other city. I don’t know if I just got confused or what, but I gave up on the self serve machine because I was just standing there clueless, and there was a line of people starting to form behind me.

At this point, I had to make a decision…to wait in the long line to buy a ticket and catch the next train, or just give up! Well the thought of sitting 3 hours in Atocha wasn’t particularly appealing, so I opted to leave and see more of Madrid.

I really do wish I had been able to go to Toledo, but it just wasn’t meant to be. In hindsight, I should have bought the Renfe tickets either 1) online or 2) I have heard there are travel desks in El Corte Ingles. So please learn from me – don’t go to Madrid Atocha with the expectation of buying a Renfe ticket and hopping on a train quickly. Either buy your tickets beforehand, or allow yourself plenty of time. I should also note this was on a Friday afternoon, so it may have been a little more crowded than normal, maybe people traveling for the weekend?

Just another excuse to return to Spain – I need to see Toledo! But it was nice to spend a little extra time in Madrid. I loved the city. I had read mixed reviews on this site about Madrid – some love it, some hate it. Definitely count me in the “love it” camp! I don’t see how you couldn’t love it. I enjoyed all my time there, and even while I was trudging through the rain!

So I think I’ve covered all the highlights that I saw in Seville, Cordoba & Madrid. Now for some final thoughts & lasting impressions…

I expected to like Spain, but I did not expect to “fall in love” as my report title says! I really loved everything about Spain – the beauty of the sites (Cathedral in Seville, Mezquita); the joy of the people; the relaxed atmosphere of the culture; the warmth of Southern Spain; the faster paced life of the big city of Madrid. I could go on and on… Spain is my third country in Europe. I have also been to London & Paris. While I definitely enjoyed London & Paris and would like to return there also someday, I don’t feel those two cities really “called” to me as Spain did.

I am seriously trying to figure out how I can go back again (and soon!). Ah, a girl can dream. Unforunately, time off work and money says otherwise. But I would love to go to Barcelona, and maybe the coast.

I hope you enjoyed my trip report. I’ll continue to add things as I remember them. And please let me know if you have any questions, or want more detail. This board was so helpful to me prior to my trip, so I’d be more than happy to help others if I can.

What a great report! How cool to think that exactly 2 weeks from now I will be on my way there.

Lolly I have printed out your report and I am putting notes on the side

The sauce on "patatas bravas" range from mayonaisse and ketchup type hot sauce, to the best Alioli and hot sauce.

these patatas are dangerous. one of my favoirte things here.(after grilled squid with parsley and garlic oil.)

actually, every place makes them a bit differently.

Thanks Lolly for the Madrid installment. Really enjoyed reading your report!

L100,

Wonderful report!! We were in Seville and Madrid about the same time you were. Those flemenco dresses in Seville were really something. While they're normally brought out just once a year for the fair, I couldn't help but notice how well Spaniards (men and women) tended to dress in general. There were tons of shops in Seville and Madrid featuring beautiful (and expensive) dresses in their display windows, unlike the US where such dresses tend to be relegated to a few department stores and some specialty shops. I kept wondering how the average Spaniard could afford them. We were told that fashion is a priority there and I can believe it.

I'd read beforehand that the Sangria there should be avoided and I, too, now know why........

Welcome home.