I was going to write about my trip in chronological order, but there are a few problems with that, including a fire hose of information and experiences already plus a relatively short gap between this trip and the one to the US. So I think I’m going to start with what I remember and maybe circle back later. Sorry about the two major cliches already. I am tired!

We are in Sevilla, which appears to be the largest of the three cities we have visited, the other two being Granada and Córdoba. We traveled to all of three of them by train, with the first trip from Barcelona to Granada by far the longest. We book first class on trains whenever we can, partly because our travel companions prefer that, and partly because as elderly Spanish residents we each have a Tarjeta Dorado that give us a 40% discount on AVE, so our first impression of Renfe was excellent. On these trains you get a meal if you are going far enough, and the legs from Barcelona to Madrid and Madrid to Granada both qualified; we had a decent meal in front of us within minutes of pulling out of the station. 

How luxurious travel by train can be! It’s so nice to be able to look out the window or walk to the club car or talk to your friends over a table or spend quality time with your Kindle, phone, or computer. There’s Wi-Fi. The train speed ranged to 185 mph, and no, that’s not kilometers per hour, I set the app in a unit I intuitively understand. Even side-by-side seats have two armrests each plus a space in-between where the plugs are.

Do we have trains like this in the US?

We are staying in Airbnbs this trip and finding the usual European apartment differences, including washer sans dryer and sporadic use of elevators (two of three 3rd-floor stays did not have one). It’s hot here, so both hair and clothes dry within minutes of washing. Between stairs and hills we are getting a lot of exercise, which is useful since we are eating very sumptuous meals. You must try the must-tries on vacation!

Today day we signed up for the combination “Alcazar and Cathedral of Seville Tour,” four hours starting at 11:30 when it was only about 89° F. The “largest Gothic cathedral in Europe by volume,” all words required, was first, and included a 12-story climb to the tower (I passed) and a lot of superlatives, including the largest Catholic altar in the world.

I’m the opposite of a Christopher Columbus fan, but for some reason his tomb really appealed to me. The 250 g of remains at this location are in the box being held by the four statues, which represent the Spanish regions of Castile, Aragon, Navarra, and León, with the first two in front. The front statues are smiling because their regions benefitted from the riches released to Spain by CC while the rear statues are downcast because they passed up that chance. Our guide, who was clearly very intense about his job, opined that the cultures and genetic legacies of the indigenous peoples of S. America were preserved due to significant intermarriage between them and their Spanish conquerers, which did not happen in N. America. Our group spent some time today discussing this theory.

There is a lot of artwork in this cathedral, a large choir and organ, many different rooms in many different architecture styles, a display of jeweled treasures, and an orange grove in the courtyard. This portion of the tour took almost three hours and I took so, so many pictures, but if I keep going here I will never get to dinner.

We walked for several minutes from the cathedral to the Alcazar palace in 93°F or so, and at some point I just lost interest. I find standing more taxing than walking, and mostly this was standing and listening to a guide. I also had only one drink of water in almost four hours, and it was hot. The first two stops at the palace were outdoors and I tried to sit on a step, but a guard told me this was not allowed. Once I realized the guards would force me to stand throughout, I decided to give up, and my husband and I went for lunch.

In Cordoba two days ago I bought a new sunhat, wore it for perhaps 24 hours, and left it in a restaurant after dinner. We were leaving the next day before it re-opened so I sent an email declaring it would be a gift to anyone who liked it, and they thanked me. I am a little sad not to have it, but happy thinking of a local person benefitting from my forgetfulness.

In Granada I bruised my foot on a rock in the Alhambra and I have been favoring it ever since. That was about four days ago. It seems to be getting better, but I have been walking everywhere slowly, which will surprise anyone who has walked with me.

In other words, I seem to be aging out of successful traveling on this very first Spain trip! I hope my mind and body will behave better next time. This is only an expat risk for those who take up the expat life on the sunset side.