Today was mostly a travel day. We crashed hard last night after he day we had. So it was well timed that today was a three hour train ride to Seville.

Our friends left early, and we barely stirred as they left. We got up, cleaned up the little that wasn’t already done and grabbed some takeaway for breakfast before catching an Uber to the train station.

Madrid Atocha is a really nice train station. The tropical garden inside is a crazy touch, and really adds something to the atmosphere. We arrived through a choking mass of traffic and found our way through security to our section of gates to watch for our train. We didn’t realize that there wouldn’t be much in the way of food or coffee through the security line. But oh well, we’d survive.

The first class cabin on the train was quite nice. Big seats, smooth ride, plenty of spots for luggage. We all took naps on the train, even if just briefly, which was nice.

The ride south from Madrid was overly scenic or impressive. A lot of agricultural use, and not much to look at that didn’t remind me of central PA.

Arriving in Seville was also somewhat uneventful. Nothing particularly awe inspiring about the train station or surrounding area Our Uber driver loaded our bags quickly and we were on off.

The first few turns through the city reminded us is Milan. A sort of aging city that looked a bit rough or rundown in places. And the it happened. The roads almost completely disappeared.

Everything got super narrow and only one car at a time. Our driver, in his Lexus ES, was slow and methodical moving through streets and corners that would make Venice look spacious. Finally, at one particularly challenging spot, we got out. We couldn’t in good conscience let him try to go further.

We walked the rest of the way (maybe 5 minutes), still in disbelief at the roads. Arriving at our Airbnb, we had to wait a few minutes for our host to show up and give us a tour. The apartment is awesome. With 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, there’s plenty of room for us. But the best parts: fourth floor unit with an elevator and a roof top dining and living space dedicated to our unit. The view is great and we already spent a decent amount of time admiring it.

After we were all checked in and had a chance to get some water, we went down to the restaurant literally at the front door of our building for a snack. That snack turned into most of a meal as we ordered roasted peppers, pickled potatoes, tomatoes in herbs and oil, and shaved iberico ham. We ate everything. Even the unexpected tuna that came on the tomatoes. Full recharged, we were ready to set out walking.

As we walked out of lunch we were really impressed with where we were. The little street with no cars surrounded by bars and restaurants. Lively scene with people laughing and enjoying their day sitting outside and taking in life.

The other thing that caught our attention, and it is literally everywhere, the scent of jasmine and orange blossom. There are trees blossoming everywhere and the smell is glorious. Not only are the trees beautiful, but the smell is overwhelmingly present. I can imagine that 20 years from if someone asks me what was my favorite part of Seville, it will be the floral smells that hang in the air.

We headed out toward the Cathedral de Seville, a beautiful building whose belltower is visible from our patio. We will spend time there tomorrow, so we kept walking to the Plaza de España. A fixture of Parque de Maria Luisa, the Plaza is one my favorite things I’ve seen so far in Spain. It was absolutely amazing. Built early in the 20th century it combines North African and Spanish architectural touches into a large public space that is clearly loved and well cared for by Seville’s residents. The small touches, like decorations on the railings and highlighting small surfaces are detailed and ornate in the most tasteful of ways. This building has served as a backdrop from some of my favorite Hollywood items including Naboo from Star Wars and the Kingdom of Dorn in Game of Thrones. This is a must see for anyone visiting Seville.

After seeing the Plaza, we headed deeper into the park. It was really impressive. Between Retiro in Madrid and Maria Luisa here, the Spaniards have the idea of the city park totally figured out. Mary Luisa is full of little gardens and fountains all for different purposes. There are orange trees everywhere, branches drooping heavy with ripe fruit. Eucalyptus trees are mixed in with palms and evergreens. It’s a beautiful place with numerous walking paths, all of which were being used by park goers. Where Retiro had a lot of people simply sitting and relaxing, Mary Luisa was full of runners and walkers and people walking dogs. It was a great place that almost begged you to spend more time.

Walking back from Mary Luisa we talked about we’d see and how much we already like the city. We also made a decision to go to a different place than we’d planned for dinner. We noticed pretty quickly that this is an area that is a bit more challenging for vegetarian options, and when we found a place with vegetarian paella, seemed too good to pass up.

A double order of veggie paella, a single of paella de carne, and a jarro de sangria, and we had a meal. We ate at Casa Funes, right near our Airbnb. It had mixed reviews online, mostly about service, but we had no issues. They were attentive and appreciative of my attempts to speak their language. It was a good price for dinner and we left our hunger behind.

But, we have been conditioned to need dessert. We found a little gelato place that was just off the beaten path and it was the best we’ve had on this trip. We will be going back tomorrow for more. At least once.

We have a lot planned for tomorrow, lots of walking. So we’re starting early at an organic breakfast places who has a great looking menu. Then we should be all fueled up!