Sept 24-25 travel to Spain and Sevilla, first sights

 How to begin to illustrate the "bucket list" trip?  I will have to do quite a few blogs, and some will be quite long, but I think you will enjoy my trip, and see some things I have wanted to see all of my life. 

So we start with the trip to Spain on the 24th, an eight-hour flight to Madrid, a train ride (at 300 K per hour, or 180 MPH) to Seville, limo to Hotel Soho Boutique Sevilla, quite wonderful.  

And a first visit to a small church in the neighborhood, and a walk over to the Metropol Parasol, the largest wooden structure in the world, and a great way to overlook the city. 

Here we go. 

Two free seats beside me!  What a gift.  And about the only seats free on the plane!

Madrid Airport

My high-speed train to Seville

Other photos just for Alex. When Alex heard that I got to ride at 300 K an hour, he texted me "How dare You!".  Ah, jealousy. 

The very comfortable train compartment.  

The Spanish countryside, including young olive trees. 

Arrival

Lobby of the Hotel Soho Boutique Seville.

A dining area. 

After checking in, I went out to find my first church.  This is St. Andres, a tiny church
just around the corner from my hotel.  

This building was Mudejar, or Muslim architecture, transformed like much of Spain, into
a Christian church.

Perfect Mudejar dome.

And my first Spanish pipe organ, with its trumpets. 

For dinner, I wandered over to the Metropol Parasol, the largest wooden structure in the world. 

Thank God there was an elevator.  I had twisted my knee getting off the train, and my leg
was in considerable pain.

On top, walkways to roam over the top and see Seville

And looking forward to tomorrow, the great Cathedral of Seville, the third largest church in the world, 
after St. Peter's and St. Paul's in London.  The tower is all that is left of the great mosque, turned into a 
bell tower, and topped with Christian architecture.