We were up and at ‘em early to catch the train to Seville. We left 2 hours early to make sure we wouldn’t get caught in traffic. It was clear sailing into the Malaga train station, so we needn’t have worried so much. All this extra time let us survey the breakfast options (grim) and we eventually opted for a breakfast sandwich at the Dunkin Donuts stand (yes, really, a Dunkin Donuts). We wandered about and then took our breakfast sandwiches and coffee through security and out to our train. As we settled into our seats, we were getting excited about the train trip. Trains are a great way to travel. Both of us get to look out the window without worrying about car traffic, highway exits, roundabout exits and all that other stuff that requires we stay on our toes. How lovely to watch the countryside go by, read, nap, and go to the restroom without having to go search one out!
On our way out of Malaga, there were numerous tunnels during the first hour as we climbed through the mountains to our north before turning west to Seville. This trip recalled our first couple of visits to the UK where we had BritRail passes and relied on the train for transportation from one town to the next. Lots of beautiful scenery as we worked our way to Seville.
Right on time the train pulled into the Seville San Bernardo train station, we exited the train and climbed the stairs (this station is shared with the Seville subway) to a bright sunny afternoon. Our hotel was a short 10-minute stroll from the station, where they allowed us to check in early. Then, we headed out for a late lunch at an American-style café – Kent had beef, green beans, tomatoes, and fries while Anna enjoyed a club sandwich and fries. (All we can say about it was it was convenient and we were hungry!)
Supposedly we could buy our 3-day transportation passes at one of the kiosks, but no one told the kiosks. We bought the only thing the kiosk would sell us – a tram ticket down to the next station where we could buy them from real people. The pass was good value, giving us unlimited travel on buses and the tram. From there, we took the tram down to the Cathedral. We were still a bit tired (neither of us slept well the night before and we didn’t do anything more than doze on the train trip), so we decided just to explore for a bit rather than making a major excursion.
We marveled at the magnificence (and size, it's HUGE!) of the Seville Cathedral as we hopped off the tram and made a mental note to make time for a visit tomorrow. Then, we wandered through the streets in search of the Flamenco Museum, where we had reservations for a flamenco show the following evening. Colorful buildings and tilework caught our attention as we negotiated the maze of winding streets. On our way back to the tram, we stopped in the Plaza del Triunfo to check out the fountain, statues, and nearby shops. We stopped by a market on the way back to the hotel and grabbed cheese, crackers, wine, and fruit for dinner. Kent soaked in the tub, then we watched fútbol (soccer) on the telly – Yay! (We've been fútbol deprived since our TV at the apartment doesn't get many channels.) The Seville team was playing later that evening – we could follow the match by the cheers from the adjacent pubs when Seville scored (they won, but long after we were asleep!).
