Sevilla is about a two hour train ride south from Madrid. The station is very close to the old city center. The first thing you notice at this time of year (May) is the purple trees that are a dissonance to the eye. You expect green leaves and white flowers on the trees, but the purple reigns supreme in this city this time of year...

We had last been in Barcelona fifteen years ago. Oh, what a difference time makes. In that short time one of the key attractions in the city has transformed. We decided to make our first full day a Gaudi day. Antonin Gaudi is the legendary architect who transformed this city a century ago, and whose disciples are finishing his master work: Sagrada Familia. This landmark basilica was first conceived in 1866, but the cornerstone was not laid until 1882...

On our recent visit to the Spanish port city we had an opportunity to eat three evening meals. Our hotel was the Sheraton Four Points on the Diagonal in the Sant Mari district. According to one taxi driver the area where the Sheraton was built had been an industrial area where all the manufacturing jobs fled to Morocco, the Philippines and Thailand. Many of the office buildings here are new and the architecture is eye-popping...

The main train station in Madrid, Estasio Puerto de la Atocha, is located near the historic center of the city. We checked into the Tryp Hotel Atocha, which is only a short distance from the train station on one of the streets that runs from the train station to the Plaza Mayor or Main Square. This location is within walking distance of the primary attractions we wanted to see in this city...

Maybe the third time is supposed to be the best. I always thought the first time was, but when it comes to visits to Chile, our third time revealed a depth and breadth that we had not perceived on our earlier visits. Maybe it is because by now, Mauricio, our guide is like an old friend...