I am standing in a small plaza filled with orange trees. The trees grow out of small square openings in the cobbled ground, filling the air with the smell of sweet blossoms. The surrounding buildings are warm shades of yellow and ochre. People are lounging at small tables, sitting on fanciful white metal chairs, sipping a drink, nibbling a tapa. A man is strumming a guitar. Sevilla. This is the feeling of Sevilla I remember. We spent most of our time searching for a bank and food, and chatting with some Canadians preparing to work at Expo 92. We were lucky to get the beds we did for two nights…

Overnight trains can be an efficient way to cover long distances cheaply on a Eurorail pass. Free accommodation, and you wake up in new country. Our short stay in Madrid started and ended with overnight train rides. Needless to say we arrived in Madrid, from France, exhausted. A side effect of this great efficiency. With a garbage strike in full force, we did not experience Madrid at its best. But we still had a pleasant time. We strolled around Plaza Mayor, picnicked in Parque del Retiro and perused the artwork, including Picasso’s famed Guernica. I ate paella. The second day we went to Aranjuez, described in our guidebook as the…