Spain 2016 - Madrid, first impressions.

Crappy nights sleep and out to the train station way too early. There is nobody around at 8:30 am on a Sunday in Seville, except the other woman waiting for the bus who was going to run her first 5km race and was excitedly nervous, so her English was great fun.
Breakfast at the train station and then just wandered and looked at the shops til 10a.m. when the track was identified.

Santa Justa is a pretty slick train station and

the trains are pretty slick too.

Had to go through x-ray and security before getting on. I told them about my knife (for cutting up apple and cheese) and they said OK and waved me through. (Security at the Archives yesterday took it away and returned it when I left).
These high speed trains are amazing, within 5 minutes we were speeding through the countryside at 150 km/hr. Later in the trip I noticed we were doing 250 km/hr. We were in Cordoba in 45 minutes and Madrid took 2 hours and a half. Its a smooth ride but you can't look at anything close, because you are going too fast, have to look at things that are at least in the middle distance.
Madrid train station was huge and I just found a taxi and gave him the address, the hotel was quite close (just a 6 Euro ride) but I didn't want the stress or the dragging the suitcase along.
Settled into my room, the Hostal is on the 3rd story but at least it has an elevator, and then went to the tourist office and walked the streets trying to get my bearings.
Supper was, I'm embarrassed to say, Indian (Chicken Korma) but I couldn't find a decently priced Spanish style restaurant and I felt like Indian. Now in my room early and hoping for a good solid nights sleep. There will be a lot of walking tomorrow and one difference I have already noticed, Madrid has hills!