Hi all,

Just got back from almost a month (!!!!) in Spain - most of it was with my dad but then I had 5 nights to myself. When he left I decided to take the AVE from Madrid to Seville and spend a few days. With 2 hours to research my hotel on the train, I decided that my first choice would be Hostal Goya in the Santa Cruz area.

Glad I did! It has a very central location but is just after a curve in the road that keeps foot and car traffic away for a VERY quiet sleep. I highly recommend it for anyone travelling in the future! My second choice was going to be Hotel Maestranza (Arenal) where I stayed 4+/- years ago. I would recommend that also because 3 of my fav tapas places are on the same street, but I just felt like trying something new.

The staff was so nice, and I got a huge room on the first floor with modern bath for 60 euros. (Price of a single but it had a giant double bed.) Satellite TV, WiFi, and if you need it, they allow pets. My room was so dark, quiet and comfortable at night that the first night I slept 10 hours straight!

The tiny bar next door was a total locals hangout. I stopped in for a beer one day after shopping, took a sip, and looked around. I was the only female and the youngest by at least 20 years :-) I asked the man behind the counter where the rest of the women were and he told me that all the other 'cute girls my age' (I'm 40 for goodness sake) were at school or working but the men were all glad I stopped by!

All other wonderful things about Spain aside... it sure is good for a girl's ego!