Highlights:
Madrid - We landed on a Sunday, and some of the touristy spots were closed. We stayed at Hostal Santa Cruz Sol which had double rooms with private bathrooms for about 58 Euros a night. So we just decided to walk around the area and familiarize ourselves. The location was amazing with Plaza Mayor being within a 2 minute walk.
The Royal Palace was about 15 mins away by walk. Its a beautiful palace. Also, in Madrid, we experienced a nice Flamenco performance (with Sangria). Just a tip - Flamenco performances are much cheaper in Seville. So if you have time in Seville, do go to the Flamenco Museum and you'll get a better deal.
My husband's vegetarian and we were worried he might not get substantial food. But we were pleasantly surprised when we noticed a fast food falafel chain in both Madrid and Barcelona called Maoz Vegetarian. We also had the opportunity to eat Paella Verduras (Vegetables). 
Unfortunately we spent Sunday & Monday in Madrid which was a bad idea since most places are either closed or have limited visiting hours on those days. We could manage a visit to the Guernica at the Reina Sofia Museum. Madrid also gave us a first glimpse of stained glass work 
that we would find in churches everywhere we went.We left for Seville on Tuesday morning via train. I was super impressed with the local transportation. The trains can get expensive compared to regional flights but the convenience could be worth it. Seville brought us architecture with a lot of Moorish influences mixed with the Romanesque style. We did a day long walking tour taking us through the royal palace (Alcazar), Cathedral & Giralda tower.
We also had some good Tapas food at reasonable prices (Taberna Coloniales) recommended to us by a local.
The next day took us to Granada where the main attraction was the Alhambra (it means "red earth"). A walking tour also took us along the narrow streets of the town. I've listed the link below. There was also a really nice view of the city from Plaza San Nichols, and do try some patisseries in the area specifically the chocolate stuffed croissant. It was really good!!
Finally, our last 3 days were spent in Barcelona. The city was nice, but (and this is just my opinion) I was a little disappointed. I like the happy vibe I got from Madrid & Seville, while Barcelona was just too tourist business - like. As the hub for Gaudi's architecture
and Picasso's art, Barcelona definitely did not disappoint. We found a really nice restaurant called Santa Anna that had wonderful Spanish wine and tapas for reasonable prices. Las Ramblas is the tourist hub and it was interesting to see most of the souvenir shops were owned by Indians. I did think Ramblas was a little over rated. 
The Ramblas does have the La Bocqueria Market which is really colorful and has fruits & vegetables are pretty fresh. We had a couple of drinks at Cafe Zurich which is right at the beginning of Las Ramblas and its a really nice place to people watch since the street is active for most parts of the day. The view of the city from Parc Guell was definitely worth the 20 min uphill climb. My most favorite part of Barcelona was our walking tour of Barri Gothic or the Gothic quarter. 
There are 4 columns that are remains from a 1st century BC Roman temple. It was like the Gothic quarter's little secret.
Sagrada Familia is impressive in scale but I liked the interiors of the Santa Maria Del Mar. The Gothic quarter also had a few walls that showed the impact of the 1936 Spanish Civil War like this one. 
We spent the last day in Montjuic mostly where we went to the Palau Nacional. It houses the National Art Museum and its a gorgeous building. I do believe there is a fountain show in the evenings but we didn't have the time to do that.
Spain is a beautiful country. There are so many more things we could have done if we had more time, but I think in the given time, we did a satisfactory trip. If ever I do go back, I'd love to go to the western parts of the country. I have heard the beaches are really pretty. Also, there's this 10 hour drive from Barcelona to Toulose that's supposed to be gorgeous. Its a vacation to remember!
Recommendations incl. books & links:
- Frommers city guide to Barcelona specifically the neighborhood walking tours
- National Geographic Walking tour of Granada
- Pre-booking tickets online for trains, museums specifically Alhambra
- Checking for student discounts (if applicable)
- Using local trains more than taxis - cheaper and sometimes quicker
Things to do differently:
- Fly into one city and out of the other if price is right
- Avoid Mondays in Spain since most museums are closed. Or make Monday relaxed. Missed out on Prado Museum in Madrid
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