Train to Barcelona

I was so surprised by the new security added at the train stations.  Madrid Atocha station was bombed several years ago.  They now have a scanner for all luggage (but no metal detector for people).  Only ticketed passengers can access the platforms.  

Our train reached up to 300 km = approx 160 mph.  The pictures from the window turned out pretty clear given how fast we were moving.  I was surprised to see how arid some of the land was (both on the trip to Toledo to the south and to Barcelona to the north).  The landscape varied quite a bit.  I thought I would nap, but kept taking more pictures. 

The area to the north of Madrid was less populated and less industrial than to the south.  I didn't see a lot of towns or major roads. 

It was mostly rolling fields that were irrigated. 

About an hour and half into the ride, the foothills got bigger.

We saw some vineyards, a lot of olive trees, some fields that had what looked like wheat, and a lot of unidentified agriculture. 

There was one place in the trip that had some wind farms in the distance. 

At another spot, it looked like we were passing through New Mexico, with canyons and layered rock that was quite pretty.