Cordoba

Cordoba
was absolutely beautiful. The day was gorgeous – not too hot, not too cold, mostly sunny. Upon arrival, I got a map from the tourism office and the lady told me to take bus there to get to the city center with all the old buildings. As I went out into the bus area, a Chinese girl (Lina) stopped me and asked if I knew how to get into the city. I told her what I knew, and she asked if she could join me. She spoke English pretty well and I found out later she has been studying in Ireland for 3 years. She is on a 2 week vacation through Portugal, Spain and Paris.

Inside the Mezquita Catedral

Inside the courtyard of the Mezquita

View over the city.

While I’d left my luggage in a locker at the station, she didn’t know there were lockers, so she was carrying a very large backpack on her back the whole time. I didn’t ask if she knew about until after we were on the bus to the city center. Oops. I felt bad for her all day – me with just a purse and her with this giant bag.

She spoke as much Spanish as I speak French – that is to say, almost none. She was so grateful to have me with her all day. Who would have ever seen the day when I would be the official translator for someone in Spanish? Lol Anyway, I felt quite accomplished. Many of the vendors in Cordoba spoke English, as it is very touristy, but if I tried to speak in Spanish, they usually spoke in Spanish as well.

The first thing we did was go to the Mezquita Catedral. That is, the “Mosque Cathedral,” which which seems to be an anachronism, but I assure you it’s not. Originally, a Christian church was built on the site in the 500s. Then, in 785 the Islamic invasion of Cordoba happened and they began constructing a a huge, gorgeous mosque over the old church. It was such a masterpiece, it was considered the most important sanctuary of Western Islam. It would even come to substitute Damascus as a reference model for other such mosques. Cordoba was reconquered by the Christian King Ferdinand III in 1236, at which point it was used again as a church, and later expanded in the 1500s to add an impressive chapels, transept and choir.

All in all, it was totally worth the 8 euro entry fee and also happens to be a World Heritage Site. (BTW – Spain has either the most or the second most World Heritage sites in the world).

Old Roman wall

After that, we walked around the city, stopping for a quick visit to a museum that is a home from 1,000 years ago. The city reminded me a lot of Venice in that it had many narrow, cobbled streets, many tourist shops, window boxes full of colorful flowers, and gypsies trying to sell you things. I liked the architecture and the feel of the town, but all the milling tourists got annoying. (I know, I know, who am I to talk?) But honestly, it gets really annoying when you’re trying to have an authentic experience. Today was also weird because it was the first time that people automatically assumed I was a tourist (which I’m sure had nothing to do with the little Asian girl carrying a giant backpack, a huge camera around her neck, and a large map in her hand. I’m telling you, the Asian tourists here are hysterical.)

So pretty!  Streets here were adorable.

But I was glad to have the company, as was she. I navigated the streets for us, and I’m sure we would have seen a lot less if I hadn’t been. She had to catch a bus to Madrid a couple hours before my train to Sevilla, so after I asked (in Spanish) for directions to a bus stop that would deposit her at the train station, I walked around by myself. I saw a ferris wheel over this bridge that I tried to walk to, but it must have been really big, because the closer I got, the more I realized how far away it really was. Turns out, it was a circus/fair. I really would have loved to go, but I wouldn’t have had the time to make it worth the 10 euros, even if I had been able to walk there quickly. 

Plaza de la Corredera.

I ended up walking all the way back to the train station (thinking the walk was shorter than it actually was), where I got a sandwich for first dinner (I usually have two here, so I refer to them as first and second dinner).   It was just a pollo con queso y tomato baguette.  

I then took a train to Sevilla and am now at my host, Clara's, home.  It is very close to the train station and the main part of Sevilla.  She and her roommate are both from the US and very nice (though they are both sick with colds, so I really hope I don't catch it!).  They made me veggies with a turkey burger and Mexican hot chocolate for dinner (best hot chocolate ever!).  I discovered that I slightly burnt the back of my neck today walking around Cordoba.  Urrggg.  The day didn't feel that hot, but I guess since that's the only spot I forgot to put on sunscreen, it is clear that the sun was more potent than it felt.  

Lina in the Plaza.

I am so excited to re-discover Sevilla tomorrow!