A city of about 350,000 people with the economy based on olive and sunflower oil production, cereals and of course tourism. The attraction tourists flock to in Cordoba is the Mosque-Cathedral. We arrived by bus and only a short jaunt to our apartment beside the 'Mezquita' as known locally. Very ebullient host and a great base to explore from. Found the local Carrefour supermercardo to stock up then a stroll before dinner.
Cordoba also has a Roman bridge dating from the 1st century, reconstructed by the Arabs in the 8th century, then again in the 10th and so on always keeping the original Roman design. Goes across the Guadalquivir River.
So in the queue 9am for the Mezquita. Original mosque was built in 786AD. It has been enlarged over the centuries, particularly by the Christians from when they pushed out the Arabs in 1146AD. It was consecrated Catholic in 1236 by adapting the building. The building is now a massive 22,000 sqm.
There are over 800 columns of marble and granite retained from the original 1400
The transept or immense domed ceiling is a feat of engineering in 1523-1607.
Royal chapel/altar. Note the marble bull felled by an eagle below the carved statue to the left.
This is the detail of the gold icon below.
These are mahogany choir stalls. Every single face is different as is every shield above. This is opposite the gothic organs.
An organ with attitude.
So after three hours of incredulity we needed some light relief and went for a walk across the Roman bridge again to what is called the "Fairground". Had been a livestock market years before but now houses hundreds of drinking and eating buildings called Casetas. It also happened to be a spring festival week called Feria de Nuestra Senora de la Salud.....Our Lady of the Health. So lots of dressed up folks making their way to casetas. The irony was not lost on us....days of eating and drinking.
Sign boards showing directions on each corner of the various Casetas.
Everday from 2pm until midnight with singing, dancing and oh so loud musica.
Plenty of horses with carriages taking revellers to and from. Jeff and I were in the tide walking in the other direction. Tapas, sangria in 27C maybe not.
This is part of the Mezquita from the other side of the bridge.
Guadalquivir River probably not swimmable although you can see carp going upstream.
Corner bar at the end of the street, in fact most streets.
Every balcony needs a pair of these.
There is a lambretta motorbike above the bar not sure Reece from Nelsons own Lambretta has any competition though.
The local Jazz Bar.
Jazz starts at 10pm.
Southern Spanish food is standard fare of croquettes, patatas, carne all types and fried anything else. Salads are good with corn, carrot, cucumber, tuna an egg and lettuce but you do have to ensure they do not pour on the salad in dressing. Tomato doing breast stroke not necessary. They do calamari and paellas well. Too be honest food is generally just fuel to us and on a budget Michelin does not come into anything.
Today was another "Sandra's tours". A loop hike of 16km behind Cordoba taking in the country side. Started off well then went to hell in a hand basket when we thought we had a short cut.
Fields of oats, wheat and barley. New olive trees in the distance.
Fields of sunflowers. Since Russia started the war in the Ukraine, who had been the biggest producers of sunflower oil in Europe, the Spanish have seen an opportunity.
As the Aussie song goes "never let a chance go by". Spain now has hectares of sunflower coming on through the Spring and Summer.
That is Cordoba in the background. We are not lost yet.
Similar to the UK mileage markers along the way.
So then the path went along field boundaries.
Olives are like NZ pine trees, as far as the eye can see,
But then the path was a climbing mission as the field boundary was poorly mowed.
We dropped over the edge and thought we could cut across another field and stream bed to a road, according to the hiking app we use, only to find that what looked like a field on the app was in fact the river. "Got your togs" says himself ha ha. So we retrace, creep past a hacienda and find a road back to Cordoba. Found a bar on the outskirts of town and had a welcome beer with some locals. New hiking shoes now spinning around the washing machine in the apartment.
Entrance into the Jewish quarter here we are staying.
Tomoorow we take the train to Toledo which is south of Madrid.
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