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Published: October 20th 2009
Photo 12
THE MEZQUITE-CATHEDRALThe journey from Lisboa to Cordoba was long…
Remember there is no direct flight, train, or bus between the two cities…This I found out recently…There is nothing on it on the internet. The only way between the cities is thru Seville. Spanish bus ALSA from Lisboa to Seville and then you can catch the two hours bus ride (which runs a few times a day) or the one hour train ride (which runs every 30 mins). So I opted for the train ride, since I also have the Eurail Global Pass. In Spain unlike Northern Europe you have to reserve the train rides and there is a fee associated with it. It is not hop on-hop off.
I arrived in Cordoba around 7:00 pm…This time rode a taxi to the Hotel. The Hotel is called Hostel De Santa Ana. It is not a hostel, rather a very small, quaint hotel in the historical district of Cordoba, 2 minutes walking to the Mezquite Cathedral, the Alcazar, the Jewish quarters, and the Roman Aqueduct/Bridge. It has high ceilings and it faces the street with three windows. It has a lot of character.
As I have made a habit of it, I took an
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THE NARANJE COURTYARD AT THE MEZQUITE CATHEDRAL evening stroll around the neighborhood and had dinner at a tapas bar.
Sunday was Mezquite-Cathedral day. From the Naranje Courtyard, to the Mosque with the brick and stone (The Red and White) ensemble of the horse shoe arches, to the domed high ceiling of the Cathedral…It is all spectacular!!! It definitely defines the city. Before the Cathedral, it was a mosque, before that a Visigoth basilica, before that a Roman temple…The Mezquite is along the Guadalquivir river and adjacent to the Jewish quarters of Cordoba. It is massive and monolithic from the outside and intricate and delicate in the inside. I loved it…I ended the day and treated myself to the Arab Hammams, a couple of doors away from my hotel...It was clean and safe...It is a old hammam that was renovated and brought back to its original function...It was very relaxing...It was the typical warm, hot, warm, and cold pools...I slept like a baby on Sunday night...
Monday:
I was to visit the Alcazar and walk thru the city, but as public monuments in Spain have it, the Alcazar was closed on Monday. The Mezquite is an active cathedral and belongs to the church, it is open on Mondays.
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THE BRIK AND STONE HORSE SHOE ARCHES AT THE MEZQUITE (MOSQUE) After finding out that all monuments are closed, I decided to walk the city...It was a great treat to walk through the narrow streets of the Jewish Quarters with the potted plant walls...There was a surprise at every corner.
Tuesday:
I started the day early to see the Alcazar and the Medina Al-Zahara, before leaving for Seville. The Alcazar was a palace for the Christian kings and has beautiful gardens, something like mini gardens at the Versailles. The Medina Al-Zahara was a Moorish City close to Cordoba...About eight kilometers to Cordoba...It is basically an archeological dig, and hidden in the mountains with a very new museum that was inaugurated by the Reina Sofia last week.The whole thing was very fascinating...
I find the people of Andalusia very friendly and accommodating…
I am not sure if I should write about the food anymore…I feel like I sound like a broken record…The food in Cordoba (Let’s use another adjective) has been scrumptious and delightful…from the potato salad with olive oil and chives, to the fried eggplants with sugar cane honey, to spinach and garbanzo beans, to fried chicken with mint sauce, to friend squid, to….the list goes on…
I am now in
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THE MIHRAB AT THE MEZQUITE Seville...The trip from Cordoba was about thirty five minues...I will be here for three days...I might take a trip to Cadiz along the Mediterranean coast and the departure point for the new world...
Today the weather in Seville is cool and rainy...i hope it will just be cool and no rain tomorrow...
Love you all,
M
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