Cordoba, Spain - November 2010

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Ok, 4th day in a row drunk on Sangria, so let’s hope we can make this blog at least a little coherent ;-) Had a great drive through to Cordoba, across vast plains that remind you of the ‘wild west’ and some stunning landscapes. Didn’t take long to get to Cordoba, and then, again with google map directions in hand (rubbish), we managed to wing it through the town and down and around tiny one-way cobbled lanes we weren’t at first sure we’d fit down (quickly trying to retract the wing mirrors!).... eventually made it to the Hotel Maestro, another pleasant surprise – friendly staff, charming courtyard, clean and comfy rooms and smack bang in middle of town again. Doing well with accommodation!

In the afternoon we went for a stroll around the old town, including a brief walk in the orangery inside the Mezquita Catedral, and then up to a couple of large plaza’s, stopping at regular intervals of course, for sangria, cerveza, olives and tapa’s...... mmmmm.... spotting a theme yet? ;-)

Had an earlyish night at the hotel.......... and then still managed to sleep in until almost 11am! Actually Bunny was awake for hours getting really frustrated that she was wide awake in the middle of the night... turns out the shutters were damn good on our window and actually it was mid-morning! Managed to get to the hotel breakfast just in time, then went for a walk across the bridge (Puente de Miraflores) for a look at the cathedral and Cordoba old town from the other side. Then we walked back across on Puente Romano and under the Arch de Triumph currently in repair mode. We strolled up a lovely promenade kind of area based around a man-made river and water-falls system on Cairuan; then through the old town walls into the old town proper. There are hundreds of tiny cobbled lanes all over the place and the weather is still pretty good! Orange trees adorn the city of Cordoba also – very cool. Sheepy finally bleated that he’d missed out on photos in Seville so we managed to snap a couple of him in orange trees and a really ancient olive tree. Got some more hotel recommendations for good tapa bars and sampled a few more of those.... plus Bunny found a new drink when Sangria wasn’t on offer called ‘Tito de Verano’.... and before we knew it, it was siesta time!

Cordoba is a cool town; there seems to be more of an Arabic influence to parts of it, including the goods on offer at the tourist shops! While Seville was eclectic with its range of architecture Córdoba has a more uniform feel to it, white is the chosen colour for the buildings. The town itself is very laid-back and relaxed, locals are friendly and helpful and willing to spend a few minutes translating our pigeon-Spanish!

That night we visited another restaurant recommended by the hotel – “Bodegas Mezquita” on Cano Quebrado right near the Cathedral. Awesome tapas – pay a visit if you’re ever nearby!

Then it was off to the hotel so Bunny could repack her bag in preparation for overlanding and we can plan our day for tomorrow. At this stage we hope to stop by Malaga and/or Marbella on the drive back to Gibraltar. We shall see....... stay tuned!

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