Blogs from Córdoba, Andalusia, Spain, Europe - page 3

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 ... read more

Ten weekend byl prawdziwym turystycznym tour de force. W sobote wyruszylam z Sevilli do Cordoby, wrocilam 12h pozniej, zeby w niedziele rano pojechac do Granady i wrocic po polnocy. Oprocz braku snu i nadmiaru chodzenia, najbardziej zmeczyly mie tabuny ludzi. Jest pazdziernik, a tu bilety do Alhambry wykupione i wszedzie tlum swietych krow, chodzacych bez skladu i ladu. Pozuja do zdjec w pieciu ustawieniach - w tym dobre sa szczegolnie Polki (kolanko do przodu i kwiat we wlosach), zatrzymuja sie na srodku sciezki w najmniej oczekiwanym momencie, zadaja za duzo pytan pani, co w okienku sprzedaje bilety i nie rozumieja odpowiedzi. I grupy, ktore tarasuja drogi ewakuacyjne. Chodzac po Alhambrze zagladalam ludziom w monitory aparatow, bo nie moglam uwierzyc, co fotografuja. Chodzili jak jednookie cyklopy, ogladajac swiat przez obiektyw aparatu. Ze fotografuja szybe, w ktorej odbija ... read more

Saturday 17th July 8.30am we boarded The Avanti train -not the fastest- pulled out of Logrono with us and the 29ers. yee haa Time to just sit and take in the Spanish countryside- olives grapes olives grapes and more grapes and olives. The occassional little all white village and of course the ever prominent belltower- a very pleasant way to spend 6 hours after the gift of our 4 day hike (even managed to repair my trousers). Change over at Madrid to the AVE, short for very fast train - ran like a Spanish clock not quite Swiss but you would not of wanted to be a minute late for departure. At 2.30 we pulled into Cordova in Andulucia having topped 325 kph!!! Cordova was to be our homebase while we visited some of the ... read more

Another great day of touring. No biking today, so we played tourist. First we had a tour by a local guide of the Juderia(Jewish Quarter). She spoke of the Jewish and Islamic philosophers that lived here in the 12th century. Also spoke of the diaspora in 1492. Next we went to the Mezquita, a former Mosque started in the 8th century. It was spectacular inside, with white and marble arches(over 900 of them), impressive carvings,etc. At its largest it held 20,000 for prayer. After the expulsion of the Moors the cathedral chuch of Cordoba was built inside the confines of the mosque and the minaret was covered by a Renaissance tower. After lunch we went to an Arab bath. Quite relaxing with a cold, medium and hot pool, followed by a massage with orange oil. After ... read more

A good day of cycling with rolling hills and many scenic vistas. Rode 30 miles some with a little too much liquid sunshine. Lots of crops ready to be harvested including oranges and asparagus. As Pat says, from now on she will think of Spain when she smells orange blossoms. Had lunch at a large farm(1300 acres) hosted by Senor Antonia. He was very welcoming and he and his family served a wonderful lunch. His family has owned the farm for 5 generations. Every spring when they plow they unearth more Roman pottery. He shared stories on how and why the Romans started the olive oil trade and pottery making. From here they shipped the large amphora of oil to the far reaches of the Roman Empire. Then it was onto Cordoba to our 5 star ... read more

I woke up early to catch the bus for Córdoba with the rest of the school. Córdoba is a large city about two and a half hours from Granada. There is a lot to do and see in Córdoba, but unfortunately I was only there for the day, so I didn’t get to see much. I’ve been learning a lot about Córdoba in my Islamic culture in Spain class. In the middle ages, Córdoba was one of the largest cities in the world. Córdoba is also well known for it leather. I didn’t have time to check out many of the leather stores (my wallet thanks me for this), but I hear they are quite the exporters. But what Córdoba is most well known for is “El Gran Mezquita de Córdoba.” El Gran Mezquita de Córdoba ... read more