Blogs from Córdoba, Andalusia, Spain, Europe - page 8

Next up: Cordoba... 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

The 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 ... read more

Alcazar & Jewish Quarter walkabout Today I walked to Alcazar, which was originally built by the Visgoths, and rebuilt several times over history. It stands on the beach of what once was a major trading river. The river is merely a trickle now, and the ancient castle is crumbling, but the gardens are gorgeous. The jasmine, roses, hibiscus, and blue morning glory were in bloom, and the date palms, orange, lemon and grapefruit were nearly ripe. The fountains were burbling, and the birds were singing, I felt quite lucky to be alive. I then climbed to the top of the castle, and took some pictures of the garden from above with the Mezquita in the background. The castle itself is pretty barren; lots of low dank passageways. The patios were pretty, and had some lovely old ... read more

OOOhhh, and I present my second home...Where I'm studying Medicine, where it's too hot :D Today a moderately-sized modern city, the old town contains many impressive architectural reminders of when Cordoba was the thriving capital of the Caliphate of Cordoba that governed almost all of the Iberian peninsula. The city is located in a depression of the valley of the Guadalquivir. In the north is the Sierra Morena, which defines the borders of the municipal area. About the architecture, we can found the Great Mosque of Cordoba which contains columns that date back to the Roman and Visigothic periods, was primarily constructed during the Umayyad period (its construction started in 784), and was converted to a Cathedral after the Reconquista. Tourism is especially intense in Cordoba during May because of the weather and as this month ... read more