Oh Cordoba ... te quiero

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I woke up this morning not feeling 100%. I certainly was not in the mood for another train ride. If I had the choice, I probably would have rolled over and stayed in bed much longer. But I didn't have that choice. It was a short ride and if I didn't feel better, I could only hope that my room would be ready when I got there. So a little over an hour later and a long nap on the train, I made it to Cordoba feeling much better. Just an off morning I guess. Maybe too much detoxing in the saunas and pool yesterday!

I found my hotel with no problems. Don't know what I would do without my iPhone and the great little app where you can download maps and the built-in GPS!!! It has definitely been a lifesaver.

My room was not quite ready when I got to the hotel. The girl at the reception made me a cafe con leche and I flipped through a copy of Hola magazine (that's the Spanish version of Hello magazine!!) and got to see photos of the wedding of Prince Albert of Monaco. I got a kick out of seeing rooms in the Palais Princier which I had just walked through a few weeks ago ... it seems like forever ago actually.

Usually when you check in, to a hotel, they hand your keys and point you towards the elevator and you are on your way. This time the girl at the reception said "I go with you to show you how to use shower". Oh God ... I need a tutorial. Actually I did ... it has all kinds of jets spewing in all kinds of directions and it even has a radio. I may actually enjoy this one!

In my previous post, I alluded to the fact that the weather was quite hot. It is about 9:15 pm as I write this and it is 32C with a "feels like" of 40C. And it's gone down because at around 8:30 pm it was 34C. The high for tomorrow is predicted at 39C. Oh my! Vaya calor! And you know it's bad when the news broadcast lead with a story on the heat. From what I've been able to piece together is that it is weather that is hotter than the average and even more so in the south of Spain (where I just happen to be!). So tomorrow ... gallons of water I will drink.

So my first stop today had to be the Mezquita and it is literally just a short walk away from my hotel. I have been looking forward to seeing it for a long time now. The Mezquita used to be a mosque so throughout the building you can see those influences in the architecture (which I just love). It has since been converted to a cathedral and so you can see those influences in the chapels and in the High Altar and choir. It is an enormous building. There are tens of columns with the distinct arches of white and red. You can distinctly see where additions to the building were made due to the change in flooring but also because you can still see remnants of the external walls. It was everything that I imagined it to be and more. Just an amazing place. Unfortunately it is a dark place and so the photos are not all that great. Definitely a place where you wish you had a tripod!

From there, I just meandered around aimlessly. I just love Cordoba ... it is how I had pictured Spain to be. You feel transported into another world. Actually the whole area around the Mezquita is considered a World Heritage site. The streets are narrow and many are closed to traffic. They are also cobblestone which at this point is murder on my poor sad pathetic feet! The buildings are white wash with bright colourful pots of flowers hanging in the windows. The sun was shining bright and proud. Just loveliness .... sme photogenic loveliness. Too much fun!

One stop that I did make was at the Hammam de Al Andalus, that is, the arab baths. I popped in and grabbed a pamphlet and walked away. I hemmed and hawed (over a yummy gazpacho and tortilla espanola) and made my way back. So I made a reservation for Wednesday afternoon ... yay! And can I add that I had a mini conversation with the woman at the reception practically all in Spanish ... I don't know how gramatically correct it was but hey she got what I meant ... and that included explaining to her that we had something similar at the Scandinave Spa except that it was outside. She shuddered at the thought of throwing yourself in the lake for the cold source! So I am lookig forward to Wednesday for some uber relaxation!! Oh and she asked if I was a student ... so she is now my new best friend!!! After nine weeks of travelling and looking very much like my passport picture and in serious need of a haircut ... God love when you get a compliment like that!

So now I am tucked away in my air conditioned comfort ... oh sweet air conditioning. I cannot wait to see what else Cordoba has to offer tomorrow.

Hasta manana ....

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Photos

1 Shower
With jets and a radio

5 rooftop patio
Now I remember why I picked this hotel