Blogs from Córdoba, Andalusia, Spain, Europe - page 2

Impressions from Cordoba, Mezquita and more.... read more

Heading out from Granada was rather more relaxed than finding our way in to the apartment. The narrow roads were less daunting with prior familiarity. We elected to journey to Cordoba via the sea port city of Malaga. Hmm. It seemed rather unwelcoming to motoring visitors looking for a parking spot and a place for a bite to eat. Various road changes meant that sat-nav maps were taking us around in circles also. Disenchanted we headed out without our stop and soon arrived in the city of Cordoba with its rich flamenco culture. Unbeknown to us we had arrived during the Spring Festival - Feria de Mayo - where much street entertainment and party mood were in full flight. Many groups of girls were dressed in either traditional flamenco style or else in brightly coloured attire ... read more

I am happy to be back in Córdoba. I was here twelve years ago, but only spent a couple of hours between trains and have wanted to spend more time exploring this old capital of Andalusia. So today I rode the high-speed train from Madrid - it takes less than two hours - and I arrived in time to drop my bags at the hotel and join my tour of the Mezquita. Andalusia was the name of the Muslim kingdom that ruled the Iberian peninsula for hundreds of years (started around 700AD, ended around 1500). The Mezquita originally was the main mosque of the city and is still today considered one of the world's foremost examples of Moorish architecture. It is no longer an active mosque but is instead the site of the local cathedral. Still, ... read more

Ronda’s rural vibes and the opportunity to walk in the countryside had been a great recharge for me. On the train from Ronda, I was looking forward to Córdoba. I had visions of flowery courtyards (called patios) in whitewashed buildings and Jewish and Moorish architectural influences. Basically, I was expecting a calmer, less-tourist-filled mix of Sevilla (flat, flamenco-filled) and Granada (multicultural blend, also whitewashed in places). The weather was perfect both days I was in Córdoba—mostly blue skies and in the 60s and 70s. I arrived a little earlier than I could check into my hostel, so I wandered through the Victory Gardens (Jardines de la Victoria) and over to the old town. I was surprised at how much of the old city walls were still intact and had been well-restored. The free Patios Cordobeses at ... read more

Mardi 4 octobre 2016 Et bien il aura été plus facile d’arriver à Séville que de la quitter ! Notre GPS, pas vraiment à jour, a voulu nous faire faire le tour de la ville pour reprendre l’autoroute en direction de Cordoba. Mais une fois sur le bon axe, le trajet se fait assez rapidement, avec une petite halte petit-déj. A Cordoba, nous avons réservé un petit hôtel dans le quartier historique, avec plein de petites ruelles merdiques pour y accéder. Le parking souterrain est uniquement accessible par un monte-charge, dont l’accès est bloqué par un camion-grue, dans une rue étroite à sens unique. Quel enfer ! Heureusement que la réceptionniste a pu nous aider. Elle est adorable et très serviable mais alors elle est beaucoup trop bavarde et n’a absolument aucun sens des priorités !... ... read more