A(nother) VIsit to Cordoba

The Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, seen from the bridge.

Last year while in Seville we took a day trip to Cordoba, home of the Great Mosque. This year we went again, only this time we spent the night, and we were accompanied by my daughter, Nina. Now, we’ve already published one blog on the mosque, and rather than repeat myself I’ll just send you over to that other blog, here: the previous blog. Go ahead, go take a look, I’ll wait…

OK, done? Good! On this trip we arrived in the morning on the train and checked into the room we’d booked. After getting settled—and warmed up, as Cordoba was a bit colder than Seville—we wandered through the city, heading for the mosque. It’s still fabulous, with its endless forest of red-and-white striped arches, and that jarring Catholic cathedral plunked down in the middle, with the sudden change of style giving a sort of esthetic whiplash.

 

Views of the interior of the Mosque--Paula calls it the Candy Cane forest

The cathedral within the mosque (oh, my neck hurts!)

We crossed the Roman bridge, originally built in the 1^st Century BCE, and rebuilt (probably several times) by Moors in the 8^th C. More recently, it was used in Game of Thrones (that again!) as the entrance to the Free City of Volantis. These days it offers a pleasant stroll across the river, and gives some great views of the Alcazar and the massive mosque.

 

The Roman Bridge.

Since we didn’t have to rush to catch the train home, after our visit to the mosque we wandered the streets a bit more. It’s a very pleasant town, very cutesy, heavily touristed. Even now, in the dead of winter (albeit a sunny and warm winter!) the streets were far from empty, and I wondered what it must be like with the full summer crush!

One of the endlessly cute streets of Cordoba.

Classic view of the belltower and the orange trees fronting the Mosque-Cathedral.

As in Seville, horse-drawn carriage rides are a thing in Cordoba; that's the mosque on the right.

One of the many impressive doors to the mosque.

Later in the afternoon we visited the alcazar, a residence for the king and queen of Spain since the Reconquista in the 13^th Century. The site has been in use for a very long time: the Roman governor of the province had a residence there, and it was subsequently occupied by the Visigoths before being taken over by the Moors in the 8^th Century.

 

The Alcazar of Cordoba, seen from the garden... at sunset!

Most of the present structure was built five centuries later by Alfonso XI. Ferdinand and Isabel, the Catholic Monarchs, lived there for a time, and met with Christopher Columbus prior to his first trip to the Americas.  When Ferdinand and Isabel departed for Granada in 1492 they left the Alcazar to the Inquisition. A few centuries as inquisition chambers and jail, and it was ready for Napoleon Bonaparte, who garrisoned troops there in the early 1800s. Today it is a national monument and tourist site.

 

Unknown knight greeting visitors to the Alcazar

View of the Alcazar gardens from the ramparts.

Paula and Nina discuss a Roman mosaic on display inside the Alcazar

By the time our visit to the Alcazar was over and we were back in the town it was mostly night, and we’d had some lovely sunset views from the ramparts. The three of us walked along a main street, following the river to another part of town where we began our serious search for dinner.

Moonrise over the Alcazar gardens.

The Unknown Knight bids us farewell as we leave the Alcazar

 It was early, by Spanish standards (not yet 8 o’clock! Serious diners wouldn’t be out for another two hours), and we stuck our heads into a number of cafes. One thing that I’ve noticed on our travels: we’ll always want to eat, and it often takes a while to find just the right place. And, however discouraging or disappointing our search, sooner or later we will hit upon something that will turn out to be really good. Not really taken by what we'd found in that part of town, we backtracked along the river road, and came upon a large, welcoming, and mostly empty restaurant.

 

The Roman Bridge at night.

We always enjoy traveling with Nina. First off, she’s a joy to be around. Plus, her command of Spanish really opens up the interactions we have with the locals. She started explaining the dishes on the menu, and before long we were laughing and joking with the waiter.

See, the thing is that the wait staff in Spain, and in Europe in general, are professionals. Serving customers is their career. It’s not just something to do until the big break comes along, nor a fill-in job while in school. Waiters and chefs tend to work for the same restaurant for years. It’s one of the things that make dining in Europe different from the US.

So, we had a good time chatting and joshing with the waiter. Before long the bartender had gotten involved, and the two of them told us stories of other restaurants, and their fellow employees. We eventually left to make our way back to our rooms, thoroughly satisfied with our evening!

We had considered rising early to visit another town on the road back to Seville, but instead had a bit of a lie-in the next morning, rising late and heading out for breakfast. We toured around the city a bit more, and visited the Synagogue. We were told it is one of only three original synagogues in Spain (the other two being in Toledo). Once upon a time there was robust Jewish community throughout Spain, but while Ferdinand and Isabel were busy driving the Moors out of Iberian Peninsula, they figured they’d drive the Jews out, too. The Christian population didn’t like Jews very much, and banning other religions pleased the Pope, who had a heavy hand in European politics. And when it came to politics, the Catholic Monarchs were nobody's fool! They knew what what the Pope could do for them, and what he wanted. (The descendants of the jews driven out of Spain are known today as Sephardic Jews.)

  

A menorah, artfully placed in the Synagogue.

Carved plaster walls of the Synagogue with Hebrew inscriptions

The cathedral belltower. Probably the most photographed view in Cordoba!

The day wore on, and soon it was time to return to the train station, for the relaxing, hour-long ride back to Seville. We were very satisfied with this little outing!

Nina, Paula, and Paul in the Alcazar gardens.

Our initial plan for this trip included stop in Carmona, another picturesque town on the way back to Seville. But, the bus to Carmona was pretty early, and we just didn't feel like getting up. Now, just this week Paula and I have returned from a day trip there, and I'm glad we didn't stop before--there's a lot to see, and a quick trip would not be enough. It deserves a whole day! 

In the next blog we'll talk about the day we spent in Carmona.

Our time in Spain draws to a close. Soon we'll fly back to France, spending a few days in Marseille before returning to Montpellier....