Wednesday
First thing this morning we finished packing up our things and hit the road toward Cordoba. Keller has a day-long conference call he has to attend starting at 3pm, so we needed to get to Cordoba and settled in time. We stayed on the main highway instead of back roads, so the drive was quick and uneventful.
Our wonderful AirBNB hosts met us at a little (very tiny) plaza around the corner from the parking garage. Thank goodness for Google maps — none of the streets in Cordoba go straight and they’re all one way, so it truly is a labyrinth. We unloaded our suitcases and our host went with Keller to park in the garage. Then we walked a few minutes to the apartment and got settled.
I went to the local Dia grocery store for lunch ingredients while Keller set up his work stuff and the kids played in their room. I managed to make a quick lunch before Keller had to start work.
During the meeting’s “lunch break” we headed out to find dessert. I had picked out an ice cream place not far from the apartment, but when we arrived there was a sign that said “Closed. See you again in March.” Well, apparently not March 19th!
Instead we found a pastry shop a few blocks down and shared three different desserts — some kind of apple custard tart, a whipped cream and caramelized sugar eclair, and a chocolate and biscuit layered cake. All were respectable and everyone had their favorites. Then it was back to the apartment for the rest of the evening. I’m looking forward to exploring Cordoba tomorrow!
Thursday
The Mezquita was the top item on my Must See list in Cordoba, so we started there this morning. The Mezquita is a former mosque that was converted to a Catholic church after Ferdinand and Isabella pushed the Moors out of Cordoba. Instead of destroying the mosque, the Catholics recognized the beauty of the building and built a Cathedral right in the middle of the mosque! They preserved all the stunning double arches and more than 800 pillars that support the massive roof.
The mosque portion of the building was so beautiful and so different from anything else we’ve experienced. The niche for the Muslim believers has been preserved as well, which is stunning in it’s mosaic work and design. So beautiful.
Then the cathedral was just as beautiful and a sight in and of itself! We’ve seen quite a few cathedrals in our travels and this one is right up there with one of our favorites. It doesn’t quite top the cathedral in Toledo (the transparente itself pushes it over for me), but it stands on its own.
I really enjoyed seeing how the Christian builders integrated the church into the existing building and made it their own. I’m very glad such a special building was preserved instead of being destroyed.
We climbed to the top of the minaret-turned-bell tower as well for a lovely view of the city. There were a lot of steps! Originally it was built where the Imam could ride a donkey up the ramp to the top of the tower for the call to prayer. That would have made it easier for sure!
After the Mezquita, we crossed the pedestrian bridge — built on the foundations of the first bridge to cross the river … way back in Roman times! The river is now silted up and no longer passable, but traders used to be able to come all the way up to Cordoba via ship.
We wandered around the Alcazar and past the Royal stables before heading to lunch. Our guide book highly recommended Bodegas Campas, so we hiked over to be there at 1:30 when it opened. We were not disappointed in the food! We had ox tail meatballs and ratatouille for starters and steak and pork tenderloin for main dishes. The desserts were tasty too! We left feeling very satisfied and would definitely recommend it to anyone else coming through.
We went back to the apartment for some down time and so Keller could work in the afternoon. Meanwhile, I booked tickets for the kids and me to see the horse show at the stables that evening.
We really enjoyed the performance! It was very professionally done and had a high precision of execution. All the horses were Andalusian stallions. As this region of Spain was called Al-Andalus during Muslim rule, that’s where the breed’s name originated. We were not allowed to take photos or videos, but there were a series of different horse and rider teams that did dressage, line work, free dressage, and even flamenco dancers with cowboys! Several stallions showed off levade and capriole — the classic stationary rearing position and the jump with the kick out behind.
My favorite performer was a horse and rider duo with a long, 20′ spear. They executed a series of technical maneuvers in and around the spear with twists and turns. The kids particularly enjoyed the stallion who was free — no halter or bridle at all. His trainer communicated to him on foot with his hands and with vocal signals. Kamy and Caden loved that the horse would “wave” by pawing above the ground and even bowed at the very end of the performance. We all enjoyed it and the kids had a blast!
Friday
Happy birthday Miss Kamy! It’s hard to believe we’ve already had you for 9 years. Even scarier, we’re already half way done with you! It makes me a little sad to think we’re approaching the day when you’re ready to take your wing and fly into the world on your own. Not today though! 😉
While she didn’t have a gift to open today, we did tell her what we’d be giving her for her birthday — a flamenco dance lesson in Seville! We also gave her 40 euros to use to purchase a flamenco outfit. She is super excited about it and can’t wait to take the class next week!
We took our time getting going this morning, as we planned to visit the Jewish Synagogue and museum at 10am and didn’t have to get up super early. This part of Cordoba is so quiet in the morning and tourists (and Spanish) start coming out of the woodwork around noon.
Our first stop was the little Jewish Synagogue in the old Jewish quarter. The Jews were pushed out of Cordoba in a series of events in the 1300s and 1400s, culminating in the Inquisition. This synagogue was transformed into a series of other purposes over the years, including a Catholic church at one point. It is the oldest surviving synagogue in Spain and only one of three in Europe from the middle ages.
From there we wandered through the Zoco, or local artisans market until the Casa de Sefard opened. It is a museum that tries to show how the Jewish people of Cordoba lived before they were expelled from Spain. It also talks about the Inquisition and how it was used to “cleanse” the city. Not pretty topics, but we haven’t shied away from the harder consequences in history with the kids yet. Age appropriate yes, but not white washed.
A little shopping later, we headed to Patio Romano for lunch. Kamy picked out the restaurant for lunch, so we made a reservation and she was given the responsibility of choosing dishes and ordering! She did great! For dessert, the staff surprised Kamy by bringing out a piece of chocolate cake with a lit 9 candle! In my reservation note, I’d mentioned we would be celebrating her birthday. They were so sweet to take care of her and make it extra special. =)
We also spent some time wandering around the old town quarter. Cordoba is known for their colorful patios. Many are filled and overflowing with flowers hanging in blue pots on the walls. We are early in the season, so we only got a little taste of what it would look like when everything is in full bloom. It was pretty though!
Keller went back to the apartment to work and the kids and I went to the stables to see the horses and watch some training. There was a woman taking lessons on how to work with the large spear … it looked really challenging!
The rest of the afternoon was down time, school time, work time, and packing time. We’ve really enjoyed Cordoba and like the feel of the city. I love the Moorish influence and how it has changed the impression the city leaves with you. And I’m a sucker for the super ornate, elaborate carvings. The Mezquita is one of my favorite buildings I’ve seen — a definite highlight!
On to Seville next!