Córdoba in a word was sensual. It felt like we were in a tour book, probably helped by the strange feeling of being reunited with a friend from America and temperatures in the 80s when I had left Galicia bundled in a scarf. The architecture is just how you imagine Spain to be. We spent a good part of our time strolling Cordoba's winding cobblestone streets and eating or sipping either outside or inside typical restaurants with patios open to the sky. Andalucían gazpacho, check.
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| Arabian nights, no? |
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| Matching in the Alcázar gardens. |
First tourist stop was the Alcázar de los Reyes, a fortress of Ferdinand and Isabel (aka los Reyes Católicos). Indoors there wasn't much to see, except some Roman mosaics. The real treasure was the gardens. They had various pools, trees, and flowers. You could also climb up the tower for a nice view, but I had a hard time imagining the guards running down the stairs in case of invasion--they were uneven and cumbersome. With our ticket we got to return after sunset for a fountain/lights show which was cool.
The next day's tourist highlight was the Mezquita. Damn. What a cool place. During the 5 centuries of Muslim (Moorish) rule in Spain, it was a Mosque. But then it was converted into a Cathedral when Christianity kicked the Muslims out. The set up is basically the old mosque with a church area in the center. The most interesting thing from the Cathedral part was the choir chairs which were carved with saints (normal); in the foreground was a general portrait and in the background was them being martyred. Um, creepy! The mosque part was really beautiful, as Muslim art can't contain animals or people it was made of entrancing geometric patterns.
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| La Mezquita |
The other main attraction in Córdoba are the patios. In general, Córdoba has a style with Middle Eastern influences (as I imagine them). Some balconies are nicely decorated with flowers and beatiful plates, or as you walk past doorways you glance in to the tranquil, plant-filled patios with natural light beaming down. But in the neighborhood near the Alcázar, you can actually pay to enter people's private patios. They are beautifully decorated with the typical potted plants covering the walls. Sometimes the owner welcomes you in, or other times it's just someone who maintains the place because it's no longer inhabited. But for those who do get to wake up to that sight every morning--wow, qué suerte!
