Cordoba, Spain - 10/4-7/2008

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We taxied to the Juderia (a walled section in which Jews were living ages ago, basically - a ghetto) wall, then walked the narrow street to our hotel, Hostal El Reposo de Bagdad. The patio is pretty and the our room is big, comfortable and quiet. There isn't any traffic here because the streets are so narrow. Our room faces south-east. The window faces the back of some old buildings and we can see the cathedral tower, which is lighted in the evening.


First we napped and then walked to the banking district in the modern part of the city to get some money. We then walked back and toward the Mosquita. It was open and we went through it. It was dark, amazing and noble. It was begun as a mosque in the 10th century. It was enlarged by another caliph, and, under the Christians, a cathedral was built in the center of the Mosquita and chapels were built along its sides. Most of the cathedral was blocked off for renovations but we were able to see the altar.

Gypsies favor the Mosquita for begging. Pretty women, with flowing costumes, ask for money. One put her hand on Ed's arm as we walked toward the steps there. I firmly said "No toca!" (probably a poor translation of 'don't touch') and she rapidly backed up, loudly saying "Madre de Dios!" I had read of pickpockets in the cities we were going to see, and perhaps ovrreacted, but I know how one person will touch, and while one is talking, another will pick your pocket.

We walked back into the Juderia and stopped for wine and two tapas. One was a Cordoban specialty, reddish, with bacon, I think, and of a loose pudding consistancy, served with bread. I just looked up the Spanish name, salmorejo, described as a chilled soup of blended tomatoes, garlic, bread, lemon, vinegar and olive oil, sprinkled with crumbled hard-boiled egg and strips of ham.
The other was a tortilla with potatoes, a pastry base, and sliced like a pie. Then we went back to our hotel and had cheese, bread and wine for dinner.

Sunday, October 5 - Ed slept well but was cold and we didn't have blankets, so he dressed warmly and went back to bed. After yesterday's train ride, I thought sleeping would be easy, but the bed was hard and I was a little cold. We took our time getting up - had cheese, apple and water. In France, breakfasts were included, but not in Spain.

We went out for coffee, but saw the remains of a small synogogue instead, and then walked outside the Juderia toward the river.

We passed an excavated Arabic Bath, which had been uncovered between between 1960 and 1964. We went in (2 euros each) and walked through it. The caliph had special rights to use it, but men and women of the populace were allowed in at different times. The original baths had furnaces and hot, tepid and cool waters used for cleansing and purifying. There was even a room where people were killed when in disfavor.

After, we walked down to the river and saw an old watermill, which was Roman originally, then Arabic; and the Roman bridge and the back of the Mosquita. We walked along the western wall to a place for coffee. The front was a small cafeteria and in the back was a restaurant. The tables in the front were filled, so I began to go into a patio filled with tables, but the waiter said we had to go back to the cafeteria. We crossed the hall to another restaurant room, one which had not been prepared yet, and sat and drank our coffee.

Since it was lunch time we walked toward a paella restaurant we had seen yesterday. Ed had chicken and I had seafood, There was a lot of rice, and it looked like Ed had four thick wings and I had one mussel, several shrimp, squid and red peppers. We each ate half our plate and switched. We had white wine with the meal.

The we walked out of the Juderia, near the baths, to the Alcazar (Fortress) of the Christian Kings. I think the gardens and their pools were lovely. We went up and down many stairs but only saw a few pieces of furniture. There was a beautiful display of third century Roman tile works in one large room. Ed went to the top of the tower, but I couldn't get a photo of him.

We walked back to the hotel to rest. I read my book while Ed got some ice cream on a stick - chocolate-covered vanilla. Then he slept and I read. I would have loved to have slept, but it was 5:17 p.m. and too late to nap.

Ed went for soap, water, wine and bread (with cheese) for dinner, and the rail station checking on trains to Granada for Tuesday. The day was sunny, clear and warm, but comfortable - and the blankets were quickly given to us when we requested them.

Our hostal was 40 euros a night.

Monday, October 6 - We spent most of the day walking in the more modern part of the city. We had a small lunch - Ed had a chicken soup and I had the Cordoban specialty, which seemed to have a lot of oil in it. We tried to go to the Palacio of the Marqueses of Viana, but managed to arrive just in time for it to close for siesta. We picked our way through the small streets (but big enough for cars!) back to our hotel, and on my part, pure exhaustion. Thank goodness we had a tourist map, given to us by the hotel.

Cordoba is a wonderful city!!!