I left Sevilla around 1:30 p.m. today and took a bus to Cordoba, located about 1.5 hours to the northeast. Cordoba is home to about 302,000 people, so it is about half the size of Sevilla. It is also located along the Guadalquivir River, just like Sevilla. Cordoba fell to the Muslims in 711 and a short time later it was the Islamic capital. A couple hundred years later, in the 900s, it was home to mosques, universities, libraries, observatories, aqueducts and more. It was also a place where Arab, Christian and Jewish scholars worked. In 1236, however, Fernando III of Castilla captured Cordoba. The city's importance declined afterward but when industry arrived in the 19th Century its role began to increase, my Lonely Planet book explained. Cordoba's mosque brings thousands of visitors here each year because of its stunning architecture.
We pulled into Cordoba's bus station about 3 p.m. and I was either going to get a taxi or try to find a bus to bring me near the mosque, as my hotel is right across from the mosque. The senora who was sitting next to me on the bus, however, said the city bus system in Cordoba isn't nearly as developed as Sevilla's routes. She said it would be just as easy to walk and that she was heading in the direction of the mosque. She told me she was from Peru but has lived here in Cordoba for the past six years. We left the bus station and she guided me about half way and gave me directions for the rest of the walk. She is one of so many helpful people I have met during the past two weeks. Such kindness from strangers really makes traveling all the more enjoyable.
I checked into my hotel and then went back out around 4 p.m. to get a feel for Cordoba. The 21-room hotel in which I'm staying is located in a 16th Century mansion in the center of the old Jewish Quarter and opposite the mosque's main entrance. There are historical monuments all around, and all the places I am planning to visit tomorrow are just a short walk from here. Since tomorrow is Sunday, I wanted to make sure that everything would be open. I discovered both the mosque and the Castle (Alcazar) of the Christian Monarchs will be open in the morning and afternoon. I'm planning to visit the mosque first and then walk to the Alcazar. I'll write more about both of these places tomorrow. I'm also planning to visit a synagogue tomorrow as I wander through the Jewish quarter.
There is also a Roman bridge near my hotel that crosses the Guadalquivir River. I walked across the bridge this afternoon to a 14th Century tower that is now a museum. It, too, is open tomorrow, so I'm thinking of returning to climb to the top to get a good view of Cordoba.
Today was a real scorcher. It was close to 100 degrees and felt like it was the hottest day since I arrived. I returned to the hotel around 5:30 p.m. for a couple of hours before going back out for dinner. The movie "Radio" was on TV in Spanish so I watched that as I cooled down in my room. When I left for dinner around 8:30 p.m., I noticed a lot of people who were dressed up had congregated on the corner across from the mosque/cathedral. I walked over to see what was happening and discovered a wedding was about to take place. The bride was just arriving as her friends stood outside taking pictures. I went to one Spanish wedding when I was living in Puerto Rico and had a great time. The narrow streets around the mosque were filled with restaurants and little shops. Several people were also out walking around, probably looking for a place for dinner as well. I stopped at a little sandwich shop since I wasn't too hungry but found a lot of great tapas places to choose from tomorrow night.
Tomorrow is my only full day in Cordoba, so I'm planning to squeeze in as much as I can. I'll update tomorrow night to tell you more about Cordoba!
Hasta entonces,
Justin
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