I've decided to do a more regular blog for this week since I'm travelling around. There'd be too much to say if I didn't. I'm sure Lesley, my number 1 blog fan, will be pleased.
I'm in love with Cordoba. It's pretty much the city you imagine in your mind when you think of a typical spanish town. White washed houses, cobbled streets, hanging baskets. For me, Seville has always been my favourite Spanish city, but after the past couple of days, Cordoba is a very close second.
The heat was excruciating. I've previously spent 3 months living in Seville, so it's not the first time I've experienced 46 degree heat. But I'd forgotten just how brutal it was. And you can forget about looking good and going on dates when parts of your body you didn't even know could sweat are sweating. Luckily I only had one day and one night to get through it. One full day is enough to see all of the main sights, but it's not enough to sample the cordobese cuisine, which after my stay here I have to say is one of the best in spain.
After checking into my rather basic hostel, I spent the day exploring the city. This started with a walk along the river to the Alcazar. I've already seen many an Alcazar in the past few weeks, but this one was rather pretty and had some lovely gardens. As usual, I'd have more interesting facts to share with you had I had the patience to stomach a guided tour. All I can say is, for 4.50 euros, it's worth a look.
I then walked through the Jewish quarter, packed with tourist shops selling overpriced fans and tourist tat. I stopped for a nice glass of cold wine before forking out 10 euros to visit the Mezquita (Mosque cathedral). It's more than I'd usually pay to see a cathedral, but this one is super impressive, beginning with the huge courtyard filled with orange trees. Inside is unlike any cathedral I've seen before, given it's one of the oldest structures from the time Muslims ruled Andalusia. The moorish influence is very apparent, as you can see from the photos.
Next stop was lunch. I went to Bodegas Mezquitas, a famous Cordobés tapas bar. I ordered Salmorejo, which is the typical dish here (basically a cold soup similar to gazpacho), in addition to their famous meatballs. Both were pretty delicious. After lunch I took a stroll to Calleja de las Flores, which is a famous picturesque cobbled street lined with blue hanging baskets. From there I walked to some picturesque squares, stopping for the odd caña, before retiring to my air conditioned room for a much needed siesta!
In the evening I headed for El Churrasco, a restaurant in the Jewish quarter. Given I only had one night here, I had to choose between a number of restaurants i had read about online before settling on this one. And boy was I glad I did, because the food was amazing! I ordered two typical dishes of cordoba - Rabo de torro (oxtail stew) and Flamenquin (deep fried pork). Polished off with a nice glass of spanish red, obviously. To finish I samples one of the sweet wines, which I wasn't keen on, but booze is booze. I only wish I had more time here to sample more of the culinary delights! But the beaches and coastal of Malaga is calling!
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