Cordoba in a day

We are staying in the Judería or Jewish Quarter of Cordoba which is a picturesque maze of whitewashed alleys with blue highlights reminiscent of the Greek islands. We wandered about the maze last night, but were somewhat defeated by the intense heat. After some tapas we made second and more successful attempt which also included a walk over Cordoba’s Roman bridge.

Today we saw Cordoba’s big attractions. We started with the Alcazar which has a nice view and lovely gardens. It has a deep history which doesn’t really show in a visit, but which includes being the place Columbus met Iasabella and Ferdinand (I mention that because over the years we’ve hit most of the high points of Colombus’ life.)

Next we went up the bell tower for a view over the rooftops of the quarter. It’s a pretty town, but I couldn’t help feeling that it’s better at ground level where you can’t see the surrounding modern buildings.

After a very pleasant lunch in a shady courtyard restaurant, our final visit was to the Mezquita-Cathedral. This mosque converted into a cathedral is an amazing building. I thought the Alhambra did a nice line in arches and sight-lines, but the Mesquita in Cordoba simply cannot be beaten. Really it was worth coming to Cordoba just to see this.

Tomorrow we head back to Madrid, and then home. But first… tapas.