Yes, this blog is coming in parts. Unlike the hordes, which seem to come as one whole enchilada wherever we go. Granada to be fair is about a third the size of Cordoba, so this city can absorb the tourists a little easier, and most of those are taking in the sights of the old Moorish/Roman area. I won’t however, be complaining about the weather for a change. It was, when we arrived here, wait for it….29 degrees. Nice!
The bus ride here from Granada was easy. Two and a half-hours up the winding road through terrain that could have been a duplicate for BC’s interior. Dry, with scrawny plants and cacti, parched desert hillsides and outcroppings, and a whole lot of nothing. Instead of the Okanagan fruit trees there were thousands of square kilometers of olive trees as far as the eye could see. All nicely cultivated. How do they harvest this many plants? And who eats all those olives? Dunno. Questions better left for a six-pack evening.
So, for day one we followed the hordes around old town and checked out the Roman ruins, mosques, and cathedrals. We blended right in; they didn’t suspect a thing. Spain is full of old stuff, which is why the tourists are here, and Cordoba is no exception. At one point, a thousand years ago I am told, Cordoba was the largest city on the planet. And like Granada, there are relics here from Moorish times as well as from Roman times, with Christian times layered on top. As we crossed the Roman bridge that enters the walled inner city we were standing on foundations that date back to the 1st century AD. The inner city is a typical maze of narrow streets of homes with large cathedrals, mosques, and temples spread throughout. These days, even though the architecture hasn’t changed, the homes have become condos, boutique hotels, tapas bars and souvenir shops. The Romans would have been horrified.
Tomorrow we will poke around some other areas of Cordoba. It’s a typical city like any other, with shopping malls, office and government buildings, parks and green spaces, but it has a lot of really cool old stuff as well. Kind of like Vancouver with it’s Gastown area. Well, maybe not so much. Not so much like anything in Canada actually. If you want to see ‘old’ stuff, it’s here in the ‘old’ world.
Cordoba is the most interesting place so far it’s History is unbelievable. The buildings and walkways are really interesting. It is also nice that the weather is changing in your favor. Teresa do you still check your e-mail. We are also getting nicer weather still cool at night. Your blog makes us feel that you are not so far away.
Great writing and photos, Gary and Teresa! I’ve started planning for October in Spain so am especially interested in your travels.
Thanks Karen, glad you are liking the blog!