Thursday 2 June 2011

Biking through Cordoba...our last day!

Corboda is home to the Mezquita, built in 785 AD and considered the most important Islamic monument in the Western world. The mosque, which was the third largest in the world at the time with over 850 coloumns, was converted into a Gothic cathedral in the 16th century, and today contains a richly adorned Baroque cathedral in its midst. It is truly the most beautiful and bizarre example of the ways in which cultures have overlaid one another in Spain.

 We visited the Mezquita early in the morning during Mass - this allowed us to get in for free, and to avoid the tour groups. It was really beautiful to wander through this amazing building while the organ played and the Catholic priests chanted the Mass in Spanish. Of the three sites, the Alhambra in Granada, the Cathedral in Seville and the Mezquita in Cordoba, this is probably my favourite. I find it fascinating how the Islamic, Christian and Jewish cultures interacted throughout history in souther Spain, and this monument is an astounding example of that.

After a lazy breakfast back at the hotel, R. and I set off to pick up our hired bicycles. We had found a company that hired bikes out for the day, and decided that this would be the perfect way to spend our last day and to explore Cordoba. The city is mostly flat, and we spent the most wonderful afternoon meandering through the old town streets, stopping for the odd beer at little hole-in-the-wall local bars, and then winding our way through Cordoba's numerous parks and public gardens. It was well after lunch time when we crossed the Rio Guadalquivir and found a local joint for lunch of salmorejo - a garlicky, cold tomato soup - and fried calamari! Yum!

We crossed the Roman bridge and headed back towards the old town, stopping for one more drink before returning the bikes.

We spent our last evening eating tapas, drinking beer and sangria, and people-watching at a little street-side cafe. We had had such an amazing three weeks and we saw and did so much, it was rather bitter-sweet to sit and remember all the experiences we had shared.


It's a way of life!