1. Uncooperative weather. It was rainy and stormy for the majority of the time I was there, frequently making exploratory city wandering more of a head-down power walk to the next destination... at least I did remember to pack my rain jacket!
2. Holidays. Again, Spain and its holidays. November 1 is Todos Santos (okay, legit holiday), but the day’s special bus schedule foiled our plans to go see the Medina Azahara, a cool palace built a little ways outside of the city. A disappointment to not get to see it, but maybe some other time it’ll happen.
3. Camera Battery. Beloved camera failed to inform me of its nearly exhausted battery until I had already reached my destination. Note to self: always bring charger, JUST IN CASE.
Despite these complications, I still had a good time getting to see a new part of Spain. I arrived Thursday night, so the first noteworthy events didn’t happen until the next day, Halloween. I got to visit another auxiliar’s school and attend the Halloween party. It was interesting to get to see another primary school and observe how it was similar/different than my school. The party itself was essentially utter chaos, but still decently entertaining. I got to express my artistic side by painting vampires on the faces 7 year old children, so that was pretty great.
Next, we headed off to the La Mezquita, the primary tourist attraction in Córdoba. For those who are unfamiliar with it, it is an incredible cathedral/mosque (historically, it has been used as both so I don't know which I'm supposed to call it). As you can see from the photos, the dual heritage is clearly displayed through its architectural design. The contrast between the distinct Arabic archways/curvy imagery and the traditional Christian crosses and artwork were interesting to see within the same religious space. One constant element though was the intense detail that went into all of the painting/carving/building. That, along with the cavernous size (we spent at least a couple hours in there, I could’ve spent even more I think…) made it an amazing place to visit.
After that we went to the nearby Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, a Castillo that used to be a palace for Fernando and Isabel (i.e. the Reyes Cristianos… shocker I know). Later on, it was used during the Inquisition and eventually converted into a prison, which didn’t close until 1951. It wasn’t as impressive as La Mezquita (how could it be?), but still pretty interesting to explore.
We got a late start on Saturday, probably something to do with the fact that we were out til 4 or so Friday night… still kind of early to turn in by Spanish standards, especially on Halloween. Anyway, we were able to walk around the oldest part of town called La Judería, or, literally translated, The Jew-ery. Like all of the other descriptions of old town from the other cities, it had narrow cobblestone streets, tall old buildings, etc. One unique plaza that I really enjoyed seeing was called Plaza de la Corredera, a quite large and open Plaza that used to be where bullfights took place. Actually I need to correct myself: the plaza’s perimeter is defined by tallish orange painted buildings with uniform archways going all the way around, so strictly speaking, the plaza itself isn’t truly open, but the space within is so large that it feels very open. There are lots of restaurants and families hanging out, so it has a fun, relaxed, typically Spanish vibe about it. I would definitely have pictures to show you, but unfortunately, my camera’s battery had already died by this point.
The last touristy place we went were the city’s botanical gardens. They were nice and somewhat interesting, but not the cool Medina Azahara (see disappointment #2) that was the planned destination, so I’m not going to write much about them, as I am still bitter.
I came back on the train today and have been cleaning up and planning some activities for school tomorrow – I better go finish up!
Link for photos:
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