Cordobaaa

Oh, I just love waking up when it's still dark...ohohoho. We woke up at 5:30 am. AM! Quietly and stealthily, I might add, we crept out of our Cadiz hostel and made our way to the train station. I was surprised that there was any sign of life at all, but there were people wandering the streets before dawn had even shattered the dark night sky. I loved watching the line of older men at one of the bar-cafes grabbing their morning coffee, sometimes with a dash of liquor, before beginning their day of work. We snagged a cup of coffee at the station, boarded the train, and a few hours later found ourselves at the station in Cordoba.

It was a beautiful day, sunny but cool. We checked into Hotel Boston (our first and last hotel of the trip) before leaving to check out the city. We learned that Cordoba was a smaller city, divided into the old and new parts. As we walked down one of the central arteries, the glass commercial windows lined with the latest fashion began to disappear as aged buildings with rustic wooden and mosaic signs took their place. We soon found ourselves at the walls of the Mezquita. Within those stone walls was a mosque-turned-cathedral characterized by hundreds of red and white-striped archways supported by looming marble columns. The interior of the site was a beautiful conglomeration of both European and Moorish influences, a testament to the city's complex history and clash of cultures. After exiting the Mezquita, we wandered through more of the older neighborhood before making our way back to the hotel.

Sadly, the Alcazar palace and the Medina al-Zahara Arab ruins outside of the city were closed because it was Monday. Apparently, in Spain things close on Mondays?? So, we enjoyed a delicious afternoon ice cream snack and found a lovely nearby park. We relaxed by the fountain, observing all the local children adorned in their school uniforms make their way home.

That night we enjoyed a nice tapas meal by the Mezquita. We then headed to the Placa Tendrillas to grab a delightful dessert before making our way back to the hostel. Katie went inside to make a phone call, while Madison and I decided to sit by the fountain for a minute. This minute turned into almost two hours of conversation as we soaked up the crisp night air by the illuminated fountain. It was a gorgeous evening to start and end on in Cordoba. Yet another train to Granada the next day!

Spain-->love love love.
And love to you all-- Aleksa