The grand tour of Southern Spain: Western Andalucía 31st January – 6th March 2024 Day 6 - 7 Visiting Cordoba

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 Day 6: Exploring Cordoba

We are staying at Camper Park Medina Azahara in El Higueron.  Every morning, we are woken by a cockerel and some goats and sheep. Its rather pleasant. Facilities are limited – a toilet and a good black/grey waste area. There is a small supermarket about 200m down the road and a bakery which opens early every morning, just outside the site side gate.

We catch the No.2 bus into the city. Out of the main gates, turn left, walk 300m up to the main dual carriageway road. A 20-minute journey into the city centre. We stroll the Juderia quarter, find the entrance to the Mesquita, walk around it and on its left-hand side discover a little Danish café cum coffee shop. Delicious Danish pastries and the only place open at 0900.

The Jewish quarter still has the feel of a medieval Islamic city – two central streets which intersect – surrounded by a labyrinth of smaller streets and narrow alleyways. Originally the quarter was isolated from the rest of the city by a large walled enclosure to protect them from attacks by Christians. In the early 1200s not all Jews lived in this quarter. They were free to move about the city and live in other districts and neighbourhoods until the late 1400s when they were forcibly moved to the Alcazar Viejo neighbourhood in 1478. That was only temporary. An appeal to the King reinstated their rights and free movement within the city. 

Now it is a beautiful area with a distinct Andalusian feel to it but its history permeates the walls and it’s worth remembering that this was at one time a huge area of intellectual development, discussion and thinking.

Our timed entrance ticket to the Mesquita creeps up on us. Suffice to say it is truly breathtaking and a ‘must-see’.  Over the centuries, it has had several extensions. Getting in early avoids the crowds and the tour buses!

After the Mesquita, we stop off at the Alcazar, home to the original ‘Spanish Inquisition’. The halls contain some excellent mosaics and tapestries and a lovely courtyard and pool gardens but all I can think of is the Monty Python ‘Spanish Inquisition’ sketch.  Across the Roman bridge to see the river and the ancient mill houses and then wandering the streets and little boutique shops.

We catch the bus back and it is full of teenagers. Now retired for several years, I suddenly realise I miss teenager banter and humour. These teenagers are polite, funny, good natured and confident. They chat openly with elderly Spanish citizens on the bus. Lots of laughter from all age groups. So good to see.

Back on site, we top up water levels, empty the grey water tank, sort the toilet cassette and then I prepare for some stargazing.  I set up at 8pm on the lot next to us, start my imaging run for the night and then have to move because of the late arrival of two French motorhomes at 2130. Very inconsiderate of them! I lose forty minutes having to re set up and polar align. Very frustrating! The light pollution is, of course, horrendous – neon orange street light glow. Still I manage to eventually get the Heart and Soul Nebula!

 

Day 7: Back in Cordoba

Well cycling is off! Cloudy, drizzly and not looking great, a change of plan is required. We opt for a visit to the city archaeology museum and cutting it fine, we have to sprint the last 20 metres to catch the bus as it pulls in ahead of us. We turn out to not be as fit as we might have hoped! 

The museum is very good and afterwards we wander the back streets before catching the 1420 bus back to the site. Being brought up to be polite, I give my seat to a young mum with two five-year-old girls. They share a seat sat next to the only primary teacher I know who doesn’t like kids! The look on the boss’s face is priceless and I enjoy every minute of it! 

We spend the afternoon chilling, reading books, and stacking astro images. This latter task takes an extraordinary 9 hours!

So, what are our final thoughts about Cordoba? Well, firstly, I cannot convey adequately in words how beautiful this little city is. It has become and will always remain so, one of our most favourite destinations in Spain!  Charm and tranquillity prevail. Traditional Spain at its finest, history leaches out of every wall, every street corner, every alleyway. A centre of learning for Christians, Jews and Muslims, never forget that Cordoba was the capital of Islamic Spain in the Middle Ages. And it shows! Beautiful, stunning architecture, monuments scattered across the city.

https://www.spain.info/en/destination/cordoba/#:~:text=C%C3%B3rdoba%20is%20famous%20around%20the,or%20try%20the%20local%20cuisine.

https://bea-adventurous.com/a-complete-guide-to-visiting-cordoba-spain/