Semana Santa- Part 1

Córdoba

Well, I've had about a week to decompress from my massive week long journey, and I'm ready to post a blog about it. It was a lot to take in, and I did a lot. So for you, the readers, I'm going to do my best to compress the week into three readable and sensible posts.

Here goes...

I started out the week in Córdoba. It's a beautiful city, not too large, but includes a really interesting mix of Spanish and Moorish architecture. Despite it being small, there's no shortage of activity. I only a day and a half there, so I picked what to me sounded like the most interesting spots in the city, the cathedral (is anyone surprised?) and the Alcazár de los Reyes Cristianos.

First, the Cathedral, affectionately known as the Mezquita, or the little Mosque. It is probably one of the most unique cathedrals in the world, because it didn't start out that way. When the Moors came in and conquered Andalucía (400s or so), they built this huge kingdom, which of course included a large number of mosques, most famously, the Mezquita in Córdoba. I posted pictures on facebook, but they don't really capture this amazing building. On the outside, it's wrapped in a peaceful courtyard, surrounded by the original walls and a tower off to the side. Orange trees with a unique Arabic watering system etched in the stone pathways. When you walk in, it's like entering a forest of slim columns, all of which end in double arches and painted with the original red stripes. The walls are etched, not in the usual Christian religious symbols or reliefs of saints and angels, but in Arabic words of prayer and petition, mixed into complex geometric forms. Arabic arches are cut into the walls, the largest pointing in the direction of Mecca. It's dark for a Cathedral, but not in an unpleasant way. When you move through the building, you feel as though you are connected not just with the Christian worshippers, but with the Muslim ones that came before, as if the floors are still lined with prayer rugs. It's an amazing building, and one could spend hours marveling at the different architecture and the synthesis between Christian and Muslim art.

And then you come to the center of the building, and bam! It's like the Hallelujah chorus starts to play. The center of the building opens up into a Gothic ceiling, and the light of the tall windows streams in. It's such a change, that for me I found it startling. Beautiful, still, and integrated into the rest of the building. I was fascinated, and I highly recommend a visit to this marvelous cathedral.

The second building I recommend in Córdoba, if you only have a little while, is the Fortress of the Christian King and Queen, otherwise known as Ferdinand and Isabella. Theirs is a fascinating history, and is one that I never really learned on the other side of the pond. Mostly we learn about Columbus's voyage from the perspectives of the Americas, but we don't learn about all that led up to Columbus sailing the ocean blue in 1492, nor the lives of the King and Queen and their children. It's really quite fascinating, and I recommend checking it out sometime. In any case, this fortress was, like the Cathedral, originally built by the Moors. But, in the 1490s, Spain reclaims the territory (or at least what was Spain at the time). Granada is the huge win, but Córdoba is a good one as well. And the fortress was just too beautiful to part with. And you know what, it still is. It's a nice building (it's a fortress, so you can imagine it's not the super lavish), but you really go for the exterior. The gardens are filled with flowers, all maintained by this same unique Arabic watering system, carrying water down from its source and running it through the stone pathways, including along the banisters of the staircases. (They also created a dam system that was more sophisticated than the Roman's aqueduct system). If I lived there, I would probably spend all day reading in that park.

Córdoba is also known for its beautiful patios, and most especially the patio festival in May. I've heard that it's marvelous, and even if you don't go during the festival, some patios will still be decorated. I got the opportunity to go to Palm Sunday mass and got a real palm! (Which I lost in Granada, but that's besides the point.) It was a lovely service, and despite their thick accent, I enjoyed it thoroughly.

A word of advice, and of warning. Tapas are free in Andalucía with a drink purchase. You should eat them. Especially berenjas con miel, eggplant (aubergine, if you like) with honey. They are fried and slathered in honey, taking away all their nutritional value, I'm sure, but totally worth it. Eat them. But do not, I mean it, do not eat rabo del toro, bull's tail. I did, thinking, hey, it's local, I'm going to try it. Basically, they gave me a slab of meat, still attached to the tail and spinal bone. It was so cooked it slid right off, but not in a good way. It was... too soft. And covered in a certain type of sauce... no sé qué. I could not stomach much, and I'm pretty sure my hostel roommate ate the same thing, and was super ill all day. I woke up in the middle of the night, feeling quite bad, sat up and told myself to 'ajo y agua' as they say in Spain, sat up and fell back asleep. I was fine in the morning, but consider yourselves warned.

Next, Granada!