A morning drive through the red clay landscape of Castilla - La Mancha and through
the Despeñaperros Pass into the province of Andalucia. We saw windmills and the Osborne bulls along the way, and even stopped to take a picture at the scenic overpass. Once through the pass we entered into the endless olive grove landscapes that are so distinctly Andaluz. Arriving in Cordoba just in time for lunch, we made our way through the Puerta de Sevilla into the old city, stopping to take in the Patio club's impressive work (pictured above). After a delightful lunch of Fish, salad and one of my personal favorites -
Berenjenas con miel - we met up with our guide for a visit. Lola was engaging and lively, as always, and the Mezquita is truly a can't-miss monument. Every time I go I am in awe of the architecture, the details and sheer magnitude of the Moorish construction.
We also toured the old Jewish quarter
and saw the statue to Maimonides, the 12th century philosopher-doctor whose work has been ranked among the most important and best in the Middle Ages. A stop at the synagogue and an explanation of how the different cultures coexisted helped us to really feel the magic of the city. We ended our visit with a quick look at the last remaining Roman bridge, with the impressive statue of St. Rafael on our way out.
We got to Sevilla and, after parking the car, made our way through the tiny streets of the Santa Cruz district to our hotel, the botique Rey Moro. With Holly feeling a bit under the weather, the dinner reservations at the excellent Santo restaurant were cancelled, but we enjoyed a nice tapas meal before heading back to the hotel.
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