We decided to take the high speed train to spend the day in Córdoba.
The kids got a real kick out of the trains.Spacious and clean; and you could walk through all the cars, including the dining/booze car.45 minutes later, we were in Córdoba, meandering our way through the park just outside the train station.Kids stood well back from the man tossing a bag of breadcrumbs to the pigeons.Almost a field of oranges.Plaza de las Tendillas – central square with a tourist information booth, and the only Starbucks (which is important when you have kids, as public bathrooms are very rare in Spain).The kids exercised great restraint in keeping themselves dry.Stop for churros con chocolate (and bathrooms!)Our next distraction was for really expensive Iberico jamon.He’s slicing the €18/100g ham for us to try – it was sweet, tender, and buttery. The best ham EVER! The free tasting worked… we bought a package.Different courtyards.This street made Neil think of having a coffee but the square actually showcases …Christ of the Lanterns.Patterns on every step is a mosaic of stones.Helpful kids.The Puerta del Rincón is one of the doors in the Córdoba wall that was built when the Romans conquered the city around 206 BC.Palace of La Merced (Palace of Mercy) used to be a convent.More of the Córdoba wall, which used to completely surround the city.You can probably guess what this sign says 🙂Entrance to the ruins of the Roman templeApparently dedicated to the cult of the Emperor, it was built around 41 AD. This is a reconstruction as some of the originals are in the Archeological Museum.Detail of a cap on one of the columnsPomegranates!Los siete infantes de Lara (7 infants of Lara) is an old legend about a family feud that resulted in the seven sons being beheaded and their heads hung in the arches of this alley. The alley is certainly long enough!Playground break!Which means Neil becomes the pack mule.Roman bridge built in 1 BC. It’s been reconstructed since, the most recent being in 1876. There are 16 arches on this bridge, which spans 250 m over the Guadalquivir River (the same river we see in Sevilla).On one side of the Roman Bridge is the Torre de la Calahorra, the oldest defensive building, built by the Moors to protect the bridge and the city.The kids found a bat sleeping on its wall.One of the views as we cross the Roman bridge.Bathroom break in one of the hotels (we bought an espresso and an orange juice in the attached cafe).Outside the Mosque Cathedral of Córdoba. Apparently, the site used to have a Roman temple, which was then converted to a church by the Visigoths in 572. It was then converted into a mosque by the Moors, after which it became a cathedral in 1236. Talk about reuse!Inside, there are over 800 pillars made of marble, granite, and jasper. Apparently, most of these pillars came from Roman temples and buildings. The boys are diligently reading the pamphlets about the cathedral.The double arches was an ingenious way to make the ceilings higher.The size of this building is breathtaking …as is the opulence.Its pipe organ with 3500 pipes.53 seats in the choir sectionEach with its unique carvingsRemnants of the original mosqueOrange courtyard – it’s hard to tell in the picture but the top of the fountain is turning.Exiting the Mezquita.Closeup of the door handle.
Total walking distance for the day: 34.4 km. 7 L of water drunk due to the blistering heat.
27.8 km in Córdoba, 6.6 km walking to and from the train station in Sevilla.
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2 thoughts on “A day in Córdoba”
That’s a lot of walking! Great way to tell us what adventures you are having and keep a memory for yourselves.
That’s a lot of walking! Great way to tell us what adventures you are having and keep a memory for yourselves.
Cordoba looks fascinating, not crowded, a lot of history and art.