We Venture in to the Countryside 10-27-25

Saturday we decided that weather looked auspicious for a trip over to Cordoba and we have never visited that city. Yesterday evening, Sunday, it started raining around 7:00 and it was a gulley washer. Intense enough that we were questioning our decision, but it stopped around 10:00 and was quiet all night. Then around 7:00 this morning it rained again, but it too cleared up by 11:00, so we went over to the train station and bought tickets for Cordoba.  It was around a 90 minute ride and we arrived in sunshine ☀️ and really pleasant temperatures.  We got to the taxi stand and the car that was next for us to take was a Tesla. I gave him the hotel’s address as we put bags in the back and he asked again for the address. He looked at it and said “I can’t take you” as he gestured with his arms outstretched indicating it’s too narrow.  He said I’ll get 

you another taxi and walked over to a narrower taxi and gave the driver the address.  We transferred our bag and set off with the new taxi. After s few blocks the driver turned into what looked like an alley and we descended into the ancient section of town.  The streets were so narrow that at one point a man pulling a suitcase had to step into a doorway to let us pass. In a couple places we could not have gotten out of the car because the doors would not have opened far enough. But he got us right to our hotel’s entrance. 

We got our stuff situated in our room and headed down our little pathway/street to a taverna suggested by our concierge where we had a very good lunch. We made it in just before they stopped seating customers, a happy choice for us.  We branched out a bit and had both a bowl of Salmorejo and a bowl of Ajo Blanco, a cream garlic and bread soup, with toasted almonds, apple, and raisins.  We both had fish fritters and then roasted artichokes.  We ended up being the last customers to leave the place, but they did let us in to eat in the first place.

Out on the street again we decided to walk over to the main reason for our visit here, the Mezquita the medieval mosque dating from around 750 when the Moors first invaded Spain, Al Andalus. 

We walked through the courtyard filled with orange trees which served as the spot for the washing of feet and hands of the Muslim worshipers and then around the exterior, but we’re saving the interior for tomorrow