Cordoba
Cordoba is extremely beautiful!
I believed it to be the city of flowers but really it is a city full rich history.
Conquered by the Arabs in the 700's (please don't quote me on this date) and then a strategic location for many different reigning kingdoms (King Ferdinand who later granted Columbus his request to travel to the Americas lived here for quite some time)
What amazed me the most was the architecture. You can see the Arabic influence in many of the building designs, floors, and the designs of the town. Also another fun fact: apparently there are only thee synagogues left in all of Spain - I believe sometime in the1200's Jews were allowed to take refuge in Spain that is until they were kicked out (again my dates are iffy it could either be the 1200 or 1500 I will need to double check) but what is most fascinating is that there are only three synagogues left and one of them can be found here in Cordoba. The other two are in Toledo.
I believed it to be the city of flowers but really it is a city full rich history.
Conquered by the Arabs in the 700's (please don't quote me on this date) and then a strategic location for many different reigning kingdoms (King Ferdinand who later granted Columbus his request to travel to the Americas lived here for quite some time)
What amazed me the most was the architecture. You can see the Arabic influence in many of the building designs, floors, and the designs of the town. Also another fun fact: apparently there are only thee synagogues left in all of Spain - I believe sometime in the1200's Jews were allowed to take refuge in Spain that is until they were kicked out (again my dates are iffy it could either be the 1200 or 1500 I will need to double check) but what is most fascinating is that there are only three synagogues left and one of them can be found here in Cordoba. The other two are in Toledo.
Things to do?
I would recommend staying maybe a day or two. While beautiful with a lot of history - there isn't really much to do. Visiting of the Mesquite Church is a must - it basically showcases a mixture of the two major religions that came through the region: Christianity and Islam. Architecturally you will be able to see a clash of the two styles. Other great sites include: the Jewish synagogue, the jardin with a statute dedicated to Christopher Columbus, a small shopping district - and great food! I am pretty sure I have missed a couple of other things but for the most part you can walk the city in a few hours.
The gastronomy is amazing! I was actually surprised at how good (and easy it was to find) the food. Some of their signature dishes include bull meat, flank steaks that are wrapped in ham (please don't quote me on this I need to double check but it's steak with some sort of other meat), a dessert that is a mixture of Spanish and Arabic influence, and salmorejo - a tomato paste like soup.
Another great treat that I had was a bocadilla tortilla de patata - basically a sandwich with potatoes and eggs. Sounds crazy (and carb heavy) but oh so good! Everything melts into your mouth and you don't even realize that it's potato and bread that you are eating!
I would recommend staying maybe a day or two. While beautiful with a lot of history - there isn't really much to do. Visiting of the Mesquite Church is a must - it basically showcases a mixture of the two major religions that came through the region: Christianity and Islam. Architecturally you will be able to see a clash of the two styles. Other great sites include: the Jewish synagogue, the jardin with a statute dedicated to Christopher Columbus, a small shopping district - and great food! I am pretty sure I have missed a couple of other things but for the most part you can walk the city in a few hours.
The gastronomy is amazing! I was actually surprised at how good (and easy it was to find) the food. Some of their signature dishes include bull meat, flank steaks that are wrapped in ham (please don't quote me on this I need to double check but it's steak with some sort of other meat), a dessert that is a mixture of Spanish and Arabic influence, and salmorejo - a tomato paste like soup.
Another great treat that I had was a bocadilla tortilla de patata - basically a sandwich with potatoes and eggs. Sounds crazy (and carb heavy) but oh so good! Everything melts into your mouth and you don't even realize that it's potato and bread that you are eating!