Three days in a family run villa in a quiet, peaceful neighbourhood. Close enough to walk to town that we could (and did) walk but far enough that we can avoid tour groups and touts. Ahhhh!
First day we overachieved. Arrived around 1pm, checked in & found (again way toooo much) food. Think the plate of the day could be shared & we'd still be full. Who can eat a whole leg of lamb and survive??  
Had to walk off the overstuffed feeling ( and the cervezas) eventually finding ourselves in the
' centro historico'. This on a day I thought the most ambitious thing I would be doing would be looking for a laundromat. Nice weather turned in to a hot afternoon. That with the beer and food meant we eventually fell in to bed still too full to eat dinner.  
Refreshed the next morning we boarded bus #13 which easlily took us back to the historic center of town. Amazing how much better everything looks when you've had a good rest! Having three days in one place is a treat. You don't need the three days to see the main sights of Cordoba however it is very nice to have the time to get lost & enjoy the local atmosphere. It's also nice to be able to get away from the tourist areas and find good coffee & local food at a good price. Only problem there is no one speaks English. That's how you know you've found a good restaurant.... very busy with locals and no one to easily communicate with.  
The most impressive historic site in Cordoba is easily the Mezquita Cathedral. Originally built as a Mosque in 785AD (using recycled columns the Romans left behind as well as a little of their own knowledge and handiwork) the Mosque was added on to by Abd al Rahman II, al Hakam II & al Mansur. Then the Christians said "nice place" and tore up a piece of it to make a Cathedral. The good thing is that there are almost 900 pillar / arches still in place. It is very impressive. The garden outside the Palace Fortress of the Catholic Monarchs (built in the 14th century) is a tranquil retreat and well maintained. Here you can climb the towers to get a good view of the area. The Roman Bridge is interesting as well. The whole town is pedestrian friendly with wide boulevards along the river & lots of parks with actual places to sit!
We had a few little interesting things happen to us these last few days. Think you'll find some of them amusing.
- The owners of the villa we are staying in don't speak much English. I asked for the location of a laundromat & they offered to wash our clothes for us. As we sat on the patio sipping wine we noticed our wash on the line. I wandered over... took off the dry clothes & rearranged the rest to dry faster. When we went out in the evening a frantic employee, worried that our clothes had been stolen and unable to tell me, finally managed through google translate to understand that they were taken by the owners. The rest of our laundry appeared the next day, neatly folded in our room.
- I've learned that very few (and I mean very few) women in Spain wear ball caps. I happen to wear one in the sun am getting used to the stares from the women in sensible shoes & heavy stockings that are my age. Shane and I ate lunch in the sun one day. When I went inside to pay the bill the owner didn't know who I was because I'd taken off my ball cap. I didn't get that until he walked outside, saw Shane by himself, pointed to my head and laughed. We both had a giggle & I got a free water!
- You know you've found a family owned store when, inside the same door on the right side you have wall paint, brushes, rollers etc and on the left you can buy lipstick, face powder etc. complete with brushes unique to the task. It's like the wife said... I'm sick of your paint I'm going to sell mine!!
- While lost, looking for yet another church, we heard the worst horn playing and drum banging. Turning the corner we came across a parade of school children carrying dripping candles (some had gloves to protect them while others held the melted wax in their hands), kids carrying a Samana Santa float (poor little hot kids underneath the heavy float) and off key musicians helping them along followed by angelic looking little girls dressed in black lace with their hands together in prayer. It was a riot of proud parents and grandparents gathering to take photos while Shane and I just took the whole thing in.
- Then there was the guy on a motor bike with a piccalo. We heard the sweet music over the gas spewing exhaust grind of the engine. Turns out he was the local knife sharpener. He plays the music (just like our icecream vendors at home) and when the homeowner hears it they rush down with anything that needs to be sharpened. Pretty cute to see!
So by the end of our time here we have helped students practice their English (and made them laugh)...contributed to another school's efforts to help Ethiopian kids (they were pretty impressed that we had been there)...visited one of the nicest tourist information buildings & enjoyed most of what Cordoba had to offer. We are rested and ready to tackle Samana Santa full on in Ronda starting Saturday.
Bring it on.... we have ear plugs!