After breakfast in the Conquistador Hotel's pleasant patio, we checked out and put our luggage into storage. We walked up to the ancient Synagogue which is no longer in use. They limit visitors to 44 at a time, which is fine for the synagogue but crowds the small lane way that provides access.
Walking further up to the Puerta de Almodovar (presumably not Pedro) we stopped for tea and watched the passing parade. This comprised local family groups and people out walking dogs, as well as we pesky tourists. We left the old city and visited Mercado Victoria, similar in concept to Mercado San Miguel in Madrid albeit on a smaller scale.
Back into the old town we arrived at Plaza des las Tendillas, the heart of Cordoba. It is an impressive square although was only formed in the 1920s from demolition of an old hotel.
We continued on past the Roman ruins to Plaza de la Corredera. This used to be an amphitheatre and apparently hosted burnings during the Inquisition. Being Sunday, there were no burnings today. It is now a pleasant plaza surrounded by apartments.
After a reviving bebidas we strolled on to Plaza del Potro (horse) and then to a lovely place for lunch, Fusion. This was a popular spot for families on this day of the week so we were lucky to get a table. Two very nice salads.
Walking along the river we parted while I went to La Mezquita and Bruce crossed to the other side.
La Mezquita doesn't open until 3pm in the afternoon so I was expecting a dishearteningly long queue, however there are ticket machines and no line up for the door. Once inside and a quick skirt around the guided tours and it was an easy site to visit. After all it's built for 40,000 worshippers so even on a good day it would not be near crowded. Nonetheless several photo shots required patience while fellow tourists scurried about. The visuals during the day are stunning. One thing that the night tour did not give was an idea of the scale of the place from observation. I was glad I came back. There is a fair bit of natural light as the electric lighting is not great. The archways are amazing. Architecturally they provide form and function. I guess an engineer would also say they hold the massive bloody roof up. The mirhab arches looked better up close, which surprised me that I didn't have to elbow people to get to. In a side room, the mother of all monstrances was on display. It is a monster!
Enough of the description. Words cannot adequately describe the place. The night tour may have overdone the superlatives already but at least it allowed me to wander solo today with an understanding of what I was seeing, as well as just appreciating the glory of this place.
Bruce and I met back at the hotel for tea and then a taxi ride to the estacion. No confusion here as Cordoba only has one train station.
The 40 minute train ride to Seville was uneventful. The high speed train got up to 246km/hr although averaged around the 230 mark.
The taxi to the Fontecruz Hotel wound its way through narrow laneways to this marvellous hotel. It is very modern and a spacious room.
After a siesta we headed out in search of food. Thankfully a local landmark helps us navigate the windy lanes - the Seville Cathedral is huge! According to the Lonely Planet, when it was built the local burghers said lets build one so big that future generations will think we were mad. They must have been.
We found a so-so touristy place for dinner; not bad but not good either. Given how easy it is to get lost, we next headed off to stretch the legs and find our way around. The gardens and fort seem in easy walking distance as is the crazy cathedral.
In the cathedral square a visiting choir from Anjou were singing a capella. They were mostly modern songs; it was delightful except once the 'show' had finished they carried on singing in little groups. La Marseillaise was a good rendition but one guy misfired trying to get La bamba onto the card.