Thu
25.Apr.2013
Córdoba, Andalucía, Spain
I am already ensconced in Sevilla, Spain as I type this, but I am sitting on
two or three posts worth of pictures from last week in Córdoba. No need to
hurry; we will get there.
The Train In Spain
Trains always stop for longer than usual at border-crossing stations; they
need the time to swap engines and operating crews. Even so, it seemed to
take ungodly long for my night train to get out of the station at Port
Bou, Spain after crossing from France.
Curiously, the delay meant that we got underway into Spain just as the sun
was rising over the Mediterranean, blurred by train motion and window.
Pàrquing - that is how it is spelled in Barcelona. The local
language there is not Spanish, but Catalan.
The night train goes only as far as Barcelona, in the northeast corner of
the country. From here, it was a four hour run on a Spanish bullet train
to Córdoba, in the southwest. No transfer in Madrid on this train - we
flew cheerfully past the capital, albeit at ground level. Love those
Spanish bullet trains. Get a rail pass before you come, though; the AVE
trains are very pricy if you are paying cash on the spot.
Córdoba
Capital of one of the three Moorish kingdoms in Al Andaluz, the
Iberian peninsula.
The most famous surviving Moorish mosque in Spain is here. Someday I'll have
to visit it. The surrounding medieval maze is just a little too
tourist-trappy for comfort, but the city as a whole is spacious and
pleasant, to say nothing of warm. Spring here is high-priced season, because
the 100+ °F Summer temperatures discourage visitors, both foreign and
Spanish.
In Roman times, the Guadalquivir river was navigable up to
Córdoba, and the city was the capital of Roman Spain. These columns near
my cheap quirky pension date to that era;
Home away from home.
The street leading homeward from the Roman columns.
The rooftop patio, where I hung my laundry to dry. The little laundromat
that I used here last year is no more. Farewell Lavandería Sol Y Mar,
and hello to doing my own laundry in Córdoba. Oh well...
Shopping.
A very large supermarket in a shopping mall. Be prepared to deal in Spanish
here - the tour buses don't get this far.
On t'other hand, it is amazing how concisely some idiomatic brand names
translate into Spanish.
This week is predicted to be much cooler, Indian Winter so to speak. Last
week, Córdoba had a fine preview of serious Spring.
Coming - More Córdoba, including an Alcázar of sorts.