The city of Córdoba is the capital city of the Andalusian province of Córdoba in Southern Spain. In the Middle Ages, this city was a major Islamic center and also once a very important Roman city. The Guadalquivir River flows through this city under the Roman bridge of Córdoba which was constructed in the 1st century BC. For any Game of Thrones fans, this bridge served as “The Long Bridge of Volantis” in the show. We walked across this beautiful 247 meter long bridge as we started our day in Córdoba.
We came to Córdoba to visit the Mezquita-Catedral, so that is where we headed first. This building is an Islamic mosque that was converted into a cathedral in the 13th century. This monument was beautiful to see as it is a representation of the major religions and cultures that shaped Andalusia: Islam and Christianity. The architecture within this building was stunning. We visited many places in Spain with Islamic and Christian influences in their architecture and design but never anything quite like this combination of a mosque and a cathedral under one roof.
After touring the Mezquita-Catedral of Córdoba, we had some free time to have lunch and explore the city. We walked around on a major street with shops and restaurants to find a place to eat. We decided on a Mexican restaurant to see how it would compare to the Mexican food we are accustomed to back at home. The restaurant we found was beautifully decorated with very bright and intricate decor. I had never seen a restaurant like this, and it was very different from the traditional Spanish restaurants we had been enjoying during our trip.
After lunch, we headed out to find a festival that our tour guide informed us would be going on in the city that afternoon. As we walked down the streets, we saw so many women in beautiful elegant traditional Spanish dresses and men in suits. After walking for a while, we found the festival. All of the restaurants and booths were completely full with people dressed up and having a great time with friends and family. Everyone was playing music and it was just a great environment to experience. Unfortunately we weren’t able to see the festival in full effect that night because we had to head back to Malaga, but I can imagine how fun it would have been to enjoy all of the games and vendors in the streets. Although we couldn’t stay long , we were able to at least enjoy a fun ride on the bumper cars before we headed back home.
