Feeling it, in Córdoba

That feeling I talked about in Saville, or actually talked about not having. Well, Córdoba has it in spades.

We’d been recommended to stop off and spend some time in Córdoba by Ian’s brother and when I mentioned it to another friend,  they said how much they love it, so it turned into a must do. And so it was!

It had been a Roman settlement, which was later subject to  Muslim conquest when it became a world leading centre of education and learning, and by the 10th century it had become the second largest city in Europe following its Christian conquest. It has more UNESCO World Heritage sites than anywhere in the world, and I can see why. It is incredible!

You enter the walled city via small alleyways, archways and cut throughs packed with people, marching bands, cafes and shops. Then suddenly you stumble out into the sun and  the outer walls of the Mosque–Cathedral or  Mezquita rise up above you. Through the massive doorway you enter the central square of the former mosque.

Here we found the most incredible building where first impressions bring a sense of calm, a special place of Arabic history, with arches and mosaics and stunning ceilings. 

Further into the building the present day Christian influence is brutally juxtaposed with the original Moorish architecture. Catholic iconography sitting boldly next to Arabic mosaics. A Roman Catholic Cathedral within a former Mosque. Stained glass windows pouring glistening muiltcoloured light down onto the floor upon which Muslim worshipers once walked. It feels holy, awe inspiring and welcoming, and to top it off, a wedding was in progress. It was incredible.

A further meander through the streets found us in a little place that couldn’t have felt more Spanish. A waiter stood carving Iberian ham, on a marble bar with a deep blue tiled counter. It was time for a local beer. 

Heading outside the walls of the Mezquita we find the Roman bridge at the city gates, stop for another drink and get to experience the full meaning of the fact that  Córdoba has the highest summer temperatures in Spain and Europe, with average high temperatures around 37 °C (99 °F) in July and August. It is early May today, it's 34 degrees outside, but  when we get back to Agy she has reached a sweltering high of 45 °C.  We are melting, exhausted, but culturally enriched.