Day 3 - off to Cordoba

11:00am - train for cordoba from Madrid about to depart. The Spanish train system, despite its truly awful website, is absurdly efficient. Unlike in Italy where it's a boarding free-for-all, they board the trains in Spain not too differently than airplanes, through a gate with a ticket scan. This means you can't accidentally get on a train without a ticket validation and face potential fines like in Italy. Even in Toledo, which only has three platforms, they have a baggage scan and ticket control.





12:45pm - In taxi from cordoba train station to b&b. cabbie is talking to me in Spanish, I think he said something like there are demonstrations going on where we're driving past bc it's Labor Day and people don't have jobs. I don't know this for sure, but that's what I'll go with.

6:50pm - yeah so I was wrong, maybe. Cabbie couldn't get me to b&b because of the flower parade down the main street. Yeah a flower parade. Anyway luckily I had a map in the iPad and found b&b with no problems. Guy at front desk was so nice, trying so hard to speak in English and show me stuff on the map. Today begins the festival of the crosses, where decorated crosses and basically beer gardens are set up all over town for a few days. Also, though the b&b has no breakfast, the water and juice in the mini-bar is free. When's the last time you heard of a free mini-bar.

Set out to try salmorejoria umami, which I had read about - modern local type food served on funky table settings. Had a fino (white) sherry and needless to say wont be having another. Gross. Had small serving of traditional cordobese salmorejo which is a thick gazpacho topped with Iberico ham and bits of boiled egg. Was fine but perhaps not my cup of tea. Oh, free olives and bread with local olive oil were on table. Then I had flamenquin, a local Ian that's pork stuffed with ham and maybe cheese then deep fried served with fries. Yum.

Then I went to the main sight in the city, the Mezquita (mosque), which was literally converted into a cathedral a few hundred years ago. I mean they literally built a church in the middle of the thing, leaving the Arabic architecture all around it. Wild and amazing and i see why it's such a big deal. Never seen anything like it, I couldn't stop taking pictures. Cool thing is the huge entry patio is open to the public so its like a park with great people watching on top of it.

Then walked to the river and across the Roman bridge, which has first century foundations but is otherwise pretty ugly. Walked past and found another cross square and beer garden that was hopping with lots of impromptu flamenco. If this is how a poor nation in the midst of an economic crisis acts, I want in on that happiness. People-watched for a while then walked past the alcazar, which had long lines and isn't supposed to be that special. Maybe tomorrow morning before the tour buses and day trippers show up and I read its free then. Went to the area behind it where there are lots of patios. A protected unesco living sight, locals decorate their patios for a contest starting in a week. Some you pay to see, others people just open their doors and you peek in. Wild. More spontaneous flamenco In the street, too.

Somehow made it back to the b&b for a late pre-dinner siesta. Yay. Got a bit of laundry done too.

9:25pm - waiting for dessert of marzipan and cinnamon gelato. I'm splurging on an expensive dinner and stuffed full of Sephardic Jewish food like melt-in-your-mouth artichokes literally swimming in a half inch bath of olive oil with paprika and garlic followed by spicy rice with chicken. So why dessert? because marzipan and cinnamon gelato, that's why. Nice break from all the porkiness of the last few days (ain't no traif served here!).

10:30pm - back at b&b for the night after some night pictures of the Mezquita and my filling dinner. Pictures won't be up til tomorrow because I took a ton and haven't even started uploading yet.