Córdoba and Seville

Sunday,March 11 was the eighth anniversary of Jim's death. Caroline, Mela and I talked about him as we made coffee. We went to the flea market after breakfast where I bargained with a young Moroccan man. For the second time in my life I got a really good deal on something I wasn't sure if I really wanted. I think the young man thought I was driving a hard bargain because I almost walked away a few times, but I really didn't know if I wanted the thing. In fact even now I don't know which one of us came out on top. Probably both of us. I bought something that I might want for a reasonably good price and he made a sale. Albert and Don got infectiously excited about and convinced us all to contribute to the purchase of tickets for a Euro Lottery which could have made us multi millionaires but I know by now only won us 7euros. Then we filled up the car and went home to prepare for the trip on Monday to Córdoba and Seville.

We drove inland from the Mediterranean, over jagged rocky hills that are non-the-less cultivated in terraces in every possible place then into the heavily cultivated flatter land toward Córdoba. Again we had some trouble getting into the old part of town, but with the help of a policeman we got to where I could speak into the microphone to ask that the bollard be lowered and after a few more inquiries we found our hotel. Albert parked the car and we didn't see it again until we left two days later. Córdoba is a wonderful city to walk around at this time of year. The weather is not perfect but it's better than in many parts of the world at this moment and there are not too many people at the sites. We walked around a while, had a rest in the hotel and went out for dinner.



The outer wall of the cathedral/mosque of Córdoba, right across from our hotel


Albert and Don near the statue to St Raphael (the patron saint of Córdoba) in Plaza del Potro(colt)


A memorial to Cervantes in Plaza del Potro. He lived in Córdoba for a few years when he was young.


The name of this bar caught my eye since I come from Thunder Bay where there are lots of mosquitoes and what fascinates me most about the history of this part of Spain is the Moorish period and the mosques.