Feb 17 Cordoba

Woke up to a lovely breakfast with fresh squeezed orange juice, a giant English muffin with orange (local) marmalade, STRONG coffee and tea. Then it was off to see the Mezquita. This massive (600 ft x 400 ft) former mosque is jaw dropping; words to describe it are insufficient. You enter through a large garden of palm/orange trees with intricate irrigation system and 2 central fountains. Though the typical mosque provides a west entrance to the mosque and east altar (facing Mecca) this one’s entrance is from the north, facing Syria from where the local Moors who built it came. The fountains were for the ritual cleaning prior to prayers. This mosque was first built in the 700s and the minaret (now bell tower) guards the courtyard. You pass from the orange grove into the interior of the mosque to find yourself in another world, another type of forest, this one of beautiful delicate marble columns connected by red and white double arches – necessary because of the height of the ceiling, The structures adapt the Visigoth ruins (more history later) and roman arches admirably, The columns seem to recede into the distance, like looking at yourself in mirrors where there are hundreds of you. Remember when you were a kid and went to the barbershop. Mirrors in front and behind you made it look like there were 20-30 other kids getting a haircut at the same time. Same sensation looking into the rows and rows of columns. Quickly stepping it off it seems there were easily over 600. The Visigoths built a Christian church here in the 500-600 era, and then came the Muslims. In 1236, the conquering Christians took it over. With amazing forethought, rather than tear down the mosque, they built a lovely cathedral inside the mosque. Yeah, it has to be seen to be believed. The cathedral, in the center of the mosque rises 130 feet and has glorious plaster work in the ceiling, rich decorations contrasting with the simplicity of the Muslim building. We arrived as mass was being said; the warmly intimate forest of columns blended with the chanting and singing – it brought tears to our eyes for the beauty and tranquility presented. The Catholic Church now makes sure to claim the Visigoth heritage from the 500s to prove their current right to keep this active church for themselves. In some ways it is a shame, the Muslim Mihrab (high altar) is beautiful and the 8000 Muslims in Cordoba should, in our opinion, have a right to worship here. It is an ongoing, and perhaps growing, controversy. King Ferdinand III chose to be buried here with the Mudejar mosaic decorations of the Muslims…a beautiful Royal Chapel within the mosque (one of about 50). Peaceful, tranquil and a great showing of the dichotomy between the two religions: simplicity vs. ostentation, god within yourself vs. god as all powerful over you, tolerance of differences vs. intolerance, joy vs. fear. I could go on, mostly based on the history I’ve been reading, but perhaps I am putting too much of my own interpretation into this.
As to history…Spain as a whole and the southern part more specifically. Please remember, I am writing this as a diary so I don’t forget all we’ve learned. Sorry if I digress! The Celts from Ireland and that area present the first evidence of inhabiting the northern Iberian Peninsula. They came by both land and sea about 800-1200 BC and their typical homes and burial sites can be seen where not destroyed by “progress.” Very reminiscent of our trip to Ireland. The Phoenicians first settled the southern edge of what is now Spain in about 1100 BC. Carthaginians and Romans followed in 200-400 AD. When the Roman Empire crumbled, the Christian Visigoths (from current German areas) came and built the first Christian churches. That leadership lasted until about 711 AD when the Moors first landed at Gibraltar. Within 3 years, the Moors ruled the entire Iberian Peninsula. Though powerful, they were very tolerant of different people and religions. For the next 700 years they ruled most of Spain and allowed a mixing of Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths. They valued the Jews especially as the go between for them with the Christians.
Those who weren’t Muslim paid a bit more in taxes but were allowed their culture. This was perhaps Europe’s most advanced culture, totally escaping the Dark Ages, and honoring science, mathematics, literature, astronomy and architecture. They also flourished with wine-making (thanks Romans) even though the Muslim religion forbade drinking it. After a few hundred years, the Reconquista” began when the Moor kings split into different factions, lessening their agreements and subsequent control over the area. With the Catholics slowly advancing south and driving the Moors out of the peninsula,Toledo fell in 1085, Sevilla in 1248, and, finally Granada in 1492. The Moors in some places were allowed to stay for a few years, but inevitably fell back to their more southern areas and finally Africa as they were pushed out. The Jews were forced out or “allowed” to convert around the same time. The vicious inquisition was to find out the “false converts” and kill them all. Not a pretty time. From about 1500-1600, Spanish ruled the seas and the world; then religious arguments and those pesky English ruined it all. A slow decline followed until we thrashed them in the Spanish American War (they lost Cuba, the Philippines and Puerto Rico), WWI was devastating , and their 1930s Civil War finished it all. They also chose the wrong side in WWII and somehow failed to benefit from the situation as Germany did (Marshall Plan).
Enough history. We continued to walk the myriad narrow lanes of the Jewish quarter in Cordoba, and ventured out of the twisty turny lanes to the more modern parts in search of restaurants. Yummmmy search results. We found food, two great restaurants for lunch and dinner. You are supposed to eat a big lunch, sleep it off and then eat a small dinner. When you find a place with food and atmosphere, it is HARD to eat small. Oh well, a few more hours on the Nordi track when we return. We wind through the old and into the new Cordoba. The first restaurant we ate at for lunch yesterday (17th) was in the Plaza San Miguel – the Casa de Pisto ( a local stew). Very local bar in the front and then typical 5-6 rooms in the back. The walls were lined with old paintings, photos (one from1888) and bric-brac from Cordoba history. Olive oil lamps, foot braziers under the table, fountains, and famous bull fighters, flamenco dancers, and padrones looking down at you from the walls. Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs again. It all started with our first pitcher of Sangria. Then we progressed to Salpicon de Marisco – a cold sea food salad with shrimp, cod, crab, green peppers (chopped fine), onions, olive oil, tomatoes and vinegar….burp. Then we moved to fried aubergines (eggplant) with a honey dressing, Sobrasida Iberica (a tomato based pate with lots of salt), broiled mushrooms with crumbled prosciutto on top,

Good thing our waiter was nice. In a polite way he talked us out of 6 half rations, insisting 4 was sufficient (by the way, waiters have vastly improveda fter our Barca experience). He gave us a tour of each of the relics hanging on the walls. Too bad there is no music or flamenco here in Feb. We need to walk this one off. Wined, and I do mean wined, our way home with stops at a few granny grabbers and fall into bed for a short nap. Finally figured we must be awake, up and out between 5-7 p.m. if we want to visit any open shops. Also figured out we must buy the first time we see something because 1) you may never find the shop again and 2) it will be closed if you come back. Note to self: Remember to bring guide book and map when you trek out at night to eat. Else you have to find your way back to the hotel to retrieve them. So what, we looked for one restaurant, couldn’t find it, and ended up at Taberna Salinas, even better than the others we searched for mapless. This place was a small covered court yard. We trusted waiter Jose Carlos to pick the meal and wine. We started with the Cordoban specialty of oranges, onions, salt-marinated cod- strangely, it was great. This was followed by fried eggplant and calamari, croquettes with ham and cheese inside continued with a stewed pork – so tender it would disintegrate with a fork- had to use a spoon. Finished it all off with an orange custard surmounted by a one inch square of vanilla chocolate covered ice cream and sugared almond tart El padron who has been overseeing the entire meal (from a back corner table) and watching his bodego fill up over the last 1 ½ hours. He came and asked us “Fini?” We weren’t sure what we said but he then served us with some PX, Pedro Ximenez, complements of el Pedrone, a sweet after dinner wine reminiscent of Japanese plum wine and port , from grapes grown only in this region. Just what we needed. After another half hour of sipping we have an idea!!! Get Jose Carlos to draw directions on the map (another reason for keeping one with us) to get us home. We shuffle off to the Mezquita for one last night time photo before melting into bed. Tired bodies…off to bed ..travel is so exhausting. Wonder why we do it? The sarcasm is as thick as the PX.