April 7, 2016. Was up very early this morning for an excursion to Cordoba, Spain – a two hour drive from my resort. Met and immediately bonded with another solo traveler, Diane from Houston. She was the first American I’d met since arriving in Spain a week earlier. It was the beginning of a new friendship.
Although it’s only two hours away, it took us two additional hours to pick up the rest of the tour guests, so it was a very LONG bus ride. Once we got on the road, the countryside was beautiful – green, rolling hills and thousands of acres filled with olive trees. Our guide (who presented all information about the area in four different languages to accomodate everyone on the tour) told us there are 8 million olive trees in Spain, as it’s one of their primary agricultural products. I think we saw half of them on the way to Cordoba!
Cordoba itself is a very ancient city that was conquered in turn by Romans, Byzantians, Arabs and eventually Christians. The primary landmarks of today include an old Roman bridge and gateway, and a magnificent mosque, inside which the Christians eventually build a cathedral (destroying large chunks of history in the process).
I’m a big fan of Moorish architecture so I absolutely loved this tour. In addition to being HUGE – capable of holding 40,000 people – the beauty of the arches and colors inside the mosque were breathtaking. Another must-see landmark in southern Spain.
We also toured the ancient Jewish quarter and synagogue, and enjoyed the beautiful flowers that hung from many balonies and window sills (Cordobians compete each year for the most beautiful flower-bedecked balcony).
Had a late lunch with Diane in a quiet courtyard and did a little shopping before heading back to the bus for the long ride home. This was definitely a “Wow!” day.
From Here to There 
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