From Sevilla to Cordoba

Let's change a little bit, and forget about churches and palaces this morning, with a visit to Italica, a Roman settlement close to Sevilla:

Then, on the way to Cordoba, Ecija, its churches covered with azujelos, and its very interesting archeaological museum

A very good surprise, a few km away from Cordoba: Medina Al-Zahra, the ruins of a vast, fortified Arab Muslim medieval palace-cit, that used to be the capital of Al-Andalus, the Muslim Spain, back in the 10th century. Very few people in the site, I have the feeling I have it almost just for me, it is incredible.

And here I am, in Cordoba

After Djoko and Murray during the last trip, time to pay a homage to another tennis player (or two, if you consider that the protector of the city is San Rafael, and that you bump into "Bodega de San Rafael", "Plaza del Triumfo de San Rafael" at each street corner, but that's another story):

The Posada Del Potro, which is located on this square, was made famous by Cervantes in his Don Quijote but, a lot closer to us, it is one of the main locations of "La mano de Fatima", by Ildefonso Falcones, that I am reading at the moment. And because the ancient city has not changed a lot during the last centuries, I have the feeling that I am going to meet some of the characters at any second. Not sure that it would be the best moment of my life, anyway...

Tapas time, including the first salmorejo I have ever eaten outside the office canteen ;)

Ready to enter the cathedral / mosque as soon as it opens, at 8:30, in order to avoid the crowd, and it is really worth it

 

 

 

 

Then the Alcazar, the palace of the Christian kings: