February 20-22, 2015

I finally found my way to Southern Spain. The small taste of the Andalusian culture I was able to absorb in 48-hours has left me wanting more and excited me for future trips to cities like Granada and Seville; each of which I’ve heard nothing but oooohing and awwwing about since I arrived in Madrid last August.

Becca, Jill, Erika, and I escaped the boisterous crowds and noises of Madrid for the weekend and found ourselves enjoying the peaceful town. Two days was plenty of time to explore the small village (as Spaniards say) and take in the lovely sites.

To our pleasant relief we arrived via Renfe to a beautifully sunny day, perfect for wandering. We walked and walked and then sat ourselves down in the most perfect open callejón (alley) and enjoyed a very typical Spanish meal of tapas followed by a long sombresa, a post-meal chat or table talk.

Orange trees were everywhere and they gave the town that little touch that made it memorable. (I have a hunch there will be many orange trees in my future as I explore other Andalusian cities.)

Becca and I laughed as we took photos of the orange trees, thinking of the tourists we’ve seen taking photos of apple trees in Washington and thinking they were the crazy ones.

What I wasn’t expecting to see in Córdoba was the prominent Moroccan influence which made me love the town even more. Most of our meals after the first one included Moroccan and Mediterranean inspired foods – and they were all delicious and a nice change from the usual jamón y queso.

On Saturday we stumbled upon what we can only guess was a Carnaval and/or Lent celebration. There were several musical groups dressed-up singing around the town. The grand event of the day seemed to be the carrying of Jesus Christ around the combined Catherdral/Mosque and eventually inside of it.

Because we were unaware of this special event we sadly did not get to visit the inside of the Mezquita (Catherdral/Mosque) and missed out on one of the main attractions of the town. I can only imagine how beautiful the inside must be, as the courtyard, although somewhat small, was perfect to walk around in or sit and gaze at the passerbys.

After enjoying some people watching and views from the Roman Bridge we made our way to one of our favorite finds in the city – a cozy rooftop bar with the perfect birds-eye view.

It was here we spent both evenings chatting and reminiscing over vino.

For me there is nothing better than sitting on a rooftop with good company and enjoying the setting of the sun, it makes the entire day come together under an aura of bliss. 

For now, I will be counting down the days until I can return to the sun and orange trees of the south.

xoxo, C