My Solo Month in Spain: Córdoba

The table was set for one. Me. I had a reservation and they were ready for me at Bodegas Campos in Córdoba. I had read about this place, don’t remember where and decided that today would be a good day to book a reservation for a good meal. I’ve been up since 5:30 this morning, all a part of getting to Córdoba from Mérida.

I booked the 7:50 am train from Mérida to Puertollano. That actually turned out to be a quick 3-hour train ride and the only way to get to Córdoba on the train. But once I got to the Puertollano station, I had to wait 45 minutes for my next train…a straight 45 minute ride to Córdoba. My previous train was practically empty but not this one. Not sure if my seat was taken or not because I stood by the exit door with the luggage piled up and watched the beautiful olive trees covering the Spanish land as the train sped by. Oh and since I was standing by the entrance to the all gender toilet, I got to again speak my broken Spanish to people. I always pick up a word or two to add to my limited vocabulary of both speech and understanding.

Do I miss speaking my own language and being understood? Kinda. But I actually wanted and continue to want this immersion into the language. I just wish I were so much better equipped!

Anyway, I digress.

I made this reservation because I knew I would need to eat and didn’t want to battle with finding a place to do so. A straight seven minute walk from my hotel and I was here. The first reservation of the evening, 8:30 (or 20:30). Myself and one other couple were in this restaurant with tables all set for their guests. But the Spanish, as I’ve come to know and love, eat late. Try 9:30 or 10:00 or even later at night.

Table set for one.

I ordered a glass of red wine, vino tinto. And tried to understand the English language menu but something was definitely lost in translation. I would love to help these restaurants translate their menus into an English that is widely understood.

Oh, again, I digress. I order the “Neck Fried Cod, Vegetable Ratatouille and Gratin Pil Pil.” Thankfully it really wasn’t the fish neck but more like a lightly crumbed and fried cod fish paddy with deliciously sautéed vegetables. And, as for the Gratin Pil Pil, I was told it was Mayonnaise and well, I chose to skip that.

I ate it all. It was just the right amount of food to both look at and eat. I’ve reached this place where seeing a plate toppling over with food just makes me want to gag. Yes, I know people in various parts of the world are starving and if I could I would gladly share that toppling over of food with them. But instead, I’m faced with eating it myself and I just can’t.

Again I digress. Because it was just enough to gently fill my tummy, I was definitely in the mood for something sweet. I asked for something chocolate and the server never hesitated. I am not a foodie. Do I enjoy a good meal? Of course. But I don’t seek out food in the way a person who understands the intricacies of taste and smell would. When I’m hungry, I just want to eat something good. The fish and the desert were plenty.

When you travel solo, more than likely you eat solo. But oddly enough, it was nice to have a place, just for me all set up and ready to go once I arrived. The wait staff was very attentive and I felt well taken care of. I really appreciated that.

With a full belly from a good meal, I walked back to my hotel, but this time, I did something I hadn’t done before in previous visits to Córdoba, I walked around the golden-lit Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. An amazing way to top of a full day and a wonderful evening. Córdoba truly has my heart.

And, just one last thing, well two last things.

I travel now because at 65, I’m not getting any younger and time will not wait for a better day or time. I am older and wiser and so less intimidated by my own ignorance and brilliance. I go where my heart takes me because it is packed with years of knowing me.

Okay, now I’m close to being done.

Learn about Spain. Or just dare yourself to try something you’ve never done before. I’m cheating a bit because I’ve been to Spain before, but I’ve never traveled thru this country solo, during a pandemic, for a month. If there’s something you’re passionate about, go for it.

The table is set for one, ME, at Bodegas Campos in Córdoba. (Sept. 9, 2021)

My meal. Breaded and fried cod fish over sautéed vegetables. And, don’t you just love the fish plate? And, notice the food isn’t filling up the plate to the brim. (Sept. 9, 2021)

And, for desert, its what Bodegas Campos in Córdoba called their “Creamy Chocolate Cake with Mango Passion Ice-cream.” (Sept. 9, 2021)

I took this photo as I was done eating my dinner at the Bodegas Campos in Córdoba at exactly 9:36 p.m. (or 21:36) and people were slowing starting to come in for dinner. (Sept. 9, 2021)

Inside the Bodegas Campos in Córdoba. (Sept. 9, 2021)

The entrance to the Bodegas Campos in Córdoba. (Sept. 9, 2021)

This is the Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba or Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. And, tonight, after dinner, because my hotel is literally just across the way from it, I walked around this imposing edifice and enjoyed every second marveling at its gorgeousness and its historical legacy. But no history lesson tonight…I’m saving that for tomorrow. (Sept. 9, 2021)

Me in front of one of several carvings adorning the exterior of the Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba. So much more to come about this treasure. (Sept. 9, 2021)

I am not a novice to Córdoba and its charms. It doesn’t feel right to come all the way to Spain and not walk the cobblestone streets of this once Moorish dominated city that displays its history and culture so magnificently. Then add to that the roots of the Romans, Visigoths, Jews and of course the Catholics who took Spain from the Moors completely in 1492.

A tour in English that I had scheduled weeks before coming here had to be changed to Spanish, at least that’s what I was told after arriving in Córdoba. Thankfully, that did not happen. And, the guide, Azahara, who took a small group of us English speakers through the highlights and ultimately through the most unique Mosque-Cathedral in the world…that’s no embellishment…taught me things, especially about the Cathedral, I did not know and was the best walking tour I’ve taken of Córdoba.

Join me as I explore several sites of Córdoba’s Historic Center declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Me at the pools of the Lower Garden of the Alcázar of the Christian Monarchs also known as the Alcázar of Córdoba, looking back towards the medieval Alcázar or fortress which served as one of the primary residences of the Christian Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The defensive walls of the Alcázar de Los Reyes Cristianos, also known as the Alcázar of Córdoba and the Tower of Homage situated in the northeast corner. (Sept. 11, 2021)

The defensive walls of the Alcázar de Los Reyes Cristianos, also known as the Alcázar of Córdoba and the Tower of the Lions (La torre de los Leones), situated in the Northwest corner of fortress. The door to the base of this tower is currently used as the visitor entrance to the Alcázar and is the longest standing tower, dating back to the 13th century. (Sept. 11, 2021)

This is the statue of Alfonso XI of Castile, who rebuilt the Alcázar of Córdoba as the Alcázar of the Christian Monarchs, and who greets you upon entering the fortress. But before it became a fortress and home for the Christian Monarchs, it was a Visigothic fortress and when the Moors conquered the Iberian Peninsula between 711 to 718, it became the seat of the government of Al-Andalus and the residence of the emirs and caliphs of Córdoba until the Christian conquest of the city in 1236. The fortress would serve as one of the primary residences of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, commonly called the Catholic Monarchs. (Sept. 10, 2021)

A partial view of the Hall of Mosaics Hall inside the Alcázar of Córdoba. This room was originally constructed to be the Inquisition Chapel where the tribunal would officiate. Subsequently, this building became a prison after the Inquisition reached its end in 1820. Today it it is used by the town council for official public events and civil marriage ceremonies. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The Grand Mosaic inside another view of the Hall of the Mosaics at the Alcázar of Córdoba. The reason for the name of this hall is that its walls are decorated by numerous mosaics. This rectangular shaped Grand Mosaic has a border decorated with dolphins and anchors, framing the central theme, based on linear and geometrical motifs. These mosaics adorning the Hall are Roman and date from the 2nd and 3rd centuries and discovered during construction work in the remodelling of Corredera Square. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The Grand Mosaic inside the Hall of the Mosaics at the Alcázar of Córdoba. (Sept. 10, 2021)

Another, mosaic inside the Grand Mosaic of the Hall of the Mosaics at the Alcázar of Córdoba is this Cyclops Polyphemus and the nymph of the sea Galatea, discovered in 1959 during excavation work under the Plaza de la Corredera in Córdoba. These mosaics adorning the Hall are Roman and date from the 2nd and 3rd centuries. (Sept. 10, 2021)

Remains of former Roman and Visigoth buildings still being excavated at the Alcázar of Córdoba. (Sept. 10, 2021)

A view of the Tower of the Lions (La torre de los Leones) from inside the Alcázar of Córdoba. (Sept. 10, 2021)

Garden from inside the Alcázar of Córdoba. (Sept. 10, 2021)

Running water through the canals and pools feels refreshing and is an incredible part of adding to the beauty of the gardens at the Alcázar of Córdoba. (Sept. 10, 2021)

Statues of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, and Christopher Columbus at the Promenade of Kings garden at the Alcázar of Córdoba. This monument honors the Monarchs, mainly Isabella who gave Columbus the money he requested to find a direct water route west from Europe to Asia, but he never did. Instead, he stumbled upon the Americas. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The Promenade of Kings at the Alcázar of Córdoba. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The medieval defensive walls of Córdoba were built upon the old Roman walls by the Moors. This section of walls are located by the ancient Jewish Quarter. (Sept. 11, 2021)

The Statue of Averroes (Ibn Rushd) along the medieval defensive walls of Córdoba were built upon the old Roman walls by the Moors. Ibn Rusd, Latinized as Averroes was a Muslim born in Córdoba who wrote about many subjects, including philosophy, theology, medicine, astronomy, physics, psychology, mathematics, Islamic jurisprudence and law, and linguistics. (Sept. 11, 2021)

The Puerta de Almodóvar, alongside the defensive wall, provides access to Judería, the ancient Jewish Quarter of Cordoba. (Sept. 11, 2021)

A close-up of the Puerta de Almodóvar, alongside the city wall, that provides access to Judería, the ancient Jewish Quarter of Cordoba. (Sept. 11, 2021)

The Puerta de Almodóvar, alongside the city wall, provides access to Judería, the ancient Jewish Quarter of Cordoba. After crossing the gate, visitors find themselves in a maze of tiny squares and meandering narrow streets, virtually putting them back into another time. (Sept. 11, 2021)

Walking through the narrow winding streets of the Jewish Quarter in Córdoba to the only remaining Synagogue. (Sept. 11, 2021)

Walking through the narrow winding streets of the Jewish Quarter in Córdoba to the only remaining Synagogue. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The plain and unassuming entrance to the Synagogue of Córdoba, originally built in 1315. (Sept. 11, 2021)

The interior of the very small Synagogue of Córdoba. It’s small size points to it having possibly been the private synagogue of a wealthy man. The synagogue was decorated according to the best Mudejar tradition, which means influences of Islamic art typically by Christian craftsmen. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The niche once contained the Torah on the eastern wall of the Synagogue of Córdoba. It is the only synagogue in Córdoba to have escaped complete destruction during the years of persecution. Although clearly no longer functioning as a house of worship, it is open to the public. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The women’s section on the second floor of the Synagogue of Córdoba. (Sept. 10, 2021)

An inscription provides information on the Synagogue of Córdoba’s construction, as well as the primary benefactor of the synagogue. The inscription states that the building was refurbished into a synagogue in the year 1315 AD. (Sept. 10, 2021)

West wall of the Synagogue of Córdoba. (Sept. 10, 2021)

In the heart of the Jewish Quarter, next to the Synagogue, in calle Judíos, is the small Tiberius Square containing the Monument to Maimónides, one of the great thinkers and doctors of Jewish Córdoba. The statue portrays Maimónides seated on his tomb, which is now situated in Tiberiade, in Israel. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The Sephardi Jewish symbol, shaped like the Iberian Peninsula, can be seen throughout Spain highlighting the former Jewish quarters or neighborhoods, as this one is in Córdoba. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The Municipal Souk of Córdoba, also known as Mercado de la Artesanía, which opened in 1954, is a place to promote, and for people to buy, traditional crafts from Córdoba. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The Puerta Romano or Roman Bridge of Córdoba, spanning the Guadalquivir River, is long and based on 16 ancient Roman foundations originally built in the early 1st century BC although it has been reconstructed at various times since. At the end is the The Calahorra Tower (Spanish: Torre de la Calahorra) is a fortified gate in the historic centre of Córdoba, Spain. The edifice is of Islamic origin. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The Puerta Romano or Roman Bridge of Córdoba, spanning the Guadalquivir River, with the Calahorra Tower (Spanish: Torre de la Calahorra) at the end. (Sept. 9, 2021)

One the Puerta Romano or Roman Bridge of Córdoba heading toward the Calahorra Tower. Originally built as a fortified gate by the Moors (Almohad Caliphate) to protect the bridge, it was extensively restored by King Enrique II of Castile in 1369 to defend the city from attack. (Sept. 10, 2021)

People lined up to enter the Calahorra Tower, at the end of the Puerta Romano or Roman Bridge of Córdoba, where
it houses the Museo Vivo de Al-Andalus or Al-Andalus Living Museum. Spread over three floors and nine rooms, its permanent collection examines Córdoba’s remarkable pluralism and sophistication from the 9th to the 13th centuries when three religions existed side by side in medieval it was the largest city in Europe. Panels and audiovisual presentations explore the three religions that existed side by side in medieval Córdoba – Judaism, Christianity and Islam Another part of the museum are the rooftop or terrace views. (Sept. 10, 2021)

Up the stairs inside the Calahorra Tower to the Salas or rooms of the Museo Vivo de Al-Andalus or Al-Andalus Living Museum. It also provides rooftop access to the Tower. (Sept. 10, 2021)

A close-up inside a sala of the Calahorra Tower’s Museo Vivo de Al-Andalus or Al-Andalus Living Museum in Córdoba. (Sept. 10, 2021)

Off the entryway inside the Calahorra Tower is the Philosopher Lounge with four prominent figures representing how the Jewish, Christian and Muslim cultures thrived side by side in Medieval Córdoba: (from the left)
Moses ben Maimon, commonly known as Maimonides, a Sephardic Jewish philosopher; Ibn Rushd, often Latinized as Averroes, a Muslim polymath; Ibn ʿArabi, nicknamed al-Qushayri and Sultan al-ʿArifin, a Muslim philosopher; and Alfonso X, also known as the Wise, was the Christian king of Castile, León and Galicia. (Sept. 10, 2021)

Inside another sala or room of the Calahorra Tower’s Museo Vivo de al-Andalus (the Living Museum of al-Andalus, as medieval Moorish Spain was known) are vignettes of the Caliph Alcazar, the Royal Baths, the Almodovar Door, the Craft Market, the Synagogue and the river Guadalquivir. These vignettes explore how the three religions existed side by side in medieval Córdoba – Judaism, Christianity and Islam. (Sept. 10, 2021)

A vignette of the Almodovar Gate at the Calhorra Tower museum in Córdoba. From this gate to the Roman Bridge, this vignette allows you to step back in time and imagine what daily life was like in the era when Córdoba, was the largest city in Europe and the focal point of culture from the 10th to 13th centuries. (Sept. 10, 2021)

A vignette of the Synagogue at the Calhorra Tower museum in Córdoba. On Calle Judios (Street of the Jews), in the heart of the city three religions, the Jews in their synagogue, the Christians in their church and the Muslims in their mosque, all praying their way. (Sept. 10, 2021)

A vignette of the Souk at the Calhorra Tower museum in Córdoba.
The Souk, where riches flowed and peoples of the world met, with its craftsmen, its merchants and its storytellers, mixing facts with legend. (Sept. 10, 2021)

A vignette of the Christian Church at the Calhorra Tower museum in Córdoba. The Christian Church where a priest exchanged with a Muslim man his experience of the divine. (Sept. 10, 2021)

A vignette of the Guadalquivir River, the Roman Bridge and the Calahorra Tower at the Calhorra Tower museum in Córdoba. (Sept. 10, 2021)

Entrance to the rooftop terrace of the Calahorra Tower with its battlements. (Sept. 10, 2021)

Views from the terrace of the Calahorra Tower include the Roman Bridge, the Puerta del Puente gate and the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. (Sept. 10, 2021)

Another tower climbed and another selfie, this time its from the terrace of the Calahorra Tower that includes views of the Roman Bridge, the Puerta del Puente gate and the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The Puerta del Puente or Gate of the Bridge built in the 16 century’s Renaissance style to commemorate a visit by King Philip II on the site of previous Roman gates. The Gate is undergoing renovation. And, behind the gate is part of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. (Sept. 10, 2021)

Originally, it was the Great Mosque constructed on the orders of Abd ar-Rahman I in 785 when Córdoba was the capital of the Muslim-controlled region of Al-Andalus. It was expanded multiple times afterwards under Abd ar-Rahman’s successors up to the late 10th century. Then the Great Mosque was converted to a cathedral in 1236 under the ecclesiastical name of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption when Córdoba was captured by the Christian forces of Castile during the Reconquista, when Portugal and Spain Christians recaptured the territory from the Moors. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The Renaissance bell tower, as seen from inside the Courtyard of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba was built between 1593 and 1617 over the remains of the minaret, used for the call to prayer, added by Abd al-Rahman III in the mid-900s. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The entrance into the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba at the Puerta de las Palmas. (Sept. 10, 2021)

Inside the stunning Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba with its forest of horseshoe-shaped red and white arches above columns used from Roman and Visigoth temples to create the Great Mosque at the undertaking of Abd Ar-Rahman 1 in 785 when Córdoba was the capital of the Muslim-controlled region of Al-Andalus. (Sept. 10, 2021)

Inside the stunning Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba with its horseshoe-shaped arches above columns used from Roman and Visigoth temples to create the Great Mosque at the undertaking of Abd Ar-Rahman 1 in 785 when Córdoba was the capital of the Muslim-controlled region of Al-Andalus. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The first Catholic worship temple was temporarily located in this section of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The Retroquire, behind the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba’s choir, with a sculpture of Saint Peter holding the keys to heaven. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The archway Catholic entrance to the communal prayer hall of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba on one side and….
(Sept. 10, 2021)

…the same archway with its Muslim facade on the other side of the entrance to the communal prayer hall of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba.
(Sept. 10, 2021)

Walking through the aisle of horseshoe-shaped red and white arches above columns towards the Mihrab, the Muslim prayer niche, inside the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The delicate intertwining arches of the communal prayer hall of the Cathedral-Mosque of Córdoba shows the Muslim worshipper a limitless infinity, a mystical void, the bar simplicity of a personal relationship with God. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The Mihrab of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba was added by al-Hakam II after 961. Traditionally, the Mihrab had two functions in Islamic worship, first it indicated the direction of Mecca (therefore prayer) and it also amplified the words of the Imam, the prayer leader. At Cordóba this shell-shaped prayer niche is carved from a single block of marble and the chambers on either side are decorated with exquisite Byzantine-style mosaics of gold. And, the Mihrab looks south in the same way as the Damascus mosque and not south east in the direction of Mecca. (Sept. 10, 2021)

Another view of the Mihrab of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. (Sept. 10, 2021)

A close-up of the Mihrab of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. (Sept. 10, 2021)

A mural painting from around 1390 of the Baptism of Jesus on the Altar of Saint John the Baptist inside the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The design of the arches has remained constant but the details of the new capitals of the Prayer Hall extension inside the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba was much simplified by al-Mansur around in the 900s. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The Capilla Mayor, the main chapel, of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba is located at the center of unusual worship center and was begun in 1523 and finished in 1607. Officially the Roman Catholic Diocese of Córdoba ecclesiastically named the church the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption. Since 1236 the former Great Mosque has served as a Catholic cathedral, and its Moorish character was altered in the 16th century when the Capilla Mayor and cruciform choir, along with numerous chapels were constructed inside areas of this vast quadrangle. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The choir stalls, located across from the main chapel of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, were carved mainly out of mahogany by Pedro Duque Cornejo from 1748 to 1757. (Sept. 10, 2021)

A Catholic altar in an interior aisle of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The Courtyard of the Orange Trees of the Cathedral-Mosque of Córdoba was, along with the Minaret, one of the final extension additions by Al-Mansur in the mid to late 900s. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The former entrance gates along the western exterior of the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba. (Sept. 10, 2021)

The former entrance gates along the western exterior of the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba being renovated. (Sept. 10, 2021)

Today was all about the ruins of Madinat al-Zahra, the fortified palace-city on the western outskirts of Córdoba. The construction was begun in 940 by Abd-ar-Rahman III (912–961), a member of the Umayyad dynasty and the first caliph of Al-Andalus. It served as the capital of the Caliphate of Córdoba and its center of government but it only lasted for around 75 years. Between 1010 and 1013 this capital was sacked during a civil war and thereafter abandoned, with many of its materials re-used elsewhere.

After the Christian conquest of Córdoba in 1236, Madinat al-Zahra turned for centuries into a constant building materials quarry for the civil and religious buildings of Córdoba.

The ruins of the city were finally excavated starting in 1911 and remains a major archaeological site today.

I had scheduled a tour of Madinat al-Zahra which required me to get to a bus station location just outside the Jewish quarter in Córdoba. The time for this was 10:30 a.m. with instructions to meet at the bus stop 15 minutes beforehand. No problem. As I left the Jewish gate I could see the yellow bus imprinted described in the directions at the Glorieta Cruz Roja (in front of Eurostars Palace Hotel) but a big semicircular hedge stood between me and the bus.

Which side do I take, go right or left. I chose left and as I was coming around the corner at about 10:16, I could see the bus leaving. Well, that couldn’t be my bus, I thought. My tour doesn’t start til 10:30. Well, I was wrong. And since my usually dependable T-Mobile cellular service was not working, I had no way to contact the tour company. I was rather upset because had they said the bus leaves at 10:15, I would have been at the bus stop much earlier.

At first I thought I would just go back to the hotel but as I began to walk back to the Jewish gate, I thought going back to the hotel won’t get me to the Madinat al-Zahra and that’s when I thought to just get a taxi. Luckily, as I was walking back to the bus area, I could see a taxi stand. The taxi cost me 20 euros to get to the gate ofthe Madinat Al-Zahra, but seeing this UNESCO World Heritage site was something I’ve wanted to do the very second I read about it.

Although I was disappointed about missing the bus and getting a walking tour of the site, I’m so glad I went. Much of the area had descent signagein Spanish and English so getting an understanding of the site was helpful. Unfortunately one of the more colorful places, which I very much wanted to see, the hall of Abd al-Rahman III, was closed to the public due to current conservation work.

Here’s a little of what I saw at Madinat Al-Zahra.

Next stop on my UNESCO travels through Spain is Cuenca.

This is the low profile and mostly underground welcome area of the Madinat al-Zahra, about a 15 to 20 minute taxi ride from the Jewish Quarter area in Córdoba. (Sept. 11, 2021)

After checking out the Madinat al-Zahra visitor’s center, then a bus, costing two euros, takes visitors on a few minutes ride to the entrance of the the fortified palace-city. (Sept. 11, 2021)

The remains of the North Gate entrance of the Madinat al-Zahra, placed roughly mid-way along the city wall, is not only the main entrance to the site for visitors today but was used in ancient times this gate was designed to control access to the palace. (Sept. 11, 2021)

After passing through the remains of the North Gate entrance, you can see into the complex of the Madinat al-Zahra, the fortified palace-city on the western outskirts of Córdoba. (Sept. 11, 2021)

General overview of the fortified palace-city ruins of Madinat al-Zahra. (Sept. 11, 2021)

The remains of the Upper Basilica Building at the Madinat al-Zahra, just outside of Córdoba. (Sept. 11, 2021)

Views inside the Upper Basilica Building at the Madinat al-Zahra, just outside of Córdoba. (Sept. 11, 2021)

Decorative ‘wasps’ nest’ carvings of a capital at the Upper Building at the Madinat al-Zahra, just outside of Córdoba. (Sept. 11, 2021)

More of the Upper Building at the Madinat al-Zahra, just outside of Córdoba. (Sept. 11, 2021)

The Great Portico and the Parade Ground at the Madinat al-Zahra was the symbolic and ceremonial entrance to the Alcazar. It was a purely decorative construction, meant to dazzle the visitor. (Sept. 11, 2021)

Me at one of the archways of the Great Portico and the Parade Ground at the Madinat al-Zahra. (Sept. 11, 2021)

The garden area occupying the former courtyard in front of the Upper Basilical Hall of the Madinat al-Zahra. (Sept. 11, 2021)

Another large garden area filled the center of the southern side of the fortified palace-city of Madinat al-Zahra. (Sept. 11, 2021)

The House of Ya’far, main limestone courtyard and carved doorway is one of the most complex and sumptuous dwellings in the fortified palace-city of Madinat al-Zahra. (Sept. 11, 2021)

A close-up of the highly intricate plaster relief-work of the carved doorway of the House of Ya’far’s main courtyard at the fortified palace-city of Madinat al-Zahra. (Sept. 11, 2021)

The decorative panel on the columned archway of the House of Ya’far’ at the fortified palace-city of Madinat al-Zahra. (Sept. 11, 2021)

The Guards’ Quarters at the fortified palace-city of Madinat al-Zahra. (Sept. 11, 2021)

The stables at the fortified palace-city of Madinat al-Zahra. (Sept. 11, 2021)

This was the bus I missed to get to the Madinat al-Zahra but for 5 euros, this was my way back to Córdoba. (Sept. 11, 2021)

My hotel in Córdoba, El Conquistador, literally across from the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba and in the heart of the old quarter. (Sept. 9, 2021)

My room at Le Conquistador Hotel in Córdoba. (Sept. 9, 2021)

My bathroom at Le Conquistador Hotel in Córdoba. (Sept. 9, 2021)

My taxi ready to take me to the train station in Córdoba for my early morning train ride to Cuenca. I loved staying in the heart of the old town and literally steps across from the stunning Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. (Sept. 12, 2021)

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Cheryl Love Hanks on March 31, 2024 at 7:24 am

Dear Diana, You are living my dream and opening my eyes! Abundance of appreciation, Cheryl (gov employee 25 years), Houston, TX
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  Diana Petterson on April 16, 2024 at 9:50 am
  
  Hi Cheryl! Thank you so much! I too was a federal employee for 28 years! I was able to retire at 60 and I have not looked back six years later. Time and life are not guaranteed us so please if your desire is to travel, then go! Don’t wait.