Wednesday, June 5, 2013

6/4

This morning we left Granada and traveled by bus to Cordoba. We drove through 130 miles of olive groves and stopped off at a 7th-generation family-run organic olive oil manufacturer for a tour and tasting. Yum!  The scenery was just gorgeous.  None of us had ever seen so many olive trees.  But we were awestruck as well by the city of Cordoba. You'll have to look at the pictures to see why.  As we entered the city, we stopped on the Roman Bridge to get an overview. (Check out the panoramic photo from the bridge.) Like Granada, there are turrets and stone walkways, bridges and rivers.   But the most impressive edifice is the 300,000 square-foot Cathedral/Mosque in the center of the city.  Originally constructed as a mosque (to hold 30,000 people) when the Moors conquered Spain, it was later taken over by the Spaniards.  Believe it or not, there is literally an elaborate and functioning Catholic cathedral built inside the mosque!  (Again, take a look at the pictures to get an idea of the expansiveness and uniqueness of this place. In this case, a picture truly is worth 1,000 words.) We also visited the historical "Jewish Quarters."  While there are few, if any, Jews living in the city today, this is an area inhabited by Jewish families and a Synagogue for over 1,000 years.  (Sadly, they were driven out in the 5th century by the Visigoths.  But our tour guide pointed out that a recent study revealed that 35% of Spaniards today have Jewish DNA.). We ended the day with a fun group dinner of tapas followed by some singing around the table...even by those who had not had vino.  Several of us also sat up late and talked on the patio of our quaint Spanish hotel.  Our diverse group is getting to know one another and having some interesting conversations.  But more on that later.  We are glad to have you traveling vicariously with us.  Feel free to post a hello or a question, if you have one.

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