Córdoba - The twelfth step ... Three months in Spain - CycleBlaze

April 4, 2022

Córdoba

Another cold start but not as cold as yesterday but the first fifteen kilometers were mostly downhill as the day before and we made sure we were warmly wrapped up.  Unlike yesterday it didn't warm up as the day wore on and we seldom felt overdressed.  Thankfully, the wind was mostly from over our right shoulder which gave us a bit of help.

We crossed bits of the Camino a Santiago de Compostela that start from Málaga. This route passes through Córdoba and on to Mérida where it joins up with the Ruta de la Plata which we will be starting in Sevilla.
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It seems that every Andalucian town worth its salt has a Moorish fortaleza/castillo/alcazaba perched on the hill above it. This one is in Espejo.
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We had a few long hills today but the biggest challenge was the wind.  After Espejo, just before halfway for the day, it got pretty strong.   Despite being mostly over our right shoulders it often came from the front or, worse still, from the side and and times made for some white-knuckle cycling when the road was busy.

We entered Córdoba half an hour ahead of the time scheduled to meet the host of our digs for the night.  So we headed for the Roman bridge.

The view from the eastern side with the Mezquita Cathedral in the background right.
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The view from the western side.
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Scott AndersonThe first time we saw this bridge there were literally thousands of egrets coming to roost on the downriver side at sunset.
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2 years ago
Jean-Marc StrydomTo Scott AndersonWe got there at about two in the afternoon so there only a lonely Little Egret fishing on its own. We have seen a few large flocks of Western Cattle Egrets though and I suspect that may be what you saw coming in to roost (Cattle Egrets being generally more gregarious than Little Egrets).
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2 years ago
Scott AndersonTo Jean-Marc StrydomNot cattle egrets I don’t think, but my photo was pretty poor so it’s possible I guess. They look more like little egrets to me: https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/andalucia2004/cordoba/#17506_vlui5vu16pf7anj4um5u5ydqo5f
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2 years ago
Jean-Marc StrydomTo Scott AndersonAfter looking at your photo I would still be inclined to say they were Western Cattle Egrets. Apart from the behavioural aspect, I would expect Little Egret to present as longer legged and necked than the ones in your photo.
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2 years ago
A lonely Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) fishing near the bridge. Scott Anderson recalls a large flock of Egrets coming in to roost here when they were in Córdoba.
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Our digs are in the old Jewish  quarter.  We are spending three nights here to see out the terrible weather that has been forecast and allow us to get some work and laundry done.  

Today was our last day on the N-432.  We decided to use it as the easiest way to get between Granada and Córdoba.  We are looking forward to quieter roads from here to Sevilla and on the Ruta de la Plata but the decision to use the N-432 was the correct one given the cold weather and less than pleasant cycling conditions over the past few days.

Today's ride: 62 km (39 miles)
Total: 348 km (216 miles)

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