Day 21: Malaga to Cordoba: PART 2

February 27, 2024

Here is Part 2 of our transfer from Malaga to Cordoba. Read Part 1 first, to have the whole story.

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After a brief run though the usual unattractive modern roads of Cordoba beyond the old core, we entered a warren of narrow one way streets that took us to the hotel Dodie had found, just beyond the Jewish quarter and in walking distance to the Mosque/Cathedral, Roman Bridge, and the other stuff that had brought us here.

Our van ride stopped about here, after manoeuvering around a bit to get down the narrow one way street.

The trip had taken about double the expected time, and we felt badly for the taxi lady, who got trapped on the road trying to get us to Cordoba. The farmers, feeling some economic pain, had lobbed a hunk of it at our driver. We thought, if there is going to be pain flying around, then to be fair we should share in it. So Dodie passed the lady a whack more money than had originally been agreed.

Then, in a move so different from what we had experienced at the hotel in Malaga, the lady from our Casa de los Azulejas came out to the street, to usher us and our sorry pile of disassembled bikes inside. She was also speaking to us in French, which was a help.

In the lobby, I put the bikes back together, and the lady said just stash them here, and soon I will put them in a storage room. OK! She also asked if we didn't mind if she spoke to us in English, since her French was not all that strong. OK!

Casa de los Azulejas (House of Tiles) is well named, and it is drop dead gorgeous. Have a look:

Since our bags were already off the bikes, we very quickly went to our room, and then were ready to nip put for a peek at the old city.

The street we were on was not only narrow and cobbled, but it was lined with orange trees. Dodie had to work to keep me from climbing for an orange, explaining that they would be the bitter marmalade variety. Yeah, maybe!

We also found that it was not only our hotel that had the beautiful tiles. Looking into the vestibules of apartment buildings, we saw tiled beauty there as well:

We passed a Carrefour Express grocery, which saved us from having to choose a restaurant. We also learned that it would be open tomorrow. This despite the fact that tomorrow is Andalucia Day, a general holiday. We spoke to the grocery clerk about this, learning that though many stores would be closed, his grocery would be open. We then conveyed this information, as the (laughable) Spanish experts on the sidewalk, to other English speakers there who needed this critical info.

Our walk then took us to several of the main attractions of old Cordoba - the Roman Bridge, with its large and now separate Gate, the Triumph of San Raphael statue, and the amazingly huge Mezquita Mosque/Cathedral. We just breezed past these things, knowing that tomorrow we would be back to visit them and others.