CORDOBA, SPAIN

Though Granada and the Alhambra are magnificant, we really liked the smaller town of Cordoba:) The Mezquita is a mosque from 784 with a cathedral built in the middle of it in the 1500's. It is very special!! Cordoba was the Moorish capital that rivaled Baghdad and Istanbul at one time. The mosque has 850 columns topped with double arches and a 30 foot ceiling... it is lovely! Luckily the Christian Reconquista in 1237 did not destroy the mosque but built a 130' high cathedral in the middle of it. The picture is of the Roman bridge crossing the Guadalquivir River and the Mezquita rising above the old town. Behind the Mezquita is Jewish quarter dating from the Middle Ages and filled with narrow, fun streets. We got to go to the local festival and it was fantastic;) Bigger than the October Fest in Munich with big tents of food (huge pans of paella, BBQ meats, Iberian ham) and many children and women dressed in Flamenco dresses. The gate to the festival was a replica of the Mezquita and the lights at night were great!!