Today we left Sevilla and headed via fast train to Cordoba to visit the Alcazar, Mezquita and Synagoga. The ride was quick, less than 45 minutes and then a short walk from the train station to the old city. The weather was another scorcher, close to 95 degrees, but thankfully dry and not humid. We walked around the old Jewish quarter; similar to Sevilla the Jews were all gone but the symbol of their presence remains with gold plaques either in the city walls or in the cobblestone streets that spell Sepharad in Hebrew indicating the Jewish presence. Unlike Sevilla, there is one synagogue that was not converted to a church and although is no longer functioning, it has been historically preserved for over a century. Today in Cordoba there are only three Jewish families left in the city. Perhaps the most famous Jew from Cordoba was Rambam (Maimonides), who was born in Cordoba in 1138. The legend has it, if you rub one his feet on the statue, you will become wise, but if you rub both feet, you will be both wise and lucky.
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The Jewish quarter of Cordoba
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Statue of Maimonaides
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The most entertaining part of the day in Cordoba was not the synagogue or mosque (which now is a church), but rather outside the alcazar, where we watched a 70 year old woman wearing very high-wedged heels go into a fountain to pull her two dogs out who were bathing. Unfortunately capturing this live would have gotten us yelled at by the woman who was already fuming that she was chasing her dogs out of a fountain.
Of course no city visit would be complete without finding a local pastry shop/ice cream shop and indulging in a sweet treat before we left. Cordoba's PastelerÃas Roldán was the winner and it did not disappoint!
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Inside the Mezquita
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Outside the Alcazar
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Cooling off with helados from Cafe Roldan
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