Córdoba

A bus ride to Cortadura and then another four hours by bus and I finally arrived in Córdoba.  A few minutes later I ran into Antonio who took me around the city and then back to his apartment to drop off my stuff and to wait for some friends.  The night was filled with Chinese food, Wii games, and a catch-up on everyone’s lives.  One thing I learned is that Chinese food is very different in Spain: first off there are no fortune cookies.  Secondly, any order that seems big also includes a bottle of red wine free.  Thirdly, Styrofoam-esque shrimp ships come with every meal. And finally, it isn’t crispy. Oh, and spring rolls are actually delicious Chinese “empanadas”. 

The next day Antonio took me on a spectacular tour through the city.  I’ve been to Córdoba once before but only in the main square.  This was a tour from the suburbs into the city center and out of the main part of the city.  The mezquita, or the old mosque, was absolutely beautiful and the Alcazar and its gardens were even more astonishing.  For lunch we went to the main square and had flamenquín de pollo (a fried rolled up chicken breast stuffed with ham), calamares, and patatas a la pobre (potatoes, eggs, cheese and bacon).  It was possibly the BEST food I’ve had in Spain so far.  The chicken was moist, the potatoes were perfectly seasoned, the squid had an excellent batter, and everything was just perfect.  The only problem was that we couldn’t finish it because there was so much food!  A walk around the park, and an aerial view of the city brought an end to the perfect day.  Total cost: 15,50€.  An incredible deal for an incredible weekend