Our tour guide for the afternoon, Elena, was waiting for us when we got back from lunch. We headed off to the Alcazar -- a castle started in the 1300s by King Alfonso II. We took a different route to get to it than we did to the Mezquita that morning. We entered the old city through the Almodovar Gate and walked around the Jewish Quarter.
Arriving at the Alcazar, there was a bit of a long line. Being a licensed guide, Elena was able to pick up our tickets and whisk us in. The outside of the Alcazar is severe and military, while the inside is quite beautiful -- especially the gardens.
We wandered all through the Alcazar. Special points of interest included a Roman sarcophagus and a room now used for civil weddings, replete with multiple old mosaics on the wall. The castle keep was also of interest, as it is where the great explorer Christopher Columbus first asked the King and Queen for money to explore trade routes to the west.
In another part of the castle, we saw old carvings in the wall done by prisoners of the Spanish Inquisition. Then we went to the gardens and walked around, enjoy the early spring flowers and plants. The huge sculpted cypress trees were very impressive, and of course, as a Spanish garden, there were plenty of fountains and water features. Each time
we see these gardens/courtyards/inside fountains, we joke that is how we should do the back yard.
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
A Bunch of Pictures From The Alcazar
Contrary to popular rumor, the place was NOT built by some dude named King Al Cazar.
Okay, so these first few photos are NOT of the
Alcazar. This is a Roman mausoleum.
Mercado Victoria
The Almodovar Gate into the City.
A Roman column, as part of
some random restaurant.
A narrow street in the Jewish
Quarter. Those people
wouldn't move, so I had to
just take the picture.
The bell tower for the Mezquita.
The straw window shades do double duty.
They keep the cold air out in the winter, and
in the summer they are sprayed with water
to help act as air conditioning.
Now THIS is the Alcazar.
The famed Roman bridge,
as seen from the Alcazar
Orange trees in a courtyard.
Alcazar walls and a cypress tree.
Gargoyle who has seen better days.
Left by prisoners of the Spanish Inquisition.
Ceiling.
Roman sarcophagus
Mosaic
Cupid
Sea monsters
The gardens
A good look back at the Alcazar.
A dead king.
Columbus: Got any spare cash?
King/Queen: Let us check our pockets.
Photo bombs are a thing, apparently.
A last look at the Alcazar.
A Random Walk Through Cordoba
Friday night's rain ended sometime overnight, and the day dawned sunny and cold. We had a packed day, but were on hold until Maddy arrived on the train from Madrid around 11:40 am. She had flown in overnight, taxi'd to the train station and was going to be headed our way.
First I popped over to a little shop down the block to buy some jamon, cheese, and water for breakfast. The place was just opening and I was their first customer of the day. I was warned off the bread since it was day-old.
Carol and I took a walk, letting Torie sleep in (after all, it is her spring break!). We walked over and around the Mosque/Cathedral, also known as La Mezquita. It started out as a cathedral, became a mosque, and then was redone as a cathedral after Spain was liberated from the Muslim conquerors.
Spain is a late rising country, especially on a Saturday. Few people were stirring, few shops and restaurants were open, until we got close to the Mezquita. It was not exactly bustling, but there were tourists out and about, and shopkeepers seeking to sell them various wares.
On our way back, we found a fabulous bakery, where we bought giant chocolate croissants. We feasted once again on jamon, bread, cheese, olives, and, in addition, chocolate croissants.
Then we headed over to the train station. Maddy and I exchanged texts, and just then she popped up the escalator right when we were, by chance, passing it.
First I popped over to a little shop down the block to buy some jamon, cheese, and water for breakfast. The place was just opening and I was their first customer of the day. I was warned off the bread since it was day-old.
Carol and I took a walk, letting Torie sleep in (after all, it is her spring break!). We walked over and around the Mosque/Cathedral, also known as La Mezquita. It started out as a cathedral, became a mosque, and then was redone as a cathedral after Spain was liberated from the Muslim conquerors.
Spain is a late rising country, especially on a Saturday. Few people were stirring, few shops and restaurants were open, until we got close to the Mezquita. It was not exactly bustling, but there were tourists out and about, and shopkeepers seeking to sell them various wares.
On our way back, we found a fabulous bakery, where we bought giant chocolate croissants. We feasted once again on jamon, bread, cheese, olives, and, in addition, chocolate croissants.
Then we headed over to the train station. Maddy and I exchanged texts, and just then she popped up the escalator right when we were, by chance, passing it.
Sister reunion
After dropping Maddy's bag off at the apartment, we headed back over to Mercado Victoria to get lunch quickly. This time we hit a different restaurant, ate quickly, and headed back to meet our guide for the afternoon.
The Rain In Spain Falls Mainly On The Plain, Or, As It Were, Cordoba
The flight to Malaga was pretty uneventful. I will note that I've now been to this famed beach town on the Mediterranean Sea twice now and was just passing through both times -- once to catch a train to Madrid during our famed 2001 trip, and now to land in Spain before heading to Cordoba.
In Malaga, Spain puts the "control" in "Passport Control." First we (all the flight's passengers) waited good fifteen-twenty minutes while in a line behind a barrier. Then, they removed that barrier, so we dutifully shuffled forward, to wait yet again behind another barrier. After a fun 15-20 minutes waiting (good thing no one had to use the water closets), we moved ahead to passport control, who took EU citizens first and made us wait even longer. Finally, the four officers started processing us through. It was not a welcome to Spain! moment for any of us.
Getting the rental car was easy. I both upgraded to an SUV AND wisely got the full insurance package. It was costly, but I thought about the narrow streets and crazy drivers I was about to meet. (Note to readers: THIS IS CALLED FORESHADOWING. . .HE DOESN'T WRITE ABOUT THE INSURANCE UNLESS. . .WELL NO PLOT SPOILERS HERE!)
Carol had to go through security or something one more time as she got the bags (it was divide and conquer -- I got the rental car, she got the bags. Not the first time Spain has seen a divide and conquer strategy.) We hit the road to Cordoba. With a stop, it was about a two hour drive through very scenic landscape. Once we got done winding through the mountains, we drove through hills covered with olive trees, past olive groves, past orange groves and reveled at being back in Spain.
If you have, in the words of Hoyt Axton, "never been to Spain," and plan to travel overseas, it is hard to beat Spain. We have been to Andulucia twice, the North once, and Barcelona once. All of those areas are fabulous -- not just for the history, the cathedrals, the old castles, but for the culture, the food, the wine, the narrow streets of the old cities. The only part we've been underwhelmed. . .Madrid. It's a good central hub, but that's about it!
Anyhow, we drove into Cordoba and found our VRBO apartment without much problem. Our landlord met us there, helped me get parked (a very tight garage -- foreshadowing!). He noted that the SUV was quite large (it's not, but for Spain it is!).
After he showed us around the apartment, I had to make multiple trips up the tiny elevator (the apartment is seven stories above the parking garage, and our bags for two weeks travel aren't light!). Tiny elevators and tiny refrigerators are a thing in Europe, and we had them both!
Torie walked the short distance from the train station, so we had a nice reunion with the daughter we had not seen since mid-January. She marveled at, for Spain, the size of the apartment (four bedrooms, two baths). We went for a walk in the drizzling rain to get a late lunch (it was near 4pm) and headed to Mercado Victoria, a former market that had been turned into trendy small restaurant stalls. The place was packed, had live music, and we recharged.
Next, we headed for a small shop for wine, but came across an El Corte Ingles and bought some wine, cheese, jamon (simply the best ham in the world. Bar none. It's the GOAT of ham, and nothing else is even close), and a few other items. We headed back to the apartment to rest before dinner.
We never went out to dinner, as the rain came in, pouring down pretty hard and pretty consistently. Instead we dined on jamon, cheese, bread, olives, and tapenade. Drinking some really good Spanish wine, we enjoyed the evening and relaxed.
It was not the Iron Touristy of days, but it was a nice way to spend a rainy evening.
In Malaga, Spain puts the "control" in "Passport Control." First we (all the flight's passengers) waited good fifteen-twenty minutes while in a line behind a barrier. Then, they removed that barrier, so we dutifully shuffled forward, to wait yet again behind another barrier. After a fun 15-20 minutes waiting (good thing no one had to use the water closets), we moved ahead to passport control, who took EU citizens first and made us wait even longer. Finally, the four officers started processing us through. It was not a welcome to Spain! moment for any of us.
Getting the rental car was easy. I both upgraded to an SUV AND wisely got the full insurance package. It was costly, but I thought about the narrow streets and crazy drivers I was about to meet. (Note to readers: THIS IS CALLED FORESHADOWING. . .HE DOESN'T WRITE ABOUT THE INSURANCE UNLESS. . .WELL NO PLOT SPOILERS HERE!)
Carol had to go through security or something one more time as she got the bags (it was divide and conquer -- I got the rental car, she got the bags. Not the first time Spain has seen a divide and conquer strategy.) We hit the road to Cordoba. With a stop, it was about a two hour drive through very scenic landscape. Once we got done winding through the mountains, we drove through hills covered with olive trees, past olive groves, past orange groves and reveled at being back in Spain.
If you have, in the words of Hoyt Axton, "never been to Spain," and plan to travel overseas, it is hard to beat Spain. We have been to Andulucia twice, the North once, and Barcelona once. All of those areas are fabulous -- not just for the history, the cathedrals, the old castles, but for the culture, the food, the wine, the narrow streets of the old cities. The only part we've been underwhelmed. . .Madrid. It's a good central hub, but that's about it!
Anyhow, we drove into Cordoba and found our VRBO apartment without much problem. Our landlord met us there, helped me get parked (a very tight garage -- foreshadowing!). He noted that the SUV was quite large (it's not, but for Spain it is!).
After he showed us around the apartment, I had to make multiple trips up the tiny elevator (the apartment is seven stories above the parking garage, and our bags for two weeks travel aren't light!). Tiny elevators and tiny refrigerators are a thing in Europe, and we had them both!
Torie walked the short distance from the train station, so we had a nice reunion with the daughter we had not seen since mid-January. She marveled at, for Spain, the size of the apartment (four bedrooms, two baths). We went for a walk in the drizzling rain to get a late lunch (it was near 4pm) and headed to Mercado Victoria, a former market that had been turned into trendy small restaurant stalls. The place was packed, had live music, and we recharged.
Next, we headed for a small shop for wine, but came across an El Corte Ingles and bought some wine, cheese, jamon (simply the best ham in the world. Bar none. It's the GOAT of ham, and nothing else is even close), and a few other items. We headed back to the apartment to rest before dinner.
We never went out to dinner, as the rain came in, pouring down pretty hard and pretty consistently. Instead we dined on jamon, cheese, bread, olives, and tapenade. Drinking some really good Spanish wine, we enjoyed the evening and relaxed.
It was not the Iron Touristy of days, but it was a nice way to spend a rainy evening.
Arches reminiscent of the mosque in Cordoba.
Part of the University of Cordoba
Torie enjoyed being in the part of Cordoba
that is named after her. Doesn't happen
to a girl every day.
It's always good to be in Spain.
Monday, March 26, 2018
Of All The Gin Joints In All The Towns In All The World, We Didn't Walk Into Any Of Them
You know, it's fine not to have an alcoholic drink with dinner. Heck, we do it all the time (well, a decent amount of the time). But, after having wine every night with dinner in Marrakesh, imagine our surprise when we struck out twice in Casablanca.
We went to La Scala for dinner. It's a good place right in the medina walls near the harbor. Cannons ring the walls you walk through to get there. It is a lively place, with both locals and tourists (I don't know if we saw a single Moroccan at the restaurants we ate in Marrakech. (Editor's Note: Are you STILL doing that annoying thing where you alternate the spelling of Marrakesh and Marrakech? Writer: Yes.)
Looking at the menu, I came to two important realizations. First, there was no alcohol on the menu. Second, goat tagine was on the menu. So, of course, I had to get it. It was fine, albeit a little dry (except for the part that came right off the bone -- that was quite delicious).
After dinner, we headed back to the hotel, planning to have a drink at the bar before heading to bed for our early flight to Spain (well, the flight wasn't that early -- 9 am, but you have to get to the airport and go through customs, etc.).
(By the way, when you fly there, do you wonder if family can see the red tail lights, heading for Spain? Do you wave goodbye, just in case they can see you? Do they say they thought they did, but it must be the clouds in their eyes? Just how did Elton John and Bernie Taupin come up with those lyrics? It IS hard to argue with the sentiment that Spain is the best place he's ever been.)
So we followed the signs to the restaurant hotel and bar. A guy and a gal walked into a bar, and were met by the hostess. I told her we wanted a drink at the bar. She asked if we wanted dinner. I noted we had already eaten. She was confused as to why we would be there, so I stated our objective again. She said we could not get a drink at the bar. She then asked if we brought our own wine (we had not).
Apparently Casablanca has a law that you can not sell alcohol with a certain distance of a mosque, school, and hospital. Who knew? Not us. I checked the beer in the hotel minibar. . .0.0 alcohol.
(Look, we were fine not drinking. It's just funny because everywhere we went in Marrakesh served alcohol).
And so it was time for bed.
We went to La Scala for dinner. It's a good place right in the medina walls near the harbor. Cannons ring the walls you walk through to get there. It is a lively place, with both locals and tourists (I don't know if we saw a single Moroccan at the restaurants we ate in Marrakech. (Editor's Note: Are you STILL doing that annoying thing where you alternate the spelling of Marrakesh and Marrakech? Writer: Yes.)
Looking at the menu, I came to two important realizations. First, there was no alcohol on the menu. Second, goat tagine was on the menu. So, of course, I had to get it. It was fine, albeit a little dry (except for the part that came right off the bone -- that was quite delicious).
My goat tagine, cooked with celery
and olives. It wasn't the GOAT of
meals, but it was fine.
Decorative tagines
During dinner, we were kept
safe from foreign invaders.
After dinner, we headed back to the hotel, planning to have a drink at the bar before heading to bed for our early flight to Spain (well, the flight wasn't that early -- 9 am, but you have to get to the airport and go through customs, etc.).
(By the way, when you fly there, do you wonder if family can see the red tail lights, heading for Spain? Do you wave goodbye, just in case they can see you? Do they say they thought they did, but it must be the clouds in their eyes? Just how did Elton John and Bernie Taupin come up with those lyrics? It IS hard to argue with the sentiment that Spain is the best place he's ever been.)
So we followed the signs to the restaurant hotel and bar. A guy and a gal walked into a bar, and were met by the hostess. I told her we wanted a drink at the bar. She asked if we wanted dinner. I noted we had already eaten. She was confused as to why we would be there, so I stated our objective again. She said we could not get a drink at the bar. She then asked if we brought our own wine (we had not).
Apparently Casablanca has a law that you can not sell alcohol with a certain distance of a mosque, school, and hospital. Who knew? Not us. I checked the beer in the hotel minibar. . .0.0 alcohol.
(Look, we were fine not drinking. It's just funny because everywhere we went in Marrakesh served alcohol).
And so it was time for bed.
Sunday, March 25, 2018
It Might Not Be Third, But It Is Very Large
Hassan II mosque claims to be the third largest mosque in the world, or so it is said. Mecca is the largest mosque, and I went on Wikipedia to find the second largest (Blue Mosque in Turkey or Medina)? Well, Hassan II holds 25,000 worshipers, of whom 5,000 can be women. It turns out there are many larger mosques, so I'm not going to get into a ranking game here, but it is definitely NOT the third largest mosque in the world. Wikipedia says it is the 13th largest mosque.
It is still a stunning building, and open to the public, so we got there a little before 2 pm for the last tour of the day. It sits hard by the sea, with dramatic views of the Atlantic to the west. At some points in the mosque, you are actually standing over the sea, as it juts out from the promontory above the ocean.
After wandering around a little outside, it was time to go in. We took our shoes off, put them in easy to carry green bags, and waited for the tour to start. We had a very interesting woman guide.
The mosque was built in six years, and opened in 1993 (I will wait while you count backwards to figure out when construction started). . .okay, moving on.
It took 10,000 craftsmen and 3,000 workers to get it done. The minaret is nearly 700 feet tall, and the whole thing was designed by a non-Muslim Frenchman. The ceiling opens to allow the ocean breezes to sweep through and up, cooling the place. One fellow on the tour speculated it was because so many men stink up the joint and referenced the incense at Santiago, but of course Muslims do wudu prior to the service, so I believe the air conditioning theory.
Everything in the mosque is built with materials from Morocco, except for the many chandeliers (Murano, Italy -- Venetian glass) and some carerra marble, also from Italy.
After touring the main floor, we got off the carpet, put our shoes back on, and went downstairs to the ablution room, where the worshippers wash themselves prior to the service. The number of fountains is amazing, although they were turned off as it was not time.
After the tour was finished, we wandered around outside some more. One ironic note is that you can't walk to the edge and overlook the sea, because too many people were jumping off into the water and getting hurt. And this is why we can't have nice things!
It is still a stunning building, and open to the public, so we got there a little before 2 pm for the last tour of the day. It sits hard by the sea, with dramatic views of the Atlantic to the west. At some points in the mosque, you are actually standing over the sea, as it juts out from the promontory above the ocean.
After wandering around a little outside, it was time to go in. We took our shoes off, put them in easy to carry green bags, and waited for the tour to start. We had a very interesting woman guide.
The mosque was built in six years, and opened in 1993 (I will wait while you count backwards to figure out when construction started). . .okay, moving on.
It took 10,000 craftsmen and 3,000 workers to get it done. The minaret is nearly 700 feet tall, and the whole thing was designed by a non-Muslim Frenchman. The ceiling opens to allow the ocean breezes to sweep through and up, cooling the place. One fellow on the tour speculated it was because so many men stink up the joint and referenced the incense at Santiago, but of course Muslims do wudu prior to the service, so I believe the air conditioning theory.
Everything in the mosque is built with materials from Morocco, except for the many chandeliers (Murano, Italy -- Venetian glass) and some carerra marble, also from Italy.
After touring the main floor, we got off the carpet, put our shoes back on, and went downstairs to the ablution room, where the worshippers wash themselves prior to the service. The number of fountains is amazing, although they were turned off as it was not time.
After the tour was finished, we wandered around outside some more. One ironic note is that you can't walk to the edge and overlook the sea, because too many people were jumping off into the water and getting hurt. And this is why we can't have nice things!
Pictures From Hassan II Mosque
It's great to be to be king! You get to name a large building after yourself. I noted that he gave one-third of the money, but Carol accurately replied that the money is from the people. The rest of it was done with donations from the people, so, as usual, all the money came from the people and the political leaders took credit for it.
It cost an estimated $800 million dollars, but as our guide pointed out, who knows what the actual amount spent was!
It cost an estimated $800 million dollars, but as our guide pointed out, who knows what the actual amount spent was!
This IS the world's largest minaret.
They have titanium doors to
withstand the corrosive
effects of the sea.
At home, we also have a chandelier
from Murano. It is slightly smaller.
Carol speculates the design is to
show the mountains of Morocco.
The middle seal of the ceiling
separates in three minutes to
provide fresh air and views of the sky.
East from this door is North Carolina.
The cool marble floor is heated in the winter.
Heading downstairs to
the ablution room.
Note the size of the people
in relation to the door.
Ablution fountains.
The lighthouse from the mosque.
It's quite far away (great zoom lens!)
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