Moving on, our only set plan yesterday was to go to el Alcazar de Los Reyes Cristianos. Our visit to this alcazar was very similar to our visit to the one in Sevilla. We went in and didn't leave for hours. Before heading to the gardens, we explored the towers.
You could only go all the way to the top of one of the towers. From the top of that tower we could see the entire city. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the sunshine kept us warm as it was freezing cold. We used my hand-warmers yesterday it was that cold. (BTW, thanks for bringing me the hand-warmers mommy!) It was early so the city was just starting to wake up. Córdoba starts it's day late in the morning and ends it late at night.
We walked to the other tower and found a secret chamber in the wall! It was so cool both literally and metaphorically. I've decided that I want a secret chamber in my future house. There wasn't much light so I couldn't get a good picture of the chamber so here's a picture of me with the tower instead.
On the way to the gardens we came across some fish ponds. We apparently are fish whisperers. The fish swam along side us as we walked around the ponds. If we waved our hands over the water they would scatter but then quickly beginning following us again. This entertained us for a good 20 minutes.
Leaving our fish friends behind we went to the gardens. These gardens smelled so good. There are orange trees everywhere and that smell fills the air. We tried an orange and boy was it sour! They must just plant these orange trees for the smell and look because they probably make terrible orange juice.
We found a bench to sit on and relaxed there for about an hour before leaving the Alcazar. From there we wandered the city with no destination. Around 3:00 pm we went back to our hostel to take a siesta. After a long siesta, we went for an early dinner and then to a Christmas market.
I am truly going to miss siesta time. It is a time to relax and refuel from your day before continuing on with the rest of it. The entire city goes inside or out for drinks with friends and most businesses, excluding tourist shops, close their doors from 2:00 pm until 5:30 pm. Siesta time has become a part of my daily routine and it will continue to be for as long as my schedule allows. Taking time out of my day in the late afternoon to relax helps the rest of my day go by with ease.
Today didn't start for us until around noon. Niether of us wanted to get up out of our warm, comfy beds. It was really nice to sleep in. Only 2 other mornings these past 3 months have I slept in.
Our first stop was to get lunch. We went to a cafe that is popular with the locals because of their decilious sandwiches. Their sandwiches were just as good as everyone says they are. Though they were much bigger than we anticipated.
Again, we only had one planned place to visit today and that was the famous Mezquita-Catedral. It is much darker inside than I expected but that did not take away from its beauty. The striped arches seemed endless.
Inside this cathedral there are many beautiful decorations and detailed architecture but the stain glass is my favorite. From almost any spot inside, you can see at least one stain glass window. The colors are so vibrant and contrast greatly with the cream and rusty orange colors of the walls.
Once we left the cathedral, we wandered for hours again with no destination. While wandering we found the smallest street in Córdoba. It is only 74 cm wide! We decided to get beers at Califa, a local brewery, after wandering for awhile. We got their Blonde and Amber ales. They both were good but I liked the Amber ale more than the Blonde.
Ready for our daily siesta, we went back to our hostel for about an hour and a half before going to dinner. After dinner we again stopped at the Christmas market. Even if you don't buy anything, Christmas markets are so fun because everyone is so happy and there is so much holiday cheer in the air. Christmas lights line the streets and bring even more holiday cheer to this wonderful town.
Ready for our daily siesta, we went back to our hostel for about an hour and a half before going to dinner. After dinner we again stopped at the Christmas market. Even if you don't buy anything, Christmas markets are so fun because everyone is so happy and there is so much holiday cheer in the air. Christmas lights line the streets and bring even more holiday cheer to this wonderful town.
To end our last night in Córdoba, Anavi and I decided to put on face masks. You can't see them to well in the photo because the ones we chose were clear. But now our faces are so smooth and smell like cucumbers. It was a great way to end our last night here.
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