Buenas! Last weekend I spent my time in Cordoba, a city in Southern Spain. Myself and 5 other friends took the AVE (Spain’s high speed rail system) for about 2 hours, arriving in the Andalucian city on Friday afternoon. Over the next 48 hours we discovered the ‘city of three cultures’, which is filled with remnants of its Moorish, Jewish and Catholic history. The weather was warm and the town was filled with orange trees. Cordoba was the perfect first city to travel to, giving us time to see amazing history and art, as well as eat delicious food and relax.
So without further ado, here are my top recommendations for Cordoba.

Food
Mercado de San Victoria is a market along the park connecting the train station to the old city. We stopped enroute to our Air BnB and had a mix of Halal food and Anadalusian delicacies (calamari on a squid ink baguette, anyone?).
La Bicicleta was a recommendation from Génesis and my guidebook, so we had to go of course. And we were so glad we did. Set off the river in one of Cordoba’s small streets, they served a mix of salads, cheeses and sandwiches that were a perfect respite from sightseeing. I tried salmorejo there, a gazpacho-like soup that is mixed with bread and meats.
Restaurante El Rincón de Carmen: We started dinner here at 11 PM our second night here (perhaps even a bit too late by Spanish standards) and it was amazing. A mix of tapas like calamri and eggplant with honey, and dishes like duck breast and oxtail stew was the best way to fuel up before going to a discoteca by the river.

Activities
Alcázar: This was a royal palace built in the 1300s for the Christian monarchs (Ferdinand and Isabella frequently stayed here overseeing the Inquisition) and the building and surrounding gardens are beautiful even in winter.
The famous Mezquita (you’ve seen a photo of the arches on a Spanish classroom poster, probably) with an ornate Cathedral in the middle is the hallmark of Córdoba. The sense of histories inside is thrilling, beginning with an unearthed portion of the building from the 6th century. Make sure to climb the bell tower (across the complex) for a view of the surrounding region.
Wandering around the Judería our final morning was a perfect end to the trip. So much of Spain’s culture is on the street, and we were able to see how that played out hundreds of years ago, seeing the old 14th sinagoga and enjoying café con leche amongst the small streets).

Córdoba has so much to offer, as do all the cities in Spain. I am so excited to see more of this lovely country, and fighting the urge to call of my summer internship and just stay here and see every small city! (Though it would be nice, I don’t think it would go over with my parents…)

¡Hasta luego!