Córdoba

Before I begin, here is a BIG shout out to Malaina who is studying/researching/touring in the other Córdoba in Argentina!

In Córdoba we went to the mosque.

The red and white arches are from alternating brick and granite. I love the differences and similarities between the cathedrals we have seen so far and this mosque.

Next we found this guy, Maimonides, and rubbed his foot for infinite wisdom. So now I am brillante!

We also stumbled upon this. Terra Cotta pots with spider plants all over the sides of these walls in an alley. One day I will have this for my own home and garden.

The Alcazar (castle or royal palace) was very neat. This was where Christopher Columbus petitioned to Isabel to send him on his voyage. This huge statue is in the gardens.

The koi pond at the Alcazar.

My Tale of the Alhambra

If you could get lost by yourself anywhere in the world where would it be? Would it be in the Alhambra in Spain? Well, that's where I chose. Explanation: We had about 10 minutes and then we were going to meet up and head out. For some stupid reason I decided to go off by myself to see part of the gardens that I had missed. I headed back to find the group but by that time everyone had left. I thought I knew my way back to the bus, but it turned out that I didn't. Picture me sprinting around this beautiful place for the next 20 minutes asking anyone who looked official where the parking for the buses were. I got some good Spanish practice saying "Estoy perdido. Estoy buscando a mi grupo y autobús." With a little bit of prayer I finally found the bus.

This might be the most creative ceiling I've ever seen.

What a job it would be to trim these hedges.

Oh Charles!

The Alhambra has a magnificent view of Granada.

A favorite past time of the servants: racing rabbits in the mazes of the Alhambra. (?)

Another spectacular view from a tower.

There is hardly a corner of the Alhambra without sight or sound of running water.

Royal pet.

Moorish carvings everywhere.

Here's a quote from Irving's "The Alhambra by Moonlight": "On such heavenly nights I would sit for hours at my window inhaling the sweetness of the garden, and musing on the checkered fortunes of those whose history was dimly shadowed out in the elegant memorials around."

Granada

We arrived to Granada on a rainy night and wandered the streets for a bit before turning in. For dinner I had the BEST baked potato of my life. Tuna, corn, olives, and a creamy garlic sauce. I wish I had taken a picture to remember.

A quick shot from below of the Alhambra which we would be visiting the following day.

The night sky of Granada.

Had to take a shot of this. Each building in the older parts of each city has a character and story that is apparent in even the facade.

This is my first mentioning of the sick, as in super cool, graffitti found all over Spain. This is just a sample of what we found all over these stone steps to the top of the city.

Isn't this brilliant? (Horray for some English!)

Consuegra

We made our first stop in Consuegra to see the windmills. The freezing cold wind didn't stop us from taking some sweet photos. I think there is something about windmills and lighthouses that just get to me every time.

I have to just put in a good quote from Don Quixote, because everyone thinks of Don Quiote when there are windmills around right?

"And so, to sum it all up, I perceive everything I say as absolutely true, and deficient in nothing whatever, and paint it all in my mind exactly as I want it to be."

Favorites: Flamenco

Before I get to the meaty post about our week long trip to southern Spain I would like to just say that flamenco is the BEST!!! "You have not lived until you have seen live flamenco."

(Thanks Kim for the awesome photo!)

We went to a show in Seville on Friday night. At first when the guitarist and vocalist began I wasn't sure what to think, and then the male dancer came out. His red shoes made all the difference. A lot of the performance reminded me of "Lord of the Dance" meets hoedown, but really it's incredible.

Please go here (courtesy of Mark) and here (scroll down some to the second video clip -- courtesy of Jessie) to see some illegal footage of what we saw.

We have already bought our tickets to see "Carmen" at the end of the month in Madrid. (Sierra, I think you need to learn how to do a little flamenco or put some of moves into a dance of yours.)

Toledo

Toledo. The center of the Catholic Church in Spain.

When we first arrived we were taken to an overlook of the city. Absolutely breathtaking.

The Cathedral of Toledo is beautiful on the outside. I kept on smelling incense in the room full of Greco paintings. I love the wood carvings in the choir area and engravings all over the walls.

Toledo is known for the swords, knives, daggers, and other various pointy things.

The swords used in "The Lord of the Rings" movies were from Toledo apparently. Do you recognize this?

These two kids were sword fighting on the streets. How perfect!

Another thing Toledo is known for is mazapan (marzipan), an almond and sugar candy. This replica of a castle is made completely out of mazapan.

We went to a little tea shop that sells famous mazapan made by nuns. This is just a window display for the store.

Who is this guy???

The bridge had to be one of my favorite things of Toledo.

This was a view from the top of the city we found while wandering/exploring. I call them "The Cliffs of Insanity!"

Another statue. I'm not quite sure of the significance, but intriguing nonetheless.

To celebrate my roommate Lauren's 21st birthday we ate paella at an outdoor restaurant right in the Plaza Mayor of Toledo.

Another favorite part of Toledo was the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes, the original burial place for Ferdinand and Isabella. This is a photo of the courtyard.

The large windows that fill the place with light are superb.

Aranjuez

This is the Royal Palace of Aranjuez. It felt a lot like the Palacio Royal, but very much in the restoration stage. My favorite rooms were the Arab Study and the Porcelin Study which felt like I had just walked into a dream or the imagination of Disney.

We emerged from the damp, cold palace into the welcome sunshine and toured the amazing grounds. I don't think I could have lived in a palace like that, but I wouldn't mind having those gardens.

I'm not sure what kind of vehicle this is, but I want it.