Cordoba: tiny and enchanting

Hello, Erasmusers! Today I'm going to talk to you about... CORDOBA!

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Cordoba is a precious city in the south of Spain that I would fully recommend visiting. Fortunately, I have had the luck of being able to visit it many times over the last couple of years because part of my family lives there and my cousins got married there, so parties come and go.

Cordoba is located in the south, between Jaén and Seville. It's geographical location means that it is very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter due to the mountains that surround it, the Sierra Morena. These mountains do not allow "refrigeration" of the city during the summer, and they support the cold over the winter. That being said, the charming people invite you out of the house and into the city.

From my point of view, one of the best times of year to visit Cordoba is during Christmas, when the city is heaving with festive parties, parades and processions, while the weather is great as well. Furthermore, even if you aren't religious it is still worth it to come and see all of the spectacle.

As you probably already know, the most emblematic parts of the city include the Mezquita. When I went, the entrance fee cost was €8 and it was free for the people of Cordoba. It was definitely worth it, especially if you go with someone who you can tell things to about the place. Incidentally, there is not a single spire (meaning the top of the columns, in case you didn't know) that looks the same in the whole mosque. Of course, it is totally Christian. In fact, they even have Mass inside (Mass! ). It was Christianised after the reconquest of the Kingdom of Granada and, well, they filled the gaps between the arches with saints and painted different parts with gold. There has been a considerable blunder there.

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On one of the columns there is a Christian cross engraved, as if it had been etched with a nail, or something like that. They told me that legend has it that this cross was made by a Christian when they chained him to this column. The Christian published and shouted his faith, and the Muslims, sick and tired of his cries and prayers, cut off his tongue. This, however, did not stop the Christian from communicating his prayers to those who came: while he was captured he dedicated himself to scratch this cross in the column with his very own nails. From my rationalisation, I would say that his nails would've been worn out before he managed to scratch it, but oh well, that's how the legend goes.

In front of the Mezquita is the Roman Bridge, recently reformed, underneath which the Guadalquivir river flows. The truth is it is very beautiful. Furthermore, on the opposite side, you can find the Judería, a labyrinthine neighbourhood where the oldest houses in the entire city are located. For the most part, they were constructed by the Jews. The thing is, it's strange how close together these houses are and how narrow the streets are. They did this in order to avoid the heat in summer, in the way that some houses gave shade to others. There is a street in the Jewish district that is called the street of "Pañuelo", which means hankercheif, because they say that the street is the same width as a hankercheif.

In May, the Patios of Cordoba and all of these streets are decorated with lots of flowers and flowerpots. I would totally recommend to come at this time of year as well, if you can. It is also a festival too, similar to the one in Seville, but in Cordoba Here, the huts (stalls set up by the people of Cordoba) are open so that everyone can enter, eat and enjoy them.

[This is the Hankerchief Street]

You can also visit the Plaza de las Tendillas or the slope of El Cristo de los Faroles.

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To go out clubbing I would totally recommend going to El Vial. It is an area full of pubs and clubs. In Cordoba, going out is very important. Also, the people tidy up a lot. I remember that the boys in Cordoba were especially handsome I'm sorry I can't give you more details about the girls, but it's because I didn't pay much attention to them, if you know what I mean...

By the way, in these photos I'm 16 years old, so don't be mean.

Kisses and happiness from Cordoba, Erasmusers!

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