Experience in Cordoba, Spain

Why did I choose to go to Cordoba for one semester?

During my whole school and sixth form career, I had the opportunity several times to be able to participate in exchanges or go on trips to Spain - once in Extremadura and twice in Andalusia - and I fell completely in love with the south of Spain.

When I had the opportunity to go on an Erasmus exchange during my second year of university, I definitely wanted to spend a semester in Andalusia. During one of my previous exchanges, I got to visit Cordoba for the day, and I still have wonderful memories of that place, although a little hazy. Furthermore, it's quite a small city, where you can get to almost everywhere on foot. That's why my final choice was this city rather than any other.

The city

I think that Cordoba is the most incredible city I've ever got to see. The mix of different influences is striking, especially in the old part of the city. In fact, it's one of the Andalusian cities where you can see the most remarkable heritage from the Al-Andalus era. With monuments such as the Mosque-Cathedral (Mezquita), or the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos, Cordoba is truly one of Andalusia's gems. The city is full of little streets to explore and it also offers a cultural life which is particularly rich.

Living in Cordoba is so lovely. The first thing which stunned me when I was getting out of the taxi outside my apartment on the first day I arrived, was the smell coming from the orange trees in my street.

The climate makes the experience even better (maybe except in June), and at least I can say that I wasn't lacking any vitamin D! On the other hand, it's better to be prepared for relatively extreme temperatures in the summer. Just in June, I could see the thermometer showing it was almost 45°C.

In terms of public transport, most of the time it isn't necessary to use it in Cordoba. Since we don't live too far from the centre, it's actually easy to get around the city on foot. Of course, there's a bus service in Cordoba, but personally, I don't think I've used it more than five times in the whole semester. The negative thing about Cordoba in terms of transport is the fact that the city doesn't have an airport. The closest airports are in Seville or Malaga.

My accommodation

Regarding my accommodation, I found a website online which had lots of different apartments available. After having done my research, I decided to choose a flat situated in the area called Ciudad Jarin. It's a student flat and quite cheap. Most of the students choose this area (even the city centre also has some flats which aren't too expensive). I paid 200 euros a month for rent (not including the bills), and I shared my flat on the first floor with three other girls: a Spanish girl who's from Cadiz, and two Italian girls, on Erasmus like me. Our favourite place was the rooftop, which we had access to, and it was perfect to sunbathe or to relax with friends up there in the evening. It was also my favourite place to watch the sunset.

If you're thinking of staying in Cordoba during the summer period, I recommend you only look for an apartment equipped with air-conditioning. In June, the temperature only drops to around 35°C at night, and without air-conditioning, the rooms become stifling very quickly.

The only true downside to our apartment - and I don't think that we weren't the only ones concerned - was the fact that we had to also share it with our friends, the cockroaches (cucarachas). Unfortunately, it seemed like this was a common thing in Cordoba, probably because of the heat. I was also disappointed of not being able to go to the little patio, which was in the middle of the block, because that meant I couldn't cuddle the little kittens which lived on the ground floor.

The food

I really loved the Spanish and Andalusian food, and I had the pleasure of trying all the specialities in Cordoba - the most famous being flamenquín (a roulade of pork and ham that is breaded and fried) and salmorejo (like a cold tomato soup). Amongst my favourite Spanish dishes, are of course paella, which you can try in lots of restaurants in Cordoba, tortilla de patatas (Spanish omelette) made by my Spanish flatmate, and also the typical Spanish breakfast: tostada con tomate, aceite, y jamon ibérico (the toast you can see in the second picture below).

The social life

There's quite a busy social life if you're an Erasmus student in Cordoba. There are two societies which are there to help you out with your first steps (and beyond that) as an Erasmus student. The ESN (Erasmus Student Network) and the society Erasmus Family are always there to organise new activities, parties and trips. Therefore, it's really hard to get bored in Cordoba! Even more so because the Erasmus network is known for new encounters and new friendships.

Regarding going out, many Erasmus events took place in mainly two bars: la Fontana and O'Donogue's, where often than not, all the drinks were at a reduced price. In the Ciudad Jardin area, I really loved the tapas bar called La Abadia, where you get one free tapa for every drink you buy (and that's where I tried the famous salmorejo). If you want to go out for a drink in the afternoon, I recommend going to Plaza de la Corredera or to Plaza de las Tendillas, these squares are both in the centre. The atmosphere there is really lovely at that time of day. The bar El Paripé was also a nice place to go to with friends and to play table football. For those who love dancing, my favourite club was by far Gongora! However, be careful, you have to be into reggaeton to go!

The university

During my Erasmus semester, I studied at the Philosophy and Literature faculty in Cordoba, situated in the old town, a few minutes from the mosque on foot. It took me a while to get used to the complex stairs in the faculty, but I ended up falling in love with it. The library with the large windows was the perfect place to study or to have a siesta under the sun. The canteen was where I had many one-on-one breakfasts with myself and the famous tostadas. Finally, the patio also contributed to the undeniable charm the faculty had.

My advice to those who wish to study in Cordoba

Take the plunge! Don't be afraid to choose this city. I arrived in Cordoba two years ago to this day, and even though it's been a year and a half since I left, I know this city will always be my home.

Another piece of advice: make an effort and speak Spanish, even if it's only with the other Erasmus students, and don't stay with the French groups that normally form. You won't regret it.