Travel
Travel Note
La Feria de Córdoba
The Cordoba Fair is usually held at the end of May, to mark the feast of Our Lady of la Salud (Health). The special fairground in el Arenal is very easy to get to and horse-riders and men or women in gypsy dress can be seen in the casetas (individual enclosures belonging to each association) which are laid out in orderly rows in the different streets of the fairground. All the casetas are public, and the doors are open for visitors to enter any they like, which is half the fun of it all. The uplifting sound of Sevillanas, the fino wine, the tapas, the Cordoban hat and the peinetas (ornamental combs worn by the women) make the Cordoba Fair as amazing an experience as any of the other Andalusian fairs.
Travel Note
Mezquita de Córdoba
The Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba (World Heritage Site since 1984) is the most important monument of the Islamic West and one of the most amazing in the world. Its history summarizes the complete evolution of the Umayyad style in Spain, as well as the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles of Christian construction.
Travel Note
Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos
The gardens of the Alcázar stand on the site of the former vegetable gardens of the Alcázar, which were surrounded by the walls of the fortress. They were supplied with water from the river via a complex irrigation system. This historical area was reduced when the Avenue of the Alcazar was built around the middle of the 20th century. Another change was carried out in the western area in the first decades of the 20th Century, leaving an enclosure close to the West Wall which was connected to the Royal Stables. The current Gardens of the Alcázar were formed around the middle of the 20th century. The gardens are divided into three different levels, all of them housing fountains and big pools, as well as a rich variety of native flora. The garden's borders have changed throughout history and its current appearance differs a lot from the original one, as the planimetry and appearance of the Royal Stables' West Wall show. During a visit to the gardens, visitors will find several sculptures, among them the one representing the meeting between the Catholic Monarchs, Isabel and Fernando, and Christopher Columbus.
Travel Note
La Judería (Jewish Quarter)
The city of Cordoba has a well-preserved Jewish quarter, located in the historic centre, which is part of the area named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994. The Jewish Quarter retains the traditional urban layout of a medieval Islamic city, with two central intersecting streets surrounded by a labyrinth of smaller streets which often end in dead ends or narrow alleys. The current Jewish quarter stretches from the Puerta de Almodóvar to the Mosque-Cathedral and the episcopal palace (the former Arab fortress) to the south. Calle Rey Heredia Street mark the eastern border of the neighbourhood, and it stretches as far as the city wall in the west. These limits coincide broadly with Calles Judíos, Albucasis, Manríquez, Averroes, Judería, Almanzor, Tomás Conde, Deanes and Romero and the squares of Cardenal Salazar, Judá Leví and Maimónides.
Travel Note
Puente Romano
The view over the Mosque-Cathedral, with the river, the Gate of the Bridge and the Roman Bridge of Cordoba itself, is one of the most wonderful sights of Cordoba, especially at dusk, when the last rays of the sun linger on and make the stone surfaces glow a deep golden red. The bridge was first built in the 1st century A.D., but has been rebuilt many times since then, and in its present form dates mainly from the Medieval period, with the latest changes being made in 1876. There are sixteen arches, four of which are pointed and the rest semi-circular. Halfway along the railing on one side is a 16th century statue of San Rafael by Bernabé Gómez del Río.
Travel Note
Montilla Moriles (Vineyards)
Montilla-Moriles is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) for wines located in the southern part of the province of Córdoba (Andalusia, Spain). It is bounded by the river Genil to the east, by the river Guadajoz to the west, by the river Guadalquivir to the north, and by the Subbetic Range of mountains to the south. This region produces mainly sweet dessert wines using similar techniques to those used for the production of sherry, that is, by crianza bajo velo de flor (which involves allowing a "veil" of flor yeast to form on the surface of the must in the casks) and por el sistema de criaderas y soleras (which refers to the process of aging the wine in soleras). Apart from forming a barrier between the wine and the air, the flor also cause certain chemical phenomena in the wine which affect the taste: they consume glycerine (thus conferring a typically dry character to the wine), they significantly reduce the volatile acidity level of the wine, and they produce great quantities of paraldehydes and acetaldehydes which are responsible for the almond notes of the wines.
Travel Note
Flamenco show
Flamenco (Spanish pronunciation: [flaˈmeŋko]) is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and Murcia.
Travel Note
Travel Andalucía
Discover the magic of Andalusia in spring, a time of transformation and unparalleled beauty. Live the explosion of colors of its landscapes, feel the sun on your skin and enjoy a perfect climate to explore every corner of this land. More than a season, spring in Andalusia is an experience. It is the ideal time to enjoy it.