Spain #1 (August 9th 2016)

CORDOBA

After a nice little stopover in the English territory of Girbralter we started to head north into Spain. We took a train from Algeciras to Cordoba on August 5th. At about 6:30 pm we arrived in what was once one of the most enlightened Islamic cities on earth.

Although we didn't have much time here and the temperature was a blistering 45°C we did manage to explore a little around the huge Mezquita Mosque and some of the winding streets that surrounded the area.

Like the French, the Spanish seem to make an all night event out of their meals which often don't start untill about 10:00 pm. On this particular night we decided to eat at a restaurant called Tiuaja next to the Guadalquivir River. It is known for its Cordovan cuisine. Some of the many courses of this meal included soups, creamy sauces, rolled pork and serrano ham known as mazamorra, salmorejo and flamenquin. By the end of it all I wasn't sure if I was more stuffed or exhausted

As we tried to walk off some of the feast the views of the river area and the Roman Bridge topped off our evening in Cordoba.

MADRID

According to the Lonely Planet travel guide (the "other" bible) no city on earth is more alive than Madrid. And yes, alive it is.... Alive with energy, culture, food and nightlife.

It is also supposed to be Europe's sunniest capital city and I would venture to guess...one of the hottest.

 

We arrived in the Spanish capital at 5 pm on August 6th. We took a short taxi ride from the train station to the very trendy, full of energy, HI Hostel. It was located right next to Plaza Mayor in the heart of the city.

Our two days in Madrid included a walk around the Parque del Retiro which ended with a refreshing cool smoothy and churros at one of the cafés.

We also took in a few of Madrid's more popular plazas like Plaza Mayor, Plaza Isabel and the " Times Square " of the Spanish world, Plaza Puerto Del Sol. Here we posed for pictures in front of the famous bear statue and placed our feet on the Spanish Km zero spot and watched some of the many buskers busk their hearts out to the crowds. When the heat became too unbearable we took refuge in the holy and thankfully very cool, San Miguel Basilica.

We also found some escape from the heat by taking advantage of the cool mist making machines located at most of the outdoor cafes. It was nice to hang out, have a drink, and feel a blast of good old rain, drizzle and fog for a bit.

We also spent some time in the square between the Palacio Real and the Cathedral de La Altmudena and listened to a violinist play the Italian song "Con te Partiro" or in English, "Time to say Good bye", as it would soon be our time to say good bye to Madrid.

Highlights of our time in the city would have to include the location and atmosphere of the Hat HI Hostel, our anniversary meal of tapas on Plaza Mayor and simply surviving the sunniest and likely hottest capital city in Europe