From the Palace to the Mesquite

Yes. We went to Cordoba and Seville. Seville came first. It began with a palace. Former home to Carlos V, the monarch who presided over “the invincible armada” and one of Spain’s worst economic periods back in the day. That might have also been his son, whose name, as I recall, was Ferdinand.

 A general theme of warm yellows and oranges continued through-out the collection of buildings that ran through architectural designs beginning with an arch left over from an Arab construction to the later addition the result of a Spanish monarch’s love of Arabic design. There was also a garden, which contained a fountain housing the form of a double-faced woman, and peacocks.      

          Later came the cathedral, which was very large and impressive. Made me feel good to have learned something of church design back in AP art history. And then the location of one of the world fairs in Spain, this one meant to convey Spain’s commitment to encompass, with its arms, the entirety of Latin America. Then we traveled to the hotel and witnessed the most interesting part of the trip.

          While eating dinner, sounds from the street called by class outside where we witnessed the slow procession of the virgin. Once a year, they dress up a statue of Mary and carry her through the streets. Very slowly.

Cordoba came. The Mesquite. Supposedly the best preserved example of Moorish architecture. I was ornery and ignored the guide, lovely though she was, to examine the place one my own. I’d rather see the place than hear about it.

          Other than that, the trip was done. Cordoba, nor any other city I know of, has much going on on a Sunday. Just the tourist shops with silver trinkets and the pigeons. Grant and I were able to observe as a male attempted to impress to other females, and then, just as if he forgot what he was doing right in the middle, turned and began pecking again.

We boarded the bus, and I slept all the way home.