Cordoba, The Metzquita and River Guadalquivir

I walked this way on the way into the old town of Cordoba every day. Through an archway by the cafe El Olivo, past the restaurant, La Meson de Luna, across a courtyard, straight across a cross roads, I say crossroads, more the crossing of paths and veering out to the right into the square where the magnificent mosque, the Metzquita towers. Little shops, restaurants, cafes, courtyards, line the square and inside, walking through the massive gateways into the sun filled inner square filled with trees and paths, a fountain for drinking, and the site of the mineret rising into the cloud filled blue was breathtaking. I strolled around for ages, men in blue gardening, guards strolling too. It was Eight euros to go inside the mosque. Now this is what really made the week: the personal moments. The buildings, atmosphere, everything I saw, were stunning, but the human moments made me smile.
There were two spanish women entering the mosque in front of me. The guard, with a little machine snipped the corner off her very attractive ticket. She looked at it, looked at him and, and this is amazing, I could tell what she and he were both saying, but she said, summarised, "I wanted to keep that and you've wrecked it!"
I was handing him my very attractive ticket as she was scolding him, and I pulled it back from his fingertips, he pulled it back, and I pulled it back. We were smiling, I add. His machine was poised. It was down on the ticket, he was clicking... and then he released it and handed it back to me. Ticket intact. Gracias.

Inside. Wow, wow, wow. So quiet. I definitely recommend going to Cordoba in February. Wrap up, but definitely fantastic. No crowds so you can gaze and walk and enjoy and take as long, long, long as you want. I spent hours in the Mezquita. No signs saying not to take photos, so took loads. It's amazing. Around the outer walls are little chapels to different saints. Very ornate, paintings and gold and oozing catholicism. And then the arches of the mosque stretching into the darkness. And in the centre, the towering catholic cathedral with it's gold on gold, painted ceilings, chandeliers sparkling, dark ornately carved choir stalls polished to shine, the alter and candles. Pretty and majestic and vast. I sat for a long time.
I didn't want to leave either the cathedral or the mosque, but eventually I left the chilly dimness and went out into the sunshine.