Cordoba, Spain

TRAVEL DEFINITELY KINDLES FIRES WITHIN US.

I was in Spain from the 8th to the 14th of February. I went in search of history, atmosphere, people, my family and to learn and push myself. And it was superb, surprising and life enhancing. Superb in everything I saw and did and experienced. Surprising in that I am determined now to learn spanish and feel I can do it, I really liked the people and I'd heard the spanish had turned off the english, and that Cordoba and Jerez, the places I visited were so, so breath taking, for different reasons which I shall go in to later. There will have to be many entries on Spain.
People:
People in Cordoba are on a mission when they are walking. They do not get out of your way and they don't expect you to take all day to get out of theirs. I learned this quickly and could soon side step and move on. You must not hesitate, that is the key and don't be precious about personal space. It's not meant as an affront, it's just the way you walk. And old don't expect young to move and vice versa. Only some, if blocking the pavement.
Rumanian gypsy women with their children outside the supermarkets and tourist sites, giving away rosemary in the main square and keen to read your palm and ask for a cigarette. A roadsweeper smoking a fat cigar. Dogs with jackets on.

I can see this is going to be all out of order, but after this introduction, I will try and go day, by day.

I arrived in Malaga. Easy taxi ride from the airport to the train station. It cost Sixteen euros. (Eighteen on the way back) There's loads of building and construction work going on. The shopping centre here is fantastic. Very tempting. The train platform is shiny clean. And you cannot get on the wrong train because every platform (Via) has a seperate check through. There's not long once you're through, get on the train and it's off. You are given a seat when you book your ticket. Incidentally, when you go to the booking office at the station, take a ticket from the machine and this will give you your number in line. When it comes up, go to the desk. Like at a supermarket deli. (21 euros to Cordoba one way.)

It took an hour and a bit to get to Cordoba. A beautiful, majestic city. Cranes, buildings, apartments, difficulty parking, quiet at night, surrounded by rolling hills which now are green and will be sandy grey in the summer. From the train saw olives bushes, remote farms, a harsh near, nearing Cordoba, more vines, less barren and lusher, more affluent.
Sandy stone, terracotta roof tiles, washing hanging on roof tops, small balconies, plants, a chair, orange tree lined streets, cobbles, narrow passages, trees emerging from between buildings, breaking the sky line, cranes next to ancient buildings, palms and deciduous trees and conifers. A massive river. No crime. Higgledy piggledy rooftops, all shapes and sizes. Morocco.

Colder than usual here. Definitely not Manchester.