During my last month in Spain, two of my Italian roommates' from last year, Giulia Grecuzzo and Giulia Pagano, (otherwise known as the Giulias') came to visit me in Cordoba at different times. For each trip we spent a day or two in Cordoba where I showed them around the city and then we escaped the hot land locked weather of Andalusia in the summer to go down to the Southern coast of Spain.
Trip # 1- Monday, June 20-Friday, June 24: Giulia Grecuzzo visits Spain with her friend, Federica.
During their visit we spent two whole days in Cordoba. While in Cordoba I took them on a few walks through the city where I showed them all of the typical tourist attractions. During the first morning we went through the Plaza de la Corredera which is typical old square that exists in many Spanish cities. We then walked along the River called Rio Guadalajara which brings us to the old Section of Cordoba where we saw the outside of the Mosque (La Mezquita) and then walked through the Jewish Quarter (La Juderia).
That afternoon we went on a short bus ride to Medina Azahara which is Arabic for "Beautiful Town." It is the site of the ruins of an Arab Muslim medieval palace city located in the western part of Cordoba. It was at one time the capital of Muslim, Spain. The city was made up of reception halls. mosques, government buildings, gardens, residences and baths which still consists of the basic architecture that resemble the Mosque in the center of Cordoba. This may have been one of the hottest days I had experienced in Cordoba so we could only spend so much time exploring this area.
The View of the Ruins
All 3 of us in part of the site
That evening I took Giulia and Federica to one of my favorite restaurants' where they got to try a typical Cordobesa food called Flamenquin which is a type of fried food consisting of pieces of the Spanish ham (Jamon Serrano) rolled in pork and all surrounded by bread crumbs and then fried.
We spent our second day visiting all of the historical attraction in the old section of Cordoba. First we visited the Mosque and walked along the Roman Bridge. We then saw some of the typical Patios that are decorated with lots of beautiful flowers. Lastly, we discovered this small, narrow street called Calle Flores where there is a beautiful view of the Mosque's tower from a distance.
Giulia and I in El Patio De Naranajas (The Courtyard with the oranges.)
One of the Patios'
Calle de las Flores
We left early Thursday morning for Malaga which is on the Mediteranean Coast of Andalusia, Spain where we were hoping for some nice beach weather but unfortunately the weather was a little hazy and gloomy. So we spent the day walking around the city doing all of the typical site seeing. We first visited the Cathedral and then went to the Alcazaba which is a fortress with lots of pathways and towers. From the Alcazaba we took a bus to a castle which would have provided some great views of the city on a clear day . We then walked along the beach.
The Plaza behind the Cathedral
El Alcazaba
The Beach
That evening was the celebration of San Juan which is the name of a saint and there are festivals all along the beaches in Spain. So we returned to the beach that night after eating Paella to see a live concert with Venezuelan singer, Carlos Baute and his band.
Eating Paella
We spent the following morning walking around the city and then we spent the afternoon on the beach. The weather was still a little gloomy but the air was very humid so it felt nice to jump into the Mediterranean Sea. I left that evening to go back to Cordoba where I said bye to both Giulia and Federica.
Trip #2-Wednesday, July 6- Sunday, July 10: Giulia Pagano comes to Spain
We spent one full day in Cordoba where we visited all of the historical sites in Cordoba: The Mezquita, The Alcazar, The Roman Bridge and a walk through La Juderia.
Inside the Mosque
El Alcazar
One of the patios'
The following day Giulia went to Seville for the day while I was working and we met in Cadiz that night. We spent Saturday morning walking through the city of Cadiz. We first visited the new Cathedral in the center of the city where we climbed one of the towers that overlooked the whole city with the golden dome of the cathedral in the background.
The Golden Dome
Giulia and I from the top
View from the top
After we visited the castle along the water. There are two parts of the castle. There is the main entrance which is followed by a long walk way through the water. Then there is the main structure of the castle which is situated along the side of the sea. Both provide great views of the water and beach.
The Entrance
The end of the walkway
The View from the main Castle
Plaza de Espana
We then spent the afternoon on the beach (Playa de Victoria) in the modern section of the city where there are more spacious and longer beaches with beautiful white sand.
On our way back from the beach we went on a large pirate's ship which was a type of museum with three levels and little rooms in the back.
That evening we went out for dinner at a famous seafood restaurant with lots of fried fish in one of the central plaza.
Giulia had to catch a train to Seville early the next morning and I decided to spend another day in Cadiz on the beach before heading back to Cordoba.
It was so great to have two of my roommates' from last year come to Spain and visit me. It was sad saying bye but definitely worth the trip!
