The Mezquita and Tortillas

Well folks, I finally did it!

Katherine’s visit to Córdoba was infinitely successful, in my opinion.  We ate, drank, and went sightseeing to our hearts’ content.  One of our first stops was the Mezquita, which we went to see on Friday morning.  Admission is free if you enter the site before 10AM on weekdays, so we enjoyed a chilly but delightfully solitary morning in the mosque-cathedral.

arches in the entryway

Arab-style screen

chandeliers

ceiling in the prayer hall

me inside the prayer hall

ornate doorway

For those of you who don’t know much about the Mezquita, you should really just click over here.  However, my abbreviated version of the fascinating history that surrounds this landmark is as follows: the original building was built by Christians around the year 600, but was only used as a church until the Ummayad Caliphate overthrew the Christian Visigothic kingdom in 715.  At that point, Abd al-Rahman purchased the building from the Christians (because he allowed the citizens of Al-Andalus to practice whatever religion they pleased, and in turn encouraged the Christians to rebuild their churches that had been damaged in the war) and in 784 began to remodel it into a mosque.  For three centuries, this mosque was an extremely important religious and symbolic site for Muslims living in Al-Andalus.  Its open prayer hall full of red and white arches and columns is referenced in countless literary and theatric publications from the time period.  However, after the Reconquista led by King Ferdinand III in 1236, the mosque was seized and once again made into a Christian church.  A cathedral now sits smack-dab in the middle of the building, complete with two organs and ornate altars.  Other alterations include the walls and doors around the building, which enclose the formerly open-air prayer hall, and a Christian bell tower instead of an Islamic minaret.

entryway

ceiling in the cathedral

mosque meets cathedral

altar

courtesy of a Portuguese tourist

Here’s what’s bizarre to me though: when you’re walking through the Mezquita, you feel like you’re in a mosque.  The Christians left the terracotta arches and Arab tile work, which are still the main symbol of the Mezquita.  However, the walls around the prayer hall are small chapels with Christian paintings and altars.  The building is quite dark until you walk into the center, where the cathedral sits beneath several skylights.  Mass is held there regularly, although Spanish Muslims aren’t allowed to worship in the Mezquita.

Essentially, fusion architecture is bizarre, and the Mezquita is the epitome of this phenomenon.  It is truly awe-inspiring, and I feel really lucky to be living so close to such an amazing monument!

bell tower

in Patio de las Naranjas

The rest of my Friday with Katherine consisted of eating the famous tortilla de patatas from Bar Santos (the best part of this stop is sitting on the steps of the Mezquita while you eat) and walking around Córdoba’s most beautiful streets.  Later that evening, we met up with Becky and Hugh for a game of darts and a lovely dinner at my piso.

Calle de las Flores with the view of the Mezquita

so quaint

the woman who took this picture told me my Spanish was "preciousa"

Becky with her darts

dinner party

On Saturday, we spent the afternoon with Jess and her parents, who were visiting from Boston.  Her mom and step-dad, Lisa and Rick, took us out for tapas and regaled us with the story of their adventure to Morocco.  Afterwards, Katherine and I attempted our own tortilla de patata, which came off quite well (and with enough for breakfast the next day).  We spent our evening watching the Real Madrid vs. Barcelona futbol match in a bar full of boisterous fans!

the lovely chef

scrambling

almost done!

finished product

On the whole, it was a truly lovely weekend and I’m so glad to have a friend from home living so close to me here in Spain.  It’s wonderful to be only a (five hour) bus ride away from someone who really knows you!

Becoming Familiar With My Surroundings

Córdoba is known for pretty much one tourist attraction: La Mezquita.  I really love the fact that my city doesn’t have a huge pull for tourists, as it’s generally just a daytrip for many people who stop by to see the mosque and then go on their merry way.  This means that the Júderia (the old Jewish quarter) where the Mezquita is located is the only place in Córdoba where I ever hear English, and I feel like I’m living in a real city rather than just a sea of tourists.

However, I have a confession: I’ve never been inside La Mezquita.

It wasn’t on purpose, it’s just that I never got around to visiting the mosque in my first couple of weeks here in Córdoba, and by the time I was ready to go see it, everyone I knew had already been there.  On top of that, I started to get to know my new city by going to less-visited historical sites and… now I’ve been here for two months without seeing it.  But, I have a plan!  Katherine is coming to visit me tomorrow, at which point we will partake in un montón of touristy activities, including my inaugural visit to La Mezquita.  Stay tuned!

As for the other touristy things I’ve done in Córdoba…

Back in October, I visited the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos (Palace of the Christian Kings) with my friends Emily, Megan, and Niki, who are other American auxiliares in Córdoba.  Despite its grandiose name, the palace is really just the Alcázar of Córdoba.  Most Spanish cities have an alcazar, which is a Spanish word that essentially means “castle” or “fort.”   You may remember that I visited the Alcázar in Sevilla as well, which makes the Córdoban version look like child’s play, to be honest.  However, the beauty of sightseeing in a small city is that you never pay more than 3€ and the monuments are seldom crowded.

view of the city from the tower

Megan giving the statue some love

peligroso

group shot

Megan and Emily

water feature

ceilings in the baths

The best part of the Alcázar of Córdoba is its gardens, which were still in full bloom in late October.  Fountains trimmed with flowers and meticulously groomed trees adorn the grounds surrounding the palace, making the entire place seem like a fairytale wonderland.

my favorite fountain

picture perfect

crazy trees-- Megan for scale

gardens

one of those Christian kings

every castle has a fish pond

European paintbrush?

I also visited a Córdoban claim to fame much more impressive than the Alcázar: the ancient ruins of Medina Azahara.  The ruins are of an Arab Muslim palace and city that was built around 936 by Abd-ar-Rahman III, who was the Caliph of Córdoba at the time.  The city was immense with mosques, public buildings and residences, gardens, baths and much more, all supplied with water by internal aqueducts. 

recovered artifacts in the museum

water jug

the descent

overlooking the ruins

Moorish architecture

touristing

Sadly, the palace and city only lasted for less than a century, as it was pillaged in 1010 during a civil war.  This war resulted in the termination of the Caliphate of Córdoba, which in turn meant that the ruins of Medina Azahara were abandoned for the next millennium.  In 1911, excavation at the site revealed a lost city that still holds many mysteries to this day.  Archaeologists estimate that what is now known as the ruins of Medina Azahara encompasses only 10% of the fallen city.  This is explained at the museum that lies at the entrance of the ruins.

the signature arches 

pillars

former government building, supposedly

edge of the excavated portion  

Cordoba in the distance

they still have some color!

Walking through Medina Azahara feels like going back in time.  I get that feeling a lot in Europe (mostly because living in Córdoba kind of feels like living in the 1950s) but I’ve never felt it so much as I did there.  Everything is ancient and crumbling, yet it feels strangely preserved.

Overall, the Alcázar and the Medina Azahara are sights worth seeing if you ever make it to Córdoba.  Hopefully La Mezquita isn’t overrated… I’ll find out in a few days!

Thanksgiving, with Spanish Characteristics

“You eat a whole turkey?”

“Well no, I don’t eat the whole turkey.  But yes, we cook one.”

“It’s just like in all the movies!”

Conversing with a Spaniard about Thanksgiving usually ends with some sort of comment like this (other topics many people think only exist in the movies: prom, Easter egg hunts, campfires…).  Needless to say, Thanksgiving is not an American holiday that is well known in Spain.  I went to work, gave two of my classes a pilgrim-themed word search, and felt generally alone as I thought about my entire family convening for my favorite meal of the year.  Luckily, I have American friends here with similar sentiments, so Thursday evening I hopped on a bus to Cabra, Córdoba to have an expat Thanksgiving feast.

Cabra is a village in the province of Córdoba that’s about an hour and a half bus ride from where I live.  I took the bus with my friends Kerry and Alex who both had arrived to Córdoba by train earlier that day.  We arrived at Jess’ amazing piso in Cabra late that evening.  After Skyping with our families to wish them a happy Thanksgiving (and be jealous of the food that was paraded in front of us, thanks mom), we went to bed early in preparation of our feast to come.

weary travelers and our gracious hostess

The next morning, we went to collect Kels and Keely from the bus station, but were devastated to find that only one of our friends had made it.  Keely had gotten food poisoning the night before, making the six hour bus ride a literal impossibility.  Though we were sadly only five, we went to the grocery store to purchase our supplies because our feast was turning into a bigger endeavor by the minute—Jess’ roommates informed us that 15 people would be attending, both American and Spanish!

beautiful Cabra

surrounded by mountains

this pueblo is ready for Navidad!

Whole turkeys are nearly impossible to find here in Spain (hence the aforementioned Spanish awe) and even more difficult to come by in a small village.  We compromised by cooking a chicken and a ham, as both were easily at our disposal.  Jess’ roommate, Natalie, ordered a ham from the local butcher and we bought nearly the entire inventory of the supermarket, so we felt fairly prepared.

posing with our purchases

trekking home to the kitchen

causing a scene, as usual

After cooking all day, we served ham, chicken, corn casserole, mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, green beans, bread and apple crisp.  The feast came off splendidly; especially the part where we all held hands around the table and said what we were thankful for.  This was done in both English and Spanish, with Jess’ roommate Crystal translating each testimony in a whisper.  The moment was very special, and I felt like a profound cultural exchange was occurring before me.

Kerry and Nat 

apple crisps 

oh hello, America 

the cooking couple

the ham in all its glory 

our table

giving thanks

All in all, Thanksgiving in Spain was a success that I hadn’t anticipated.  Though being away from my family during the holiday season is really difficult, it’s nice to have a community here to share my traditions with.  I’m thankful both that I have a home and family to miss, as well as a life full of new adventures!