A Weekend in Córdoba

Last weekend I went up to Córdoba, an Andalusian city known for its colorful history (at one time the capital of the Iberian reaches of the Arab empire), architecture, and just being the hottest city in Europe. May is widely known as the best time to visit, as the entire month is filled with festivals and fairs. Perhaps the most unique and revered celebration is the annual patio contest, when scores of private homes open up their traditional courtyards – mostly Arab in design, but some with Jewish roots, and others more contemporary – for thousands of visitors to appreciate. Meticulously executed, the patios are a sensory overload of lush colors climbing up white walls, picturesque fountains, and usually too many toursits in a small space. If you´re lucky enough to find yourself alone in a more hidden patio, down some back alley often overlooked by the crowds, you might think you walked into a scene from 1000 years earlier, when Córdoba was ruled by a Caliphate in the times of Al-Andalus. This is some very transcendent botany, folks.

Of course it would be impossible to visit Córdoba without a visit to the Mezquita, a gorgeous 8th century mosque inside of which the Christians later built a Cathedral (the idea of which is at the same time repulsive and fascinating), and the Alcázar, a 14th century fortress with some of the best gardens I´ve seen anywhere.

Here are some photos from the weekend: