Okay, here is the way this works,
we don’t write everyday and thus the purpose of the blog gets a little bit
lost. We are busy or lazy or eating or people watching and decide we will do it
tomorrow. Tomorrow comes and something else happens to delay the blog by which
time we get a bit off track. Now , Paul remembers every meal he eats so, we back
track from there. We divide the labor, Paul writes the bullets and Jane fills
in the narrative around the food! Works really well until you forget to save
your work and then you are up the creek with no paddles! Back to the story.
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| Cadiz Bridge |
We loaded up after the awesomeness
that was breakfast at Puerta Puerta
Tierra, got the car loaded and set out
for Cordoba. We programmed the GPSs, two of them to find the huge bridge and
out way out onto the highway towards the big C. Neither GPS could find the damn
highway nor the bridge, Jane had the Michelin mapbook which helped us to
FINALLY exit the city and out onto the highway inland. (Paul’s words!) Somehow
the road inland was a toll road so it was 3.70€ to cross that damn bridge out
of town and so we stopped for coffee/potty break and then diesel to be on our
Way again.(more words of wisdom and frustration from Paul!)
We stopped in transit for lunch at
a huge truck stop where everyone was having the Menu del Dia at 10€. Jane
ordered Gazpacho only to find they were out of it already for the day. Her
second course was eggplant. ( more of Paul, I do not remember what I had for
starters). It is a fairly long drive and
I do believe we were led astray by the girls. (GPSs). One avoids all main roads
and takes us who knows where and the other, in Spanish is very demanding though
polite! Paul now has three females he can ignore! We were following signs when
they went away and I told Paul that we were heading towards Seville….wrong way!
I got out the road maps and navigated us back in the correct direction. You
see, Paul does not like tolls, he will not pay tolls and often the road least
travelled is the one we take. Life is an adventure let’s lead it that way!
We found the NH Califa after the
GPS had us wind thru the alleyways to reach the front door of the hotel. The
young gal gave us room 120 twin beds and off we went, having to back up the one
way street the wrong way so that we were headed into the garage to park and
unload. The room was very small but I unloaded my stuff and washed out some
tops and underwear. Where is Paul you may ask, well after his siesta he
apparently was negotiating with the front desk for a bigger room. Now all my
laundry is hanging up in the bathroom and after considering moving to the other
NH hotel in the center or up to the 3rd floor we opted for the
bigger room on the 3rd floor. I repacked my suitcase and off we trekked
down the elevator along the corridor to the other elevator to the 3rd
floor. Back we went to get the laundry, which is hanging on hangers to bring to
the new bigger, better room, we are after all staying 3 days here and murder
may have been done in that wee room! There NO room safes in this hotel which I
find a little strange. We are very aware of safety and a safe is essential.
This NH offers guests the use of a safety deposit box in a small room off of
reception, the boxes are NO bigger than a passport sized lockbox. We settled on
using my suitcase as a safe , removed the majority of the clothes and stashed
the valuables in there. It has a combination lock.
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| Order De La Carmelitas De La Santa Faz |
Along the highway we came upon a collection of domed buildings and so we stop at least for a photo. Turns out that here was the home of alternative Catholic Church. Elaborate digs in which to pray and study. Palmarian Catholic Church -- From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
We ventured out into the sizzling
streets of Cordoba to refresh our memories. It is a bit of a walk into the
center and I see taxis in our future! We sat and did some serious people
watching over a beer and tinto de verano. I checked out a souvenir shop and sat
back down again. This is some serious heat! Do we hear music? We do! Tinny
trumpets and drums! Here comes a marching Roman Legion complete with music and
camp followers wearing togas, awesome!( too many !s I know, sorry sometimes I
cannot help myself.) They must have been doing a loop around because they
returned some 20 minutes later. I went off to the Tourist office and Paul saved
my seat at the sidewalk café until the band returned just about the same time
as me. BTW I did not find the Tourist Office they seem to be as rare as hen’s
teeth! I stopped and asked some guys who were hanging with their horses and
carriages and they said it’s just up there, yeah right, like an Irish mile.
Tomorrow, I will find it tomorrow, all I need is a decent map the one I picked
up at reception is not much good.
We ate a varied evening meal of
select tapas at the Co-Op marketplace we knew from years past. Good groceries
and then a hoof back to the hotel in 100 F temps even though it was 9:30PM.
Paul was kind of disappointed because when we were here before they used to do
a free Flamenco show in the central Patio. It is no more. Cordoba is absolutely
packed with visitors, each speaking a different language and filling the bars
and restaurants. A travel day and each
explorer still racked up 8,000 steps!!( Actually Jane racked up nearly 11,000
steps, looking for the tourist office, remember?) We shall sleep well tonight.
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