After a delicious spread at breakfast, we headed to the bus station to go to Córdoba. Córdoba is home to the great mosque, patios and the highest temperatures in Spain. (Not that we experienced it, it rained whilst we were there).

We walked into the city centre and headed straight to the ‘Mezquita’ and cathedral. I didn’t really know anything about the them, except for the fact that they were meant to be awe-inspiring, I had no idea that the cathedral was inside the mosque. The structure of the building was originally a mosque built during the Arab rule of Spain. It is home to the classic Islamic arches seen in most Arabic architecture, but once you get to the middle you can see the shift from Islam to Christianity with alters, pews and stained glass windows putting in an appearance. The building is stunning and the craftsmanship is absolutely incredible. I loved the fantasy idea that the Muslims and Christians worshipped together but that would have definitely not been the case. During La Reconquista, the Christians took over the mosque, expelled the Moors, and tried to turn it into a church.

After this, we met up with Zoe’s old language assistant from school who is from Córdoba. She took us for lunch, (Andalucian food post coming soon), and then on a tour of the city. It was so nice to have someone from the area show us around. She made sure to show us the Plaza de Corredera, the Roman bridge and ruins, el Palacio de Viana and finally the Alcazar.  Although I was sneezing and my eyes were streaming, (does anyone else find they only get hayfever in certain places?), it was 100% worth it for the beauty of the gardens we saw. Old palaces with vast gardens and courtyards are dotted all around Andalucia and they were definitely my favourite part of my visit.

We wandered around trying to appreciate and take everything in when, finally, it was time to say goodbye and hop on the bus back to Seville to rest up for yet more adventures the next day.