Córdoba D9 - Hats and Churches

A 45-mn ride by high-speed train to Córdoba today to visit an exceptional site: the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba -- a true testimony to the ancient alliance of art and faith. Its Islamic architecture, with Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine touches, comes together with Christian architecture to create a unique site. It features an impressive array of columns, arches and domes, which bear witness to the passage of the centuries. It started as a Visigoth Basilica in the mid-6th century, was converted to a Mosque in 788 by And al-Rahman I, and progressively enlarged over the centuries before being first dedicated as a Catholic temple in 1146. Since 1236, without missing a single day, Holy Mass has been held in that church. In fact today, a wedding was being celebrated with a beautiful bride and lots of fancy hats :)  A couple of extras of the place itself -- again, not lacking for choices!:)

The city that surrounds it is all cobblestone streets, ancient ramparts, indoor courtyards, and makes for 'getting lost' an interesting discovery. Today was also the start of the Festia de los Patios, so eager tourists far outnumbered locals (I'm not a fan of that kind of crush, but hey...). Another great lunch with the group at an outdoors terrace and another 12-hour day. Tired: see extra which I'd like to think of as the 'sleeping beauties' ;)