Malaga 28th September 2007 (Cordoba)

This morning it was about 8.30 before we hit the road - our beds were too inviting to get out plus the unit doesn’t get much light so it isn’t as though the daylight wakes you up.

We got there at about 10.30 and parked just outside the Jewish Quarter. Had a lovely wander around there and bought a couple of little things before managing to find the Information Centre and getting the tourist map. Once again, it was filled with tiny little roads - some barely wide enough for a car to drive down and be prepared to jump into a doorway if you are walking down one of these streets when someone drives past. You can always see the locals driving compared to the tourists who are heaps more careful when making their way along these streets.

We found a shop which made the nicest baguettes and stopped there for lunch before going off to visit the Mesquita which was originally built as a mosque and then later changed into a cathedral. There were 3 additions to the original building and it was amazing to see how each person while trying to keep things the same, also wanted to make them slightly different to show just where their alterations took place.

I think the guide said that the original mosque took 200 years to build and when you see the hand carvings which were done, it isn’t hard to see why it took so long to finish. The muslims all face Mecca when they used the mesquite and then the Christians all faced Jerusalem when they used the cathedral. There is a lot of restorative work being carried out in the Mesquita currently. Having said that we have seen lots of signs to indicate restoration work or road works around Spain but it is very seldom that we have actually seen anyone working !!!!

It took us just over 2 hrs to do the tour of the Mesquita and by the time we were finished with that we were ready to come home - the Alcazabar will have to wait until we visit again - we also figured that, given we have seen quite a few of those, this one would probably not be that different inside - a fort is a fort is a fort (I think anyway !!!)

To date, we have only had 1 siesta - the second day we were in Madrid. Here’s hoping that when we get to Alicante - we will have time for more !!!!!

We left Cordoba after a little more walking around in the hope that we would make it back to Benalmadena in time to collect our washing from the Laundromat - managed to get it in time so that was good. When we got back to the unit Kaitlin went for a swim - the temps here during the day are really hot. Normally we get back to the unit too late to swim as we thought the pool closed at 7pm but it actually only closes at 8pm so Kaitlin could have been swimming most nights much to her disgust !!!! It’s quite funny getting back and seeing all the pommies looking like lobsters - why they don’t use block out or get out of the sun sooner I don’t know.
Kaitlinism’s to remember later when reading this - kes ku se ? set un schat / sanj. You can consider your donut as good as gone. I am a tree you can’t see me. Bat woman. Guys seeing some action at the topless restaurant - the restaurant without a roof !!! Sachet - sa shet. E for Espana.

I think I am coming down with something - have had the worst runny nose and sneezing the whole day. The three tissues I had on me didn’t go very far and by the time we were finished in the Mesquita, I had used the two Kaitlin had from the hotel which were as good as using newspaper they were so hard. My poor little delicate nose wasn’t very happy at all - we tried to find a chemist or grocery story open but no such luck as it was siesta time so I continued to use the awful wet tissues I had. Luckily we had some tablets left from the when Kaitlin had a headcold in Madrid so I took those when we got home - at least they stopped my nose running. We found some tissues at a servo on the way back from Cordoba which we bought but they were as bad as the batch the Kaitlin had from the hotel. Then we managed to find a Carrefour (supermarket) just up from the hotel and bought some tissues and Vaseline there - while not the best they are a slight improvement on those from the servo.

Al and Kaitlin went out and got pizzas for dinner and came back and we ate those before bathing and going to bed. Al had a time moving us both around as Kaitlin went to sleep in my bed and after I got out the bath lay down on her bed and before I knew it I was asleep - next thing I remember was waking up in my bed. Al was telling us at dinner tonight how he moved us and we were laughing like anything - poor bugger !!!!!

(Only typing this up at Bahia Azul - wasn’t up to updating anything last night)

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