DAY 5, Merida to Cordoba, 17
July 2019 WEDNESDAY
We are so behind with writing
this blog! I am sitting in the breakfast room in our hotel in Orgiva trying to
catch up!
Day 8 dawned bright, hot and
clear. We had our usual fabulous Parador breakfast to start the day, checked
out and loaded up the suitcases down in the garage from the elevator. I think
we were still feeling the effects of a long hard day touring the wonders of
Merida! We program the GPS for Almodovar
del Rio town to see the restored Almodovar castle before heading into Cordoba.
The original structure dates from 760 and changed hands many times but between
1901 and 1936 the then owner Raphael Desmaissiers, 12 Count of Torravala,
decided to use his own considerable fortune to restore the castle.
Unfortunately he died 4 years before it was finished and never lived to enjoy
the fruits of his labor.
We had a late lunch at 3:30 and
had the best garbanzos and eggplant with honey.(which by the way is my new
favorite) We were able to drive all the way up to the Castle and parked very
close! This damn Castle as with all castles in Spain is on top of a mountain, I
use the word advisably, because when you live Florida anything over 12 ft is a
freeking mountain! It is beautifully restored but after Oropesa and Merida
these old feet and legs decided that caution was the better part of valor. The
kids climbed towers and battlements and Paul sat in the shade and I ventured
forth cautiously as a few steps had to be taken to gaze down on the surrounding
plains. Zoey has declared it her favorite castle! Game of Thrones was filmed
here and they are quite proud of that and have posters around showing where
they filmed.
We got on the road to Cordoba
at 6:00PM, it is not too far, only 40 Kms. We checked into the Hotel
Maimondes and put the car down in the
garage height with a limit of 1.80 Mtrs
just barely fit the beast! We had drinkies for people watching at the corner.
Then walked ( but not too far) to have a dinner of tapas while watching 3
fellas dancing+guitar music flamenco in the open courtyard. Our first Flamenco!
Dinner was Gaspacho soup, croquettas and
chorizo in wine sauce.
We heard music! Time to
explore…..on the old Roman Bridge there was allsorts of entertainment, the best
being a guitar player. The moon was rising red across the river, the evening
was mild and the old buildings were lit up softly, just gorgeous! I headed back
to the hotel and Ian, Cathie and Zoey explored even more. At the other side of
the river, under the bridge there was a theatrical opera which they loved!
Eventually everyone returned, very late again and after a very busy day. But
who can ignore such visual and musical beauty? Not us!
Buenos noches!
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