Adventure Andalucia (Córdoba)

"To my fellow dreamer, Don't stop!" The Lone Traveler.

This finds me in yet another beautiful part of this place we call earth. My Córdoba experience starts off with an exchange program (Erasmus) . The next 5 months of my life would be spent learning, a kind of learning that would entail both the conventional and witty kind. Like the Swahili saying goes "Asiye funzwa na mamaye hufunzwa na ulimwengu" which translates to "Whomsoever is not taught by the mother will be taught with the world". The proverb of course is used to refer to discipline but in this context I was to be taught through this experience all that my mother couldn't.

Plaza de las Tendillas

So, Córdoba hmmm,

I arrived Spain with a naivety that caused me to feel so vulnerable and guarded, the same feeling I had when I first got to Turkey. The thought of starting anew, distorted all sense of expectation I had. Despite my purpose here being obvious, for a period of time to be a member of Universidad Loyola Andalucia .I at the same time needed to maintain an openness to all the possibility this city had if I was to get anything out of this exchange. I had arrived a bit later than most of the exchange students so I had to play catch up. This for a while forced me to completely retreat into my room trying to finish up assignments that were due. Don't get me wrong I am for education but some times it has me reconsidering other options. Once I had settled in at Uni, sort of. I now started to explore what was now home for a while.

Plaza de la Corredera

Córdoba is a city of such immense culture and tradition but prefers not to show off, for a typical day could seem slow and unexciting. But it's in this very momentum that tranquility and a peace of mind thrives, so I took full advantage. Strolling around the city usually after a day at Uni or on my way to visit some new found friends. The city centers around monuments of beauty like the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba and Roman bridge of Córdoba .Historical treasure troves at walking distance which was great because this helped me keep in shape especially because I rarely exercise.

The Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos

Walks around would consist of historical lessons through old walls and buildings that had withstood the test of time and me asking myself questions like ,"How was I yet again living in a city that is a dream destination." What are the odds. I would every now and then change my route so that I could have an excuse to be mesmerized by all Córdoba was. My walks out would then last longer during the festivals like Fiesta de los Patios de Córdoba ( Córdoba Patio Festival ) and Feria de Mayo when Córdoba comes alive and the city suddenly goes from being unexciting to a source of excitement. Which is actually the best time to visit Córdoba (in May) and also because the weather is perfect at that time.

Roman bridge of Córdoba

After the buzz of the festivities fizzled down, I went back to the those quiet narrow allies to discover new places where I could catch my trail of thought.