Sevilla and Cordoba

Over this past weekend, a couple of friends and I took a weekend trip down to Sevilla and Cordoba. Sevilla is known for the being the location that Christopher Columbus set sail to the Americas on his first expedition. Cordoba is known for it’s architecture which derives it’s influence from Muslim culture.

The weekend, overall, was quite an experience. We stayed in a local hostel, called “La Casa del Sol”. It was the cheapest we could find, but it was a wonderful hostel. Although the rooms were small (similar to dorm rooms), the owners and staff were very inviting. The had a kitchen and terrace on the top floor that is open to public use. They even provided breakfast, lunch, and dinner (although I had to skip lunch and dinner due to the lack of vegetarian options). During one night, we took full advantage of the kitchen to make tapas, order pizza, and make homemade sangria.

As far as the city goes, we walked through the streets, explored La Plaza de España, and explored the riverside. We visited the local Palace and the strolled through the gardens. Sevilla was different than Madrid in the sense that it’s culture is fairly diverse because of it’s history. Sevilla is also know for Flamenco dancing, a staple of Gypsy culture in Spain. On Saturday night, we had the opportunity to check out a flamenco performance at a local bar. It was a cultural immersion experience in itself. The rhythms and dance could be compared to Indian traditional dances, but infused with Spanish music.

Cordoba is similar to Sevilla (the same river runs through the city), but it’s culture resembles more Muslim influence than Spanish. The most famous example of that is the Mezquita Cathedral near the river. WE took a tour around the mosque that has since been converted to a cathedral. It has rich colors and arches throughout the structure, but at the center of the building is the main hall that is repeated in Cathedrals throughout Europe.

It has been quite a weekend, but an experience to say the least. Next up, Barcelona!