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From Barcelona to Cordoba

We have to cross the whole Iberian peninsula on our way to Portugal and we decide it won't matter which way we take. So we first go to Cordoba, a Moorish city we both want to see. With Sevilla, it is one of the most interesting cities of Andalucia (south Spain). During the Muslim rule (711 - 1263 AD.) Cordoba has been the cultural and artistic centre of the "Al-Andalus"-empire, and also the capital of the western Caliphate. Muslims, Catholics and Jews all put their own stamp on this medieval city.

We don't know if we can cover the distance from Barcelona to Cordoba in one day (almost 1000 km) and we don't want to rush. But after 500 hundred kilometers and with temperatures well above 35°C we are getting bored a bit by the, although beautiful, but also very monotonous tableland of Central Spain and we decide not to loose any time and drive all the way to Cordoba. But when we arrive at the city it takes us more than an hour to find a cheap hotel which still has rooms available. By chance we find a hotel in the old city with a room for only one night. We want to stay three nights but are glad we have at least found some place to stay. The owner speaks about 2 words English (yes, no) and we speak three words Spanish (si, no, manana).

Later we understand (using sign language) that we can have the room for 2 nights; it is very small and we have to return to the reception to ask how the key works. There is no bar and we are too tired to look for one outside, so we take a softdrink at the reception.

How tired can one get after a day sitting in a car... We still have to walk back to the car to get our things, and we notice we are exhausted. We have no energy left for a stroll through the city and go to bed immediately. We have been driving for more than 14 hours.

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with Elisabeth and Teije