Birthday!

You can tell how far behind we are with our postings if you know that Anika's birthday is the 7th of March. Luckily, we usually end up treating the whole event more as a birthmonth.

Enjoying a fancy birthday lunch in Córdoba, a few days before the actual event

Anika, looking excited about something at a birthday dinner a couple of days before the actual event.

Ah, she sees Flamenco dancers. She dreams of dancing Flamenco.

She hardly knows what to do: choose an ice-cream or watch the dancers.

Soren chooses an ice-cream, although he too aspires to dance Flamenco.

Cake!

Fuengirola

Fuengirola is one of the many towns along the southern coast of Spain which used to be remote and under-appreciated until scads of people realized that: Wow! this is a Nice Place! So now there are provisions here for all those appreciative people, which in some ways makes the whole area a little less inviting. It also means that some of the personal comforts one enjoys as part of "life in general" are also obtainable here. During our week's stay, we spent relatively little time here as the main attraction (beaches) were not quite ripe.

The Castillo in Fuengirola (with the interesting footbridge)

Looking back

Castle Wall, Cactus, Rosemary & Tree

Medieval ramparts and the encroaching developments (I bet those ramparts would make for great golf!)

Avoiding puddles

"What are these for, Daddy?" they ask.

"Sinking ships," says I.

"Why, Daddy?" they ask.

Explanation follows...

...Horror!

Getting ready to climb the towers

The wind's picking up

So are the waves

Between flood and storm there should be something to eat.

Every now and then a wave easily clears the handrail, and no, we didn't stay to take any pictures of it.

Just these rather tame pictures of the kids throwing sticks at the beach then going to get them when the waves bring them back to the seawall behind us.

The Interior of the Great Mosque (La Mezquita)

The Great Mosque of Cordoba was built in many stages. The first portion was begun in 784 on the ruins of a Visigothic cathedral (which was built on a Roman temple). Several subsequent additions to the mosque increased its size to over two hectares. After the Reconquista it was converted to a church and over time rebuilt. Finally a giant cathedral was built in the middle of the whole thing. The end result is an amazing amalgam of Muslim and Christian art and architecture.

A side chapel

The striped double arches that are characteristic of this mosque.

The mihrab (identifies prayer direction for muslims)

Before the Reconquista there would have been none of the heavier columns or arches necessary to support the cathedral

The ceiling of one of the naves of the cathedral

Mary, Jesus and angels

Arches, arches, everywhere...

Details of the mihrab

St John

In some of the chapels in the cathedral the arches are painted

An arch-bishop

Cathedral ceiling detail

Islamic arches

Cathedral ceiling detail

One of many fantastic pieces of art in the Mezquita

Wooden ceilings in the first Christian chapel (13th C)

Córdoba - The Mezquita - II

Trees, the new city, the city wall, the old city and finally the Mezquita

Shrine at the Roman Bridge

Wall details outside the Mezquita...

The Orange Tree Court surface - the planted areas are connected by small runnels throughout.

Heading home

Córdoba - The Mezquita - I

We arrived in the town from the coast (1 1/2 hr drive) during a downpour. We couldn't see much of anything. By the time we'd parked the car on the far side of the river from the Mezquita (Mosque) which we'd come to see, the sun popped out for the occasional appearance.

The Mezquita

The Guadalquivir

The Orange Tree Court

TOTC II

TOTC III

TOTC IV

TOTC V

TOTC VI

The outer facade of the original Mosque

The banks of the Guadalquivir with the Mezquita in the background