Monday, July 19, 2004
El Fin de Semana
Fuimos a Córdoba y pasamos un día muy bonito. Hacía mucho calor...35-36 grados, que, por mis calculaciónes el otro día, sería aproximamente 95-96 F. A menos no es húmido.
I liked Córdoba. It's a right cute lil town, but there was something strange about it, something dead. It was like the Edgar suit in "MIB." We went to the "Castle of the Christian Kings," which had beautiful gardens (Kat, you would have been in heaven. I took lots of pics.), but inside were all these mosaics and other pieces of art about Greek gods. We didn't understand. Then there was the mosque. The architecture was amazing, but it was hollow (both physically and figuratively). And the weirdest thing I've ever seen--the cathedral inside the mosque. What? I really don't get that. What's the word? Ecumenical? That was ecumenicality (is that a word?) at its finest. I wonder if it was built out of cooperation, compromise, or conquest. The city was founded by the Muslims. Why would they build (or allow the building of) a center of worship to another god in their place of worship? And why would the Catholics want to build their place of worship inside a mosque? It just doesn't make sense...and now it's mostly a tourist attraction anyway. Hollow...with gods behind glass for foreigners to photograph.
Anywho...Córdoba=decent. We got back around 8:30 p.m., got food from Supersol, got bored, went to call Lauren to check out the state of the apartment (all is well...apparently we have great neighbors in our building and very noisy ones outside), got harrassed by a 12-year-old who should have had supervision, but was a punk and wasted my phone time instead, came back home, went to bed.
Oh! Before we went to Córdoba, we went to Madina Al-Zahra, which is about 10 km outside of Córdoba. It's ruins of an ancient Arab (I'm guessing by the name) city. A lot of it has been restored, and they're still uncovering the rest, but all I could think about when we were there was "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure:"
"...at a time when much of the world looked like the cover of the Led Zepplin album, Houses of the Holy. We were there. There were many steps and columns. It was most tranquil."
On Sunday, I took a day of rest...and oh! What a rest it was!! I slept for about 9 hours during the night and then for another 4 or 5 during the day. It was great until I couldn't go to sleep last night and was tired all day at school. We're moving on to the next course tomorrow. I've been in "Curso B" for the last 2 weeks. Tomorrow we go to "Curso C" (Da da da...dramatic music...C is a little bit daunting). I think they just go through D, but we won't make it through but about half of C before I leave. I'll have to finish the rest on my own.
And that's my weekend in a nutshell. I think this coming Saturday I may go to Sevilla. Then I just have to hit Granada and I will have seen all the major cities in Andalucía (except Cádiz, but I'm not too concerned about that one), and when I leave here I can go straight to Madrid and I should have time to visit Julie in Edinburgh! Good day to everyone. Reminder: If you want to receive a postcard, send your address to me at Besufern@aol.com. Don't assume that I have it unless I've lived in your house and received mail there. Have a great day!!!
I liked Córdoba. It's a right cute lil town, but there was something strange about it, something dead. It was like the Edgar suit in "MIB." We went to the "Castle of the Christian Kings," which had beautiful gardens (Kat, you would have been in heaven. I took lots of pics.), but inside were all these mosaics and other pieces of art about Greek gods. We didn't understand. Then there was the mosque. The architecture was amazing, but it was hollow (both physically and figuratively). And the weirdest thing I've ever seen--the cathedral inside the mosque. What? I really don't get that. What's the word? Ecumenical? That was ecumenicality (is that a word?) at its finest. I wonder if it was built out of cooperation, compromise, or conquest. The city was founded by the Muslims. Why would they build (or allow the building of) a center of worship to another god in their place of worship? And why would the Catholics want to build their place of worship inside a mosque? It just doesn't make sense...and now it's mostly a tourist attraction anyway. Hollow...with gods behind glass for foreigners to photograph.
Anywho...Córdoba=decent. We got back around 8:30 p.m., got food from Supersol, got bored, went to call Lauren to check out the state of the apartment (all is well...apparently we have great neighbors in our building and very noisy ones outside), got harrassed by a 12-year-old who should have had supervision, but was a punk and wasted my phone time instead, came back home, went to bed.
Oh! Before we went to Córdoba, we went to Madina Al-Zahra, which is about 10 km outside of Córdoba. It's ruins of an ancient Arab (I'm guessing by the name) city. A lot of it has been restored, and they're still uncovering the rest, but all I could think about when we were there was "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure:"
"...at a time when much of the world looked like the cover of the Led Zepplin album, Houses of the Holy. We were there. There were many steps and columns. It was most tranquil."
On Sunday, I took a day of rest...and oh! What a rest it was!! I slept for about 9 hours during the night and then for another 4 or 5 during the day. It was great until I couldn't go to sleep last night and was tired all day at school. We're moving on to the next course tomorrow. I've been in "Curso B" for the last 2 weeks. Tomorrow we go to "Curso C" (Da da da...dramatic music...C is a little bit daunting). I think they just go through D, but we won't make it through but about half of C before I leave. I'll have to finish the rest on my own.
And that's my weekend in a nutshell. I think this coming Saturday I may go to Sevilla. Then I just have to hit Granada and I will have seen all the major cities in Andalucía (except Cádiz, but I'm not too concerned about that one), and when I leave here I can go straight to Madrid and I should have time to visit Julie in Edinburgh! Good day to everyone. Reminder: If you want to receive a postcard, send your address to me at Besufern@aol.com. Don't assume that I have it unless I've lived in your house and received mail there. Have a great day!!!
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