A Day in Cordoba + More Tapas at Las Teresas

I split my Andalusian adventure up into three parts: Five days in Sevilla, a day and a half in Ronda, and three days in Granada. The extra days in Sevilla left me time to take a day trip to the beautiful city of Córdoba. The train ride is fairly short, around an hour and half. Or you can take the fast AVE train and get there in 45 minutes, but shell out a bit more money. I took the longer ride and it was just fine. I really lucked out on weather, it was a warm, sunny day with perfect blue skies.

First up, a wander up and down the Puente Romano. The bridge crosses the Guadalquivir River punctuated by the Triumphal Arch on one side and the Torre de la Calahorra on the other. Originally built by the Romans in the 1st century, then reconstructed by the Moors in the 8th century, the bridge underwent significant restoration ten years ago. After my walk I visited the Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba, a stunning building brimming with history which deserves a post of its own.

My last stop was the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, or, the Castle of the Christian Monarchs, once the home of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. The buildings are more in the style of a fortress than castle, but the gardens are as grand as can be. They're definitely the real draw of the property. I spent some time exploring the grounds, discovering hidden sculptures and lounging around on shaded benches.

After a bit of a snooze at my hotel I hopped across the street for another meal of tapas at Last Teresas. I ordered my new go to drink, a tinto al limon, and settled in with a bowl of plump cured olives and a tapa of nutty hand sliced Jamón Ibérico de Bellota. I chatted a bit with a nice couple from Australia who had just arrived from Granada. Once the kitchen opened up I ordered a racione (like a larger portion of tapa or a small entrée) of fried puntillitas, baby squid. The squids were lightly battered and seasoned with just salt and pepper. A lovely end to a busy day in Andalucia.

Catedral de Sevilla + Casa Roman

You can't miss the Cathedral of Sevilla. The Cathedral's massive size and presence dominates the skyline of Sevilla's old quarter. La Giralda, a former minaret converted into a bell tower, stands so tall over the city's old quarter that I often used it like a compass to find my way home after a day of exploring. Reflecting Spain's Golden Age of discovery, the basilica is dominated by immense columns, elaborately tiled floor, and a soaring, ornately carved ceiling. After my visit I was un-surprised to learn that it is the largest Gothic church in the world. It's pretty epic.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, the cathedral was built over the Great Mosque the 1400s. Only the minaret and interior garden survived Christianization. The basilica also houses the (alleged) remains of Christopher Columbus. But good luck finding the monument, there's so much to see and so many tombs. I was distracted by the way that the stained glass windows filtered colored rays of light throughout the massive space. A few extra euro buys you a ticket to climb up La Giralda for a grand view of Sevilla. I skipped this in favor of a trip to the top of the Metropol Parasol later in the day.

And it was time for lunch. I stumbled my way to Casa Roman, another restaurant recommended by Shawn Hennessey, and had an incredibly simple, perfectly delicious meal. Like Las Teresas, Casa Roman has a lot of traditional Spanish charm.

Along with my now customary tinto, I decided I needed something green (I ate a lot of pork and potatoes in Spain). So a tapa of grilled zucchini seemed like just the thing. As is typical of many Spanish vegetable preparations, the zucchini was smothered in olive oil, rendering the flesh smooth and silky. Served cold like an antipasto, it was lovely.The main course was even better. I had the Grilled Presa Iberica, tender little strips of ibérico pork charred just so and liberally seasoned with coarse salt. A bed of fries below soaked up all the meaty juices.

After ending the meal with a coffee, my tired feet and full belly decided it was time for a siesta. I searched the skyline for La Giralda then followed it home to my hotel. A short rest later and I was ready for an evening adventure at Las Setas and another lovely meal at La Azotea.

Snapshots from Spain - Churros for Donut Day!

Happy Donut Day! What's your favorite type of donut? I'm partial to a sugary Cinnamon Twist or a classic Glazed Ring, yeasted all the way! But since my last trip to Southern Spain, I've developed a taste for churros. And who wouldn't? These fried treats are traditional breakfast fare in Andalucia and almost always paired with a mug of molten chocolate.

Spanish churros are a relatively simple affair. Barely sweet batter is extruded in a spiral straight into hot oil, then chopped up into (hopefully) piping hot batons right before being served. Like the churros, the drinking chocolate isn't particularly sweet. Instead it comes with a packet of sugar so you can doctor it to your tastes. On their own the chocolate and churros are both a little plain. It's the combination of chewy-crisp doughnut dunked in hot chocolate that's so special.

There are tons of cafes in Sevilla serving up churros and chocolate. I chose this one for it's location, right in the shade of Las Setas. There were lots of locals dining inside and out, so I took that as a good sign before snagging a table. That was my first mistake. I was quickly corrected by a waitress who pointed me towards the window counter where I could place my order. My second error was simply asking for churros y chocolate, which got me a huge, sharing size platter of churros. I was barely able to finish half of the huge portion which, luckily, only cost a few euros. Other than the minor language and culture confusions, it was a lovely way to start the day.