Cordoba Spain | Ray and Shelley's Retirement Adventures

We headed by car to Granada driving along the scenic route. The views and country side were gorgeous. Spain is truly a beautiful country and the landscape changes fairly quickly into something totally different.

We arrived in Granada and stayed in the heart of the city. It was a perfect time to visit because it was Christmas season and there were lights decorated throughout the city.

We walked and explored some of the main streets of Granada.

Shelley, Dan, Kathy and Ray in downtown Granada

We walked for a fair amount of time and came to an outdoor area that was converted into an outdoor skating rink.

We watched as people enjoyed skating or tried skating for the first time. We decided to stop and enjoy some tapas and watch the skaters for a while.

Shelley and Kathy at our table enjoying a tapa and drink

The following day we went to see and explore the Alhambra Palace which is a world UNESCO site. It is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the historic Islamic world. We walked up the path leading to the Palace. The views along the route up to the Palace were beautiful.

View of the Alhambra Palace walking up the route towards the Palace.

Once we reached the entrance we saw just how large and wonderful it was.

The way to the Alhambra area through arched walls along the route to the main entrance.

We entered the Alhambra and walked along the different paths that lead throughout the Palace. There are gardens located on a raised area that provide great views of the Palace as well as the city below.

Kathy and Dan overlooking the Alhambra Palace

Inside islamic designs inside some of the palace buildings.

We walked through many of the different buildings in the palace. Some of the buildings were quite unique and included ornate islamic designs.

Beautiful marble floors inside the Palace

Shelley, Kathy and Dan on one of the walkways in the Palace with the city of Granada in the background

Shelley and Kathy inside one of the courtyards within the palace building.

One of the many water features in the Alhambra palace

After exploring this mazing Alhambra Palace and the city of Granada, we were off to our next adventure in Sevilla.

Sevilla

We arrived in Sevilla and we were immediately impressed by the display of lights that were set up for the holiday season.

We stayed in the heart of Sevilla and we were able to walk to the major sites. One of our first stops was the Sevilla cathedral which was open and we were able to get inside.

The cathedral was spectacular and we even saw the resting place for the remains of Christopher Columbus.

Kathy and Dan inside the Cathedral of Seville

After touring the Cathedral we walked along the streets exploing the area. We came across some beautiful buildings and sites. The streets were wet from the rain and it made everything look like polished marble.

Dan and Kathy on the streets of Seville, Spain

The following day we went to see an authentic Flamenco dance show. We arrived at the building which was located in the heart of the old quarter. We had great seats in the front row. We could feel the emotion and enjoyed the amazing dancing of the Flamenco. It truly was one of the highlights of Seville.

After Seville we went to another great city, Cordoba.

Cordoba

The city is located near the banks of the Guadalquivir river. It was once a Roman settlement along with the historic Roman bridge of Córdoba. This bridge is in the Historic centre of Córdoba, and originally built in the early 1st century BC.

We walked across the Roman bridge and were amazed at the size and length of it. It is 9 meters (30 ft) wide and 331 meters (1,086 ft) in length.

Kathy and Dan walking along the Roman Bridge in Cordoba Spain.

It was a rainy day and we able to explore the area without large crowds of people. It was a nice pace and very relaxed. We walked from the Bridge to the Puerta del Puente which means Gate of the Bridge. It was built in the 16th century. The gateway is located on the site of the previous Roman gates, linking the city with the Roman bridge.

We walked the streets of the old section of Cordoba, including in the jewish quarter. The streets are very narrow and it was easy to get disoriented and loose yourself in the back streets.

We wandered around for about an hour or so before deciding to stop for lunch.

We enjoyed Cordoba and the final leg of our whirlwind tour of Spain. We headed back to Madrid and said goodbye to our guest. It was a great time and lots of fun but it was time to get back to our normal routine and plan our next adventures.

“Vivimos en un mundo maravilloso que está lleno de belleza, encanto y aventura. Las aventuras que podemos tener no tienen fin si las buscamos con los ojos abiertos”.

We were in the city of Cordoba in Spain and came across a small plaza called “Plaza de Ángel de Torres”. The plaza was located in a quiet area in the old jewish quarter.

One of the ways into the Plaza de Ángel de Torres

The small plaza was secluded and was very pretty with orange trees, benches, and a fountain. We walked through the plaza admiring the ornate building which was one of the main features of the plaza.

The ornate building which was located at the plaza de Ángel de Torres.

We then noticed that the plaza floor was made to represent tiles using small individual stone. Upon a closer look each “tile” was actually a symbol or image. They were made using small smooth stones of different colours.