A Structure Like No Other... and Lots of Bus Time!

Today started off blissfully slow, as we didn't have to leave the hotel until ten o'clock. Our leisurely start led into a beautiful countryside drive as we travelled to Córdoba. Upon arrival, we saw a medieval tower constructed to protect the city, before crossing a Roman bridge and entering through the gate, also constructed by the Romans. (This was a thrill for me, as I'm a Roman Empire fanatic) Córdoba was bustling with preparations for Holy Week processions! We quickly met with our tour guides, Angel, and his father, Angel, and were led into the Mezquita Catédral de Córdoba.

The original Mosque expanded over the course of four rulers, growing until it was the second largest Mosque in the world (besides Mecca). However, when the Christians reconquered Córdoba, they found an appreciation for the beauty of the Mosque, and constructed a Cathedral in the center of it, creating a unique structure found nowhere else in the world. The first, and second sectors of the Mosque used various recycled Roman columns, a combination of pink, black, and white marble. (If you haven't picked up on this yet, I'm a big fan of Roman architecture specifically.

The Muslim constructers used bases of various widths to make each of the recycled columns the same heights, as well as a combination of stone and brick in their arches in order to maintain structure, but also allow flexibility in the case of an earthquake. The Cathedral section also used pink marble, as well as intricate mahogany carvings.

After our tour, we divided into chaperone groups to explore the city on our own. My group had a very successful venture, getting lunch, then visiting a boutique in which everyone purchased some really cute clothes - Sylvie and I got matching sweaters! Most groups ran back into each other at a gelato shop on the way back to the meeting spot, and we left Córdoba by the same bridge we entered on (which has been there for over 2,000 years).

The drive to our hotel in Granada was another two hours, with a quick snack stop for our upcoming six hour drive tomorrow. Lots of candy was purchased, but don't worry, we're getting our nutrition in the wonderful meals provided by our hotels! As I write this, the other Scouts are journaling about what cultural differences we're noticing in Spain that we're interested in carrying home with us. So far, we've heard promoting an interest in art among the youth, connection to spirituality, and potentially most critically: how nice it is when caps are attached to bottles.

Thanks for reading!

Chloe G