Me siento amigos

I know, I know. I've been a terrible blogger. It's been almost a week since I got to Spain and I haven't had a lot of access to wifi so that's what caused the lack of posts. And a lack of time. I'll make sure this one is very informative to tide everyone over :)

I spent one more day in Madrid last week and went to the Museo del Prado.... there were lots and lots of paintings and sculptures. There were a lot of pieces by El Greco and Goya, and what I thought was most interesting is that a lot of the painters got there start by working as painters for the royal court.

el Parque del Buen Retiro

Puerta de Alcalá

After Madrid, we took a train to Cordoba (I'm still with the group of girls I met up with in Madrid, thank goodness). Within 5 minutes I knew that I liked Cordoba. It's a smaller city south of Madrid with lots of historical significance. At one point in time it was an Islamic capital, which influenced it's beautiful architecture. The first place we visited was the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristiano, which is a medieval fortress where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella lived and used as the headquarters for the Spanish Inquisition in 1482. It was incredible and there were so many beautiful gardens, I loved it!

Christopher Columbus conversing with the King and Queen about his voyage to discover America 

view of Cordoba from the castle 

the dungeons  

the entrance to the castle/fortress

We also went to the Mezquita, which started out as a Pagan temple, then a Visigothic Christian Church, then a mosque, and finally when the Spanish reconquered the city, it became a Roman Catholic Church. It was also an incredibly beautiful place to see.

outer walls 

inside the cathedral 

And FINALLY... here are some more shots of Cordoba. I loved it.

Besos!!!