Today we travelled by bus 6k out of Cordoba to visit the place where the caliph built himself a new town in 965-70. He spared no expense but the town didn't last more than 70 years because of disputes about who should be the caliph. It was then knocked down and used as a quarry for building materials for centuries. In the 1930s a major archeological effort was put into restoring the site.
When we visited last (7 or so years ago) we caught a local bus and had the site to ourselves. There was a bit of explantion in the palace but the rest was open to be wandered around. Today we were delivered to a brand new museum (opened by the queen in 2009), shown an animated reconstruction of the way it was back then which looked very like an internet game, allowed to go through the museum and view its storage areas from above then put on a bus to the site. There we didn't see as much as we did before because part if it is being restored.
The museum was good but their labels in English were ocassionally bad. Not as painful as the booklet we were given on the bus but nonetheless, most unprofessional.
We followed the patio walk after our siesta back in Cordoba. It was fun to wander, with a purpose, around areas that we had not yet explored and to be able to poke our noses into real peoples houses at least as far as the central courtyard festooned with potted flowers.
Our favourite thing in Cordoba tonight: tapas.
Especially:
Chick peas and spinach (and a little garlic)
Asparagus (a bit pickled), egg, potatoes and ham
Pisto -- a kind of ratatouille but with less tomato and the veges chopped up small
Fava beans, baby ones any way
Orange and salted cod (soaked) salad with a little chopped onion and olive oil. Sounds suspicious but tastes great.
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