Spain 2013 Day 7--Cordoba

We finally woke up to good weather at our b&b in the countryside near Granada but unfortunately it was our day to leave.  The wheat fields and olive groves were especially beautiful today.

From Spain 2013 Day 7--Cordoba

From Spain 2013 Day 7--Cordoba

From Spain 2013 Day 7--Cordoba

We drove to Cordoba and returned our rental car at the bus station. A short taxi ride later we were at the city walls--no cars inside the walls so we had to walk the rest of the way.

From Spain 2013 Day 7--Cordoba

I loved the city of Cordoba. It didn't hurt that we were there on a national holiday and also during the Festival of the Crosses. Everyone was out in the streets having a great time. Cordoba is known for its beautiful patios--interior courtyards that are beautifully decorated with potted plants.  One of the best places to see these patios is  the neighborhood of San Basilio.

From Spain 2013 Day 7--Cordoba

From Spain 2013 Day 7--Cordoba

From Spain 2013 Day 7--Cordoba

From Spain 2013 Day 7--Cordoba

From Spain 2013 Day 7--Cordoba

From Spain 2013 Day 7--Cordoba

From Spain 2013 Day 7--Cordoba

From Spain 2013 Day 7--Cordoba

During the Festival of the Crosses, several floral crosses are placed in squares throughout the city and people gather to eat, drink, dance and socialize around them.

From Spain 2013 Day 7--Cordoba

From Spain 2013 Day 7--Cordoba

From Spain 2013 Day 7--Cordoba

From Spain 2013 Day 7--Cordoba

From Spain 2013 Day 7--Cordoba

A nice view of The Mezquita

From Spain 2013 Day 7--Cordoba

That night we walked around the outside walls of the Mezquita of Cordoba.

From Spain 2013 Day 7--Cordoba

From Spain 2013 Day 7--Cordoba

For late dinner we had more Salmorejo and other tapas typical of the region. All the restaurants and bars had live music for the celebratory mood of the holiday.

To see all of our photos from Day 7 click here.

Valentine's Day 2012 -- our In-N-Out tradition

Our Valentine's Day tradition is to go to In-N-Out for dinner. Many years ago we were frustrated at how difficult it was to get a reservation at a nice restaurant on Valentine's Day. One restaurant owner even encouraged me to come the day before V Day because he said they bring in more tables and chairs because it's such a busy night. Rubbing elbows with a stranger didn't sound very romantic to me, so I suggested we go to In-N-Out to celebrate the day. It was a great idea--the restaurant was empty and the food was delicious. Over the years we've continued the tradition and while some of our friends thought it was weird at first, I know a few of them have done the same thing as well!  When the economy took a downturn a few years ago we noticed that there were a lot more people who had our idea and so we no longer get the restaurant to ourselves, but we're going on our 10th year of spending the evening feeding french fries to each other.

Chris gets the double-double and I get the grilled cheese animal style since I am a vegetarian. If you're not getting it animal style you're doing it all wrong!

From Valentine's Day 2012