Cordoba is a city of great contrasts. We had arrived yesterday and caught the bus into town. We got off in the centre of the new town walked along the shopping streets and through a palm tree lined promenade until we reach on of the gates into the old city. Passing through the gates was like passing through a timewarp. The old 13th century narrow streets snaked ahead of use in all directions. Navigating through the whitewashed buildings we reached the La Mezquita of Cordoba. A stunning complex. Built by the Moors on the remains of a visigoth church (which in turn was built on top of a roman temple), this building is a large roomy building with arches high roofs. The Final builders of this complex were the victorious christian forces of the Crusading Spainsh, which in later year put a central apilla Real in the middle of the mosque which was not in keeping with any of the rest of the building (and the guide books tell use that the then King of Spain, Carlos V, was not pleased with the church for the act of "vandalism" that that had inflicted on the building.)

Having looked around the building we stopped for Tapas, which the children devoured (which we were not expecting), and it worked out as excellent value for money.

The final building of the day was the Alcazar which was free to get into, in times was the court of King Fernando and Queen Isabel where Christopher Columbus presented his plan for a trip to the West. Laster it was a the head quarters of the local inquestion, a prison for Franco and now a tourist attraction.

We returned to the campsite tired and considered the day siezed.