Week 48: Cordoba (posted by Wade)

We are now in Spain with the O'Rouke family! Our eleven-day journey together began at the Madrid airport. We didn't dilly-dally in Spain's capital, though. Instead, we mobilized our army of weary travelers and went straight to the train station, making our way to Cordoba. This was an epic day of traveling for the O'Roukes -- over 24 hours, door-to-door. Needless to say, the O'Rouke girls were troupers and excited to see their cousins.

We spent four nights in Cordoba, the famed capital of the medieval Umayyad caliphate. We wandered the narrow streets, looking for shade, enjoyed ice cream, and hit up the big sites. The famous Cordoba Mezquita did not disappoint. I had been using photos of the Mezquita -- a mosque-turned-cathedral -- for years during classroom lessons on Islamic architecture, but seeing it in-person was fantastic. The Mezquita's 800 stone pillars feel like a forrest of palm trees and wowed everyone in the Morris-O'Rouke clan.

There were plenty of other highlights from Cordoba. Cold cervezas after long siestas. Tapas meals. A flamenco dancing performance. Plenty of time for the cousins to hang out and play. Jason even tried eating some olives.

My personal favorite Cordoba experience was when we crashed the annual Cordoba fair. This was a massive gathering of thousands of Cordobans of all ages. People put on their fanciest clothes; flamenco dresses and carnations for the ladies, blazers and penny loafers for the men. The fairgrounds included dozens of tents that served as dance halls. Plenty of cervezas and churros for everyone. As a final icing on the cake, there were epic rides that spun Cordobans around in circles. It was a special treat to get away from the touristy spots and participate in some local fun.