Thursday, 25 September 2014

PATIOS & GARDENS OF CORDOBA

Our day in Cordoba wasn't JUST about the Mezquita!  We also wanted to visit a few places we hadn't seen before.  With this is mind...we wandered!  First to the Alcazar, a fortified building which isn't a patch on the one in Seville!  It's best feature was it's gardens, which included lots of water!

I don't remember the proper name for the flower above...I call its cock's comb, but whatever it is...it has been mass planted here & looks AMAZING!

And the lowest end of the garden sported a row of these cleverly cut topiaries!

Following this we wandered through the old Jewish quarter, marked out by these signs on the footpath.  After visiting the remains of the old 14th century Synagogue, & contemplating that here was yet another place where....at one time...Jews, Christians & Muslims lived side by side without problem, until some power-monger comes along....!

Some of the people of this area very generously open up their patios for people to visit.  All of these homes are built around a central courtyard patio.  It is the only space they have for plants & as you can see, the walls become their gardens.  In May when all the geraniums are in bloom there is a competition amongst them all for the best patio.

They each add their own decorative features like plates on walls, old machinery etc.  It is a cool & refreshing oasis in these cheek-by-jowl homes.  Just imagine how spectacular they would look in bloom!!

Later we went to Palacio de Viana, not to see the house...but to see the many patios.

These were generally more formal, but totally enjoyable to walk through.

And as we were walking back to our Casa, we spotted this house, who made sure their walls are covered with flowers all year round!







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