… says Hester as she photographs.

The afternoon was consumed with Córdoba’s most famous edifice: the Mezquita.  The original mosque was built on the site of the Visigoth Church of St Vincent. At its apex it could hold 40,000 worshippers and their prayer mats – by far the largest mosque in the Muslim world.  The size was astounding – rows upon rows of double arches, supported by recycled column of various origins: Roman, Christian, Visigoth, Muslim, etc.  When Cordoba was reconquered by the Christians, it was converted into a (extremely garish) Cathedral.  The Iberio-Christian love of statuary must have been anathema to the Muslims.

We sweated through the Archaeological Museum, which was un-air-conditioned an filled with endless Roman cornices and partial mosaics.  Although we are very tough and acclimated to the climate, it was well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Also, everything has ham or shellfish in Spanish cuisine.  A legacy of the Inquisition?