Yesterday, Saturday November 10th, we had breakfast in our hotel, checked out and left for the bus stop about 9 am. We knew where to catch the number 33 city bus that, for 1.40 euros each, took us to the bus station. There we discovered that the 10:30 bus we planned to take was already full. We should have bought tickets in advance. The 11 am bus had many stops so it would take 4 hours to get to Córdoba. We decided on the noon bus that would only take 2 3/4 hours and would cost 15 euros each. So we had a bit of a wait.
Most of the bus terminal was cold so we eventually went into the cafeteria to wait. The weather here has been cooler than expected. Friday was the coldest day with a high of only 11C. Most days are 15 to 17 but the mornings are cool, especially since there’s so much shade in the narrow streets.
However, when we finally got going, the bus trip was quite pleasant on a 2 lane highway that is the most direct route to Córdoba. For the whole trip, we went through miles and miles of olive orchards. In the little town of Banea, in front of the church, there were sculptures of people harvesting olives. We also saw many small olive processing facilities. The whole economy here seems based on olives.
At the Córdoba bus station we got a taxi that cost us 8 euros to get us to our hotel. It’s a good thing too because we would never have found it on our own in this labyrinth of little streets. Our driver, in a small car, had to do a 3 point turn in some intersections and, if there was a pedestrian, he had to fold in his mirror not to hit the person or the wall.
We’re stayin in the “Antigua Convento” or Old Convent. It’s a little dark but it has tons of character. Our room is small but has about a 15 foot ceiling. The advertised balcony is more like a bay window that opens and has a little railing. However, the hotel is clean, secure and very well located. We’re a 5 or 10 minute walk from everywhere we might want to go.
After we got settled, we went down the street to a restaurant for a bite to eat and a wine and a beer. There are hundreds of bars and restaurants in the area that all serve lots of different tapas (small snacks), raciones (bigger portions), full meals, many different local wines, and beer. It’s hard to go wrong. Usually, it seems we spend about 17 to 25 euros ($25 to $38) to be well fed.
After we had eaten we walked along the river to the old Roman bridge where we listened to 2 really good flamenco guitarists busking.
Most of the bus terminal was cold so we eventually went into the cafeteria to wait. The weather here has been cooler than expected. Friday was the coldest day with a high of only 11C. Most days are 15 to 17 but the mornings are cool, especially since there’s so much shade in the narrow streets.
However, when we finally got going, the bus trip was quite pleasant on a 2 lane highway that is the most direct route to Córdoba. For the whole trip, we went through miles and miles of olive orchards. In the little town of Banea, in front of the church, there were sculptures of people harvesting olives. We also saw many small olive processing facilities. The whole economy here seems based on olives.
At the Córdoba bus station we got a taxi that cost us 8 euros to get us to our hotel. It’s a good thing too because we would never have found it on our own in this labyrinth of little streets. Our driver, in a small car, had to do a 3 point turn in some intersections and, if there was a pedestrian, he had to fold in his mirror not to hit the person or the wall.
We’re stayin in the “Antigua Convento” or Old Convent. It’s a little dark but it has tons of character. Our room is small but has about a 15 foot ceiling. The advertised balcony is more like a bay window that opens and has a little railing. However, the hotel is clean, secure and very well located. We’re a 5 or 10 minute walk from everywhere we might want to go.
After we got settled, we went down the street to a restaurant for a bite to eat and a wine and a beer. There are hundreds of bars and restaurants in the area that all serve lots of different tapas (small snacks), raciones (bigger portions), full meals, many different local wines, and beer. It’s hard to go wrong. Usually, it seems we spend about 17 to 25 euros ($25 to $38) to be well fed.
After we had eaten we walked along the river to the old Roman bridge where we listened to 2 really good flamenco guitarists busking.
No comments:
Post a Comment