La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
I walked for much of the day and evening yesterday. I was out for a couple of hours before lunch in warm, sunny, comfortable, walking weather. I came home for lunch, did laundry and some other things. San Geraldo then had a massage appointment early evening. So, I went out for another walk and met him about 20 minutes south in the city and we went for dinner along the river at Taberna del Rio. A great dinner and a nice walk home.
The city made me happy. About 150 photos-worth of happy. I honed down the collection but still have a lot to share.
I wandered aimlessly in and out of the old city streets always thinking I was heading in a new direction only to find myself in a neighborhood or on a plaza I recognized. I guess I really do get around. Still there were some new discoveries and second (and fourth) looks can still offer surprises. At one point, after walking for over an hour, I mapped my way home, although I knew the direction I needed to go. I saw that I had a 15-minute walk. So I walked in the opposite direction. That could very well describe my life.
Today’s photos are of the Church of Santa Marina, and the charming stone mosaics of the plaza (of Santa Marina), each stone placed by hand and maintained throughout the years. The church is one of the original churches I’ve mentioned commissioned by King Ferdinand III in the 13th century. It was built on the site of a Visigoth church dating back to the 7th century. The architecture is a combination of proto-Gothic, Mudejar, and late-Romanesque. But the plaza is everything for me.
Caminé gran parte del día y la tarde de ayer. Salí un par de horas antes de comer, con un clima cálido, soleado y agradable para caminar. Llegué a casa para comer, lavé la ropa y hice algunas otras cosas. San Geraldo tenía cita para un masaje al anochecer. Así que salí a dar otro paseo y me encontré con él a unos 20 minutos al sur de la ciudad y fuimos a comer junto al río a Taberna del Río. Una cena estupenda y un agradable paseo a casa.
La ciudad me hizo feliz. Unas 150 fotos de felicidad. He ido perfeccionando la colección, pero aún tengo mucho que compartir.
Deambulé sin rumbo por las calles del casco antiguo, siempre pensando que iba en una nueva dirección, solo para encontrarme en un barrio o una plaza que reconocí. Supongo que realmente me muevo. Aun así, descubrí algunos nuevos lugares, y una segunda (y cuarta) mirada aún puede deparar sorpresas. En un momento dado, después de caminar más de una hora, tracé el mapa del camino a casa, aunque sabía la dirección que debía tomar. Vi que tenía que caminar 15 minutos. Así que caminé en dirección contraria. Eso podría describir perfectamente mi vida.
Las fotos de hoy son de la Iglesia de Santa Marina y de los encantadores mosaicos de piedra de la plaza (de Santa Marina), cada piedra colocada a mano y conservada a lo largo de los años. La iglesia es una de las iglesias originales que he mencionado, mandada construir por el rey Fernando III en el siglo XIII. Se construyó sobre una iglesia visigoda del siglo VII. La arquitectura combina el protogótico, el mudéjar y el románico tardío. Pero la plaza lo es todo para mí.
Click the thumbnails to enlarge.
Haz clic en las miniaturas para ampliar.
Glad you had some good weather to get up and out again. Sounds like a lovely day and the pictures are fantastic; to wander through that history is really something.
Bob,
It was wonderful. The weather is beginning to cooperate again. I love this city.
You reallllly do get around, Mitchell! I’m always in awe of these lengthy walks you are able to do. I’m so pleased to think of you seeing these wonderful sights, with beautiful weather, and then enjoying meals with SG. Woo hoo!
Judy C,
These walks are always adventures for me. Córdoba is incredible.
I should come spend a month wandering the back streets.
David,
I do t know if you need an entire month when you’re traveling but this could be a good home base. So much to see in Spain, as you know.
Sounds like a great walk! I’m glad things have cooled off there enough that you can get out and about. I like the patio mosaics, especially the recognizable daffodils! Now SG has made me want to get a massage.
Steve,
SG found a great masseur here. He goes once a month. Unfortunately the guy was gone for the summer.
What a great walk. That’s the best way to see everything. One architectural feature that thrills me is the huge doors with a small door in them. I’ve seen them in Paris and in old churches and chateaux. I don’t know why they’re thrilling but they never fail me.
Boud,
I love those doors, too, so much so that I just started collecting photos of those to share on a future blog post.
The texture of the mosaics is so unusual (to me, anyway). I love how each “color” has the stones all oriented in the same direction – it sets off the subject from the background so nicely. I would be tempted to walk on it barefooted in the morning before it heats up!.
Wilma,
It’s truly an art. I’ll share a photo of a plaza being done in Sevilla. I think those stones would hurt my feet!
Oh, that stone plaza! How wonderful is that!?
Speaking of stones, yes, you are much like a rolling stone, sir. But not gathering any moss along the way……….
Jim,
To be honest, that song always “sang” to me.
I never cease to be impressed with all those mosaics. And another beautiful wooden door within a door!
Kelly,
Funny you should mention that! I’ve recently started taking pics of the doors within doors for a future post.
I have been catching up on your most recent posts. I love to wander when I walk. Usually I pick a new neighborhood to visit at least once a week and then Shirley and I just go. I really had to smile at your corn story because SG’s family and how they ate corn reminded me of growing up. That’s how everyone ate corn. Lots of ears of corn and lots of butter!
Michael,
Our corn history has given us a lot of laughs.
I see a career for you in writing a book on what you see outside of a blog and illustrating it with paintings and sketches. All so lovely.
Larrymuffin,
That’s very kind of you to say.
You pick the best songs. Man, I love that Hammond B3.
HOW DOES IT FEEL?
Dylan. He never gets old.
Sorry.
What I meant to say was…those mosaics are so amazing. People have always wanted to make art, haven’t we? I think the act of creation is a sacred one and what else is art?
Ms. Moon
Ms. Moon:
I have always loved this song. “Like a complete unknown.” Yeah, he speaks to me. What a brilliant poet. The artisans that still ply their trades here amaze me. I’ve learned to observe more deeply.
Magnificent! I look forward to re rest of the 150 photos you took on your meanderings… Jx
Jon,
I’ll try to not share them all, but I do have a lot of photos I love this time.
Fantastic building. You picked a great place to walk.
Kirk,
I feel like anywhere I walk here is a great choice.
I wish I had just one percent of the patience it must have taken to lay those millions of stones! Lovely!
Bonnie in Minneapolis
Bonnie,
And they’re still doing it. I’ll share a photo I have of a plaza being repaired and redone in Sevilla.
The stone mosaics are beautiful…..what a labour of love!
Frances
Francés,
To see these artisans on their kneels working away on these is awesome.
The sensation is fascinating; being out in an unfamiliar area only to realize that is someplace you know, only you’re coming at it from a different direction.
And then you feel like you just discovered a whole, new world!
Rade:
Every walk is like a whole new world.
I really like the pebble mosaic. What an undertaking back then. They must have collected all those little rocks by hand.
Ellen:
They still preserve and restore the olds mosaics and create new ones, stone by stone. It’s a wonder.