La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
The weather forecast predicted today would be the nicest day of the week, beginning with some sunshine. That was not the case as you can see from our morning view, above, from the terrace. And rain is now “possible” this afternoon. Lately, a possibility of rain has been an assurance of rain. Ah well. I’ve noticed that 10C/50F feels a hell of a lot colder to us than it used to. All these years in Mediterranean climates has thinned our blood, I guess. Despite the whining, I am in love with our city.
San Geraldo and I met yesterday with a notary (within walking distance) and made our Spanish wills official. SG had found a lawyer to write them up since our wills from the USA will not hold sway here if (when) anything should happen to us. That was a relief to finally have done. We were both dreading the bureaucratic visit and another review of the wills.. But, we met an exceptional and charming staff and ended up enjoying ourselves. On our way home, we went out for lunch. The food was good. The service was not (not the server’s fault). Surprisingly, we had a better time with the notary.
There’s a building in town I noticed on our very first visit to Córdoba. It’s where Paula, the daugher of our friends’ Tynan and Elena, spent much of her time as an undergraduate at the university. I’ve mentioned Paula often, a gifted oboist who’s now doing an advanced degree at a conservatory in Switzerland. The building is the home to the University of Córdoba’s Professional Conservatory of Music.
I was curious to read the history of the building. In my research I learned only the facade, entrance, and first bay remain of the Palace of the Marquis of Fuensanta del Valle, built in 1551. For those who care, the architecture incorporates Gothic, Plateresque, and Mudéjar elements, a common fusion of Renaissance building portals in Córdoba. This is apparently one of the most elaborate examples in the city. The coat of arms on the front belongs to the original owner, Don Rodrigo Méndez de Sotomayor. So much more impressive than having a name like “Mitchell Scott Block.” An even bigger mouthful, a later owner, Don Feliciano Ramírez de Arellano y Gutiérrez de Salamanca, the first Marquis of Fuensanta del Valle, gave the palace its name.
I’ve taken many photos of the facade and could only find one to share today. I’ve placed it side-by-side with a photo from more than 100 years ago (and, no, I did not take that one, too). I hope you enjoy these comparison photos. I belong to a group that shares historic images of Córdoba and I find them fascinating.
Merchi just left and we’re about to sit down to a late lunch (3:00). We turn the heat off while Merchi is here (as she reminded me, she’s a woman with menopause) and it’s cold in here. Even Merchi agreed today was cold.
El pronóstico del tiempo pronosticaba que hoy sería el mejor día de la semana, comenzando con algo de sol. No fue así, como pueden ver en nuestra vista matutina, arriba, desde la terraza. Y ahora es “posible” lluvia esta tarde. Últimamente, la posibilidad de lluvia era una garantía de lluvia. En fin. He notado que 10C/50F nos parecen muchísimo más fríos que antes. Supongo que todos estos años en climas mediterráneos nos han adelgazado la sangre. A pesar de las quejas, estoy enamorado de nuestra ciudad.
San Geraldo y yo nos reunimos ayer con un notario (a poca distancia) e hicimos oficiales nuestros testamentos españoles. San Geraldo había buscado un abogado para que los redactara, ya que nuestros testamentos de EE. UU. no tendrán validez aquí si (cuando) nos pasara algo. Fue un alivio haberlo hecho por fin. Ambos temíamos la visita burocrática y otra revisión de los testamentos… Pero conocimos a un personal excepcional y encantador y terminamos disfrutando. De camino a casa, salimos a comer. La comida estuvo buena. El servicio no (no fue culpa del camarero). Sorprendentemente, lo pasamos mejor con el notario.
Hay un edificio en la ciudad que me llamó la atención en nuestra primera visita a Córdoba. Es donde Paula, hija de nuestros amigos Tynan y Elena, pasó gran parte de su tiempo como estudiante universitaria. He mencionado a Paula a menudo, una talentosa oboísta que ahora cursa un grado superior en un conservatorio en Suiza. El edificio alberga el Conservatorio Profesional de Música de la Universidad de Córdoba.
Tenía curiosidad por leer la historia del edificio. En mi investigación, descubrí que solo se conservan la fachada, la entrada y el primer tramo del Palacio del Marqués de la Fuensanta del Valle, construido en 1551. Para quienes les interese, la arquitectura incorpora elementos góticos, platerescos y mudéjares, una fusión común en los portales renacentistas de Córdoba. Este es, al parecer, uno de los ejemplos más elaborados de la ciudad. El escudo de armas de la fachada pertenece al propietario original, Don Rodrigo Méndez de Sotomayor. Mucho más impresionante que tener un nombre como “Mitchell Scott Block”. Y aún más, un propietario posterior, Don Feliciano Ramírez de Arellano y Gutiérrez de Salamanca, primer Marqués de la Fuensanta del Valle, le dio su nombre.
He hecho muchas fotos de la fachada y solo he podido encontrar una para compartir hoy. La he puesto junto a una foto de hace más de 100 años (y, no, esa no la hecho yo también). Espero que disfruten de estas fotos comparativas. Pertenezco a un grupo que comparte imágenes históricas de Córdoba y me fascinan.
Merchi acaba de irse y estamos a punto de sentarnos a comer tarde (15:00). Apagamos la calefacción mientras Merchi está aquí (como me recordó, es una mujer con menopausia) y hace frío aquí. Incluso Merchi coincidió en que hoy hacía frío.
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• Y ahora.
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Click the thumbnails to enlarge.
Haz clic en las miniaturas para ampliar.
Appreciating the craftsmanship of that time and to still admire it today. Lovely.
Jim:
We were excited enough with our seriously old house in San Diego. 1924!
It brings real peace of mind knowing that wills are made and in good order, doesn’t it. Time and money well spent!
Debra:
Yes. We had our wills from the States first done in the ’90s but they wouldn’t apply here. It had us both concerned, but SG got it taken care of. We’re so relieved. (and much cheaper than it was in California, too).
Most people here, which of course you know, have three names. My daughter’s best friend growing up had something like five. The spanish (she wasn’t) definitely like long descriptive names.
ellen abbott:
I love the Spanish names, but I’m glad I didn’t have to keep my mother’s maiden name. A mouthful and not very tuneful.
Lovely old doorway! Shame the weather’s stubbornly staying “cold” – we had freezing fog here this morning!. Yuk. Jx
Jon:
More of the same weather here today and for the foreseeable future. But no freeze!
I think those Spanish names honor their mothers as well as fathers. Sotomayor, now that’s familiar..
Boud:
Yes and I love that the mother’s name is not automatically dropped. However, I’m grateful we didn’t have that practice where I grew up. My mother’s maiden name was not one to hold onto!
That’s a savage sky. Poor San Geraldo must fear he’ll freeze to death. We also expect rain this afternoon and temperatures in the 20s and 30s for a few nights. We do not have amazing architecture and musical names to ponder.
Love,
Janie
janiejunebug:
SG is actually too warm in his down coat, hat, gloves, and long underwear. And the apartment heat is set at 77! Fortunately, my office is the coldest room in the place. I can’t breathe when I enter his office (with the addition of a space heater in there)! I am besotted with Córdoba!
77! You’ll roast like a chicken! My heat is set on 68.
janiejunebug:
Fortunately, the central heat in this biggish space doesn’t actually feel like that aimed-for temp. But it can get warm, especially in SG’s office with the addition of the space heater.
Your comment about names had me thinking of my own–or rather the number of AKA’s I have had and their origin (not providing all the actual names here for security reasons). Three last names: birth-21 yrs, first marriage-16 yrs, second marriage-34, so far. First and (original) middle names were for relatives: first name after Dad’s oldest sister who died in her 20s and the middle name was for my mother’s only sister. I also had a confirmation name (Catholic) which I got to choose–I now recognize I chose because of an old movie I saw around the same time I had to choose a name (sigh). When I married my second husband, I had to fight with the state police (who manage names on licenses) to retrieve my maiden name as my official middle name–and now I am usually identified on things like my will, passport, flight records, etc., by my first, middle and last names. Women have so often had to give up their first identity. So bloody annoying. So, how’s that for a history of fairly bland names? No where near the prolonged trill of some Spanish names.
You sent me down the rabbit hole on that one. 🙂 Mary
Mary:
I can’t imagine all the hoops women had to jump through if they married. My mother’s wedding certificate has the name her oldest sister gave her when she registered for kindergarten because the sister didn’t like her birth name. That new name was then the one she went by semi-legally for the rest of her life. In later years, when the world started cracking down on passports and identification, she had some issues to clean up. Then, she had her legal name on her renewed passport but signed her school name! I almost adjusted my name when we got married legally in 2010 but we were in the midst of our residency application for Spain and that would just add another level of complications. I do love Spanish naming style. Imagine: Mitchell Scott de Massapequa.
My morning walk was below freezing Monday and Tuesday, but 50 today. Back to below freezing the next two mornings. I’ll take any rain you don’t want. We need it.
Kelly:
Below freezing is just too low for me. I’m still complaining here. It hasn’t gotten higher than 49 yet today.
I’m m just about to set out on my walk. It’s currently 24. 🥶
Kelly:
Oh, you have my sympathy! But, you do keep better in that kind of weather.
Such a pretty place, so many things to explore.
David:
It never ends.
Wow, I love that hundred year-old photo and how you have them side-by-side!
I’ve never heard of Plateresque, so I’ll be looking up with that’s all about 🙂
Judy C:
I had not much call for Plateresque until living here.
We are freezing here in North Florida and it’s not nearly as cold as it’s about to get. Thin blood indeed!
Interesting contrast between the two photos.
I sure do admire you and SG for getting that will taken care of. We have GOT to do that and I’d rather dig ditches.
Ms. Moon
Ms. Moon:
Actual freezing is more than we can take. We had that once last week and that was enough. We did wills in the early ’90s to protect each other since we had no real legal status as a couple.
And that makes perfect sense.
I agree; getting your will done is a necessity. Carlos and I had ours done a few years back and there is a sense of peace knowing it’s been taken care off.
And the architecture whore in me, loved the history of the building as well as the side-by-side photo.
Very cool.
Bob Slatten:
We did our wills the first time when we were in our 30s given our non-existent legal status in the USA. Spain does things differently, so we had to redo them to resolve any complications. We have a Danish friend whose partner died in Spain more than 2 years ago without a Spanish will. To honor his Danish will, our friend has been jumping through hoops since then and it hasn’t been going well.
When you think about it, it’s quite amazing how fast thing changes and yet other things same the same and barely chnage.
Mistress Borghese:
So true.
1551!
That makes me dizzy. So awesome.
And everybody should have a will. One never knows….
XOXO
Sixpence:
We did our wills when we were in our 30s given our non-existent legal status in the USA at the time. SG discovered that a non-Spanish will would be a major complication and difficult to enforce. So now we’re covered.
Don Rodrigo Méndez de Sotomayor? Any relation to the Supreme Court justice?
Kirk:
You’ll have to ask her. You have her number, don’t you?
She used to shop at the Costco across from David’s first apartment here. One day she went there when Hillary was doing a book signing (the Costco’s in N Va are a bit different than elsewhere). The Wash Post went crazy over it.
Thank you for the reminder. We had our wills redone when we were married 15 years ago. A lot has changed. They should be revisited.
Rade:
We had our wills done in the ’90s and updated after that. But, we had to do them again to follow Spanish laws. It’s a relief.
Leaving niw for the lawyer’s to change my name to Don Feliciano Ramírez de Arellano y Gutiérrez de Salamanca Francis.
wickedhamster:
In Virginia, people will just call you Don. But I do like the music of your new name.
Good for you for getting your wills written. We gave up on ours. Fortunately our assets all have beneficiaries so I don’t think it really matters.
They really leveled the street in front of that old building, didn’t they? Looks like it used to be quite a slope.
Steve:
We wrote wills in the early 90s because we weren’t a legally recognized couple and didn’t want anyone else stepping in after the fact, although our immediately families were great. We had to do them here because our American wills would be overridden by Spanish law. That would be a nightmare for whoever we left behind.