Arbol de naranja

An orange grove is an aesthetically pleasing thing. This is true whether seen from the train window as we passed gorgeous rolling countryside, green before the harsh summer bites, or in the ancient courtyard of Córdoba's foremost attraction, the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. This building, known as the Mezquita, is a unique example of how a place of worship has flip-flopped between religions after the Islamic period of Andalusia and the re-conquest by Catholics.

Córdoba has some useful facts: it contains the second largest 'old town' in Europe (first place not known), has the hottest summer temperatures in Europe and has a uniquely large UNESCO World Heritage site covering the old town. There are numerous delightful sights, medieval-looking churches, ornate balconies, cute cafés, deserted plazas, whitewashed alleys and characterful apartments that I must live in one day. From the ancient Roman bridge we could see trout or salmon swimming valiantly upstream.

My sister's Piers Morgan book lives to toxify another day. I didn't get the chance to accidentally knock a bowl of gazpacho soup onto it today. I wouldn't rule out it happening tomorrow.