4-28-2022 - Across Andalucia

The bus ride across Andalucia was so scenic! We saw mountains, rolling hillsides covered in olive and almond trees, and castles galore. Along the way, we made a roadside stop at a former train station to sample some local olive oil and other tasty treats. As we headed onto Cordoba, we got another wonderful introduction to the city from James by way of his video recording, as well as an overview of the city’s history from Max. Once we arrived, we made our way to La Catedral de Cordoba, famously known as La Mezquita (we learned yesterday the “z” is pronounced “th”). Grayson shared a wealth of information about this amazing mosque-turned-cathedral, which led beautifully into an informative tour of the different sections of construction. We ended our time in La Mezquita with another quiet moment to sketch in this stunning spiritual site. From there, we took a short walk to a local synagogue, where Ronan provided a powerful look at the history of Judaism in Spain. Then we broke into our family groups for lunch, and our timing could not have been more perfect. With a brief jog through some rain, we all managed to duck inside just before the skies really opened up. The weather cleared in time for us to do some shopping, and then we were back on the road enjoying more countryside scenery along the way to Seville. After checking into our hotel, we had a lovely dinner at Lobo Lopez. It was a very special dinner on a very special day, as we ended by celebrating Grayson’s birthday. Walking back to our hotel from the restaurant, we got a preview of some of the amazing sites we will see tomorrow. Seville looks beautiful and we are so excited to see more of it!