Door Hunt @ Cordoba

Hey there folks, the doors and the doorknockers are really interesting at cordoba, they had my attention soo much and we wanted to share it with you all. Actually we can say thet in old times these doorknockers used to symbol the characteristics of the house owner's family, but today these are just being used as a decorative object we think. Enjoy folks :) 

Please leave an e-mail or comment if you have any questions

Regards

Irene Jimenez & Isak Uzun

Dublin in our bag part I

This time Irene will tell you about her trip to Dublin, capital of Ireland.

First of all I want to say that since this trip I found my hobby, my passion and how I would like to work for a living…TRAVELLING. It was the first time I travelled alone, so in some moments I could overcome some difficulties by myself and it gave me a little more confident about my actions and what I wanted to do.  Also I met one of my best friends in there. We were living together for 3 weeks, enjoying great and unforgettable moments and we created a beautiful friendship. Due to all these, my experience in Dublin is so special and magical and I would love to go back again and discover more and more places.

Thanks to a scholarship, I had the opportunity to travel to Dublin, visit the city and, the most important reason, practice English. About the improvement in English, it didn’t go very well because Dublin is full of Spanish people. There was not a single place where I entered and didnt heard words in Spanish. The first day was very useful because I was lost and the map didn’t help too much, so I could ask a couple the address of the building. But during the 3 weeks, I would had preferred an intensive and stressful English days.

But let’s go to talk about Dublin, the huge green and peaceful parks, the famous black beer and the traditional Irish music playing in Temple Bar.

Phoenix park

Dublin is well known due to its huge and green parks where you can have a great Sunday with your family and friends. This is one reason because I love Dublin. Saint Stephen’s Green, the Botanic Garden and Phoenix Park are the most famous; and also in the last one there is a zoo inside but I don’t recommend paying for it, the animals you can find there are not very exotic or difficult to see in other zoos.

Saint Stephen's Green

Botanic Garden

Hello Sweety :) 

The city is divided by the river Liffey in two parts, O’ Connell Street and Temple Bar.

River Liffey

O’ Connell Street is the main street in the city center and you will recognize it easily thanks to Spire, a very long monument placed in the middle of the avenue. Also there are people since early in the morning until the midnight. I liked this place due to the variety of cultures and people from all around the world. If you want to buy souvenirs or gifts, O’ Connell Street and others streets next to it are full of shops and some shopping centers. It is place really cool to walk or go shopping for hours.

             

O'connel Street

  

                           Spire

The other touristic part in the city is Temple Bar, being, in my opinion, the most attractive neighborhood in Dublin where you couldn’t decide between many kind of bars and pubs. In every narrow street there is a place to enter and listen to the traditional music while you are drinking an Irish beer. You will not have the possibility to be bored because even in the morning there are several markets like Food Market or Book Market. You can listen different songs and music coming from every pub. It’s amazing.

Temple Bar

MUSEUMS AND OTHER PLACES

Dublin is also a good choice if you are a museums’ fan because there is a great offer of them around the city. I will give my opinion about some of them and then you can comment if you agree with me or not.

-National Gallery of Dublin. In this museum you have the opportunity to observe paintings made by important artists like Caravaggio, Monet or Picasso. Of course you cannot compare it with Louvre museum but you can enjoy the paintings from Middle Age.

- Guinness Storehouse. In my opinion this is the king of the museums in Dublin. In here you can learn the process of the famous black beer Guinness. The visit is organized very well because at the entrance they give a kind of phone where it is explained the history of this drink and how it is prepared. You need time for this museum; it is divided in 7 floors and you can touch most of the things that you see. I highly suggest you to visit even if you don’t like beer because when you arrive to the top of the museum, there is a beautiful sightseeing of the city. Also they give you a free beer but if you don’t drink alcohol, you can ask for a Coke or Seven up.

             

-The Old Jameson Distillery. This museum is also interesting to know the different phases of this traditional and well-known Irish whiskey. Moreover, you can enjoy of a whiskey tasting and recognize which one is Jameson. But to be honest, this is not so spectacular as Guinness Storehouse.

-Dublinia. Do you want to go back to Vikings or medieval times? Are you interested in it? If you answered YES, this is your place. Dublinia shows how people lived and worked in the old city through reconstructions not really well-made. The museum is a good option for families because kids can play roles and interact with different objects from Medieval Times.

- Leprechaun Museum. First of all I will explain that Leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man, clad in a red or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief.  In my opinion, this is one of the worst museums I’ve never been. In here, they try to move visitors to Leprechaun world and make you feel tiny and small as a Leprechaun, so for it they use huge chairs, tables and cups. Also there are other dark and white rooms with umbrellas on ceiling and colorful fabrics. I didn’t understand the purpose of this museum so from my point of view it doesn’t worth to visit it.

-Trinity College. It is the oldest university in Ireland, created in 1592. It includes 16 hectares with in squares and green spaces around the buildings which represents the rich architecture of those times. Important writes like Jonathan Swift, Synge or Oscar Wilde studied here. This is one of the first places I visited in Dublin, and I really liked the environment, I felt myself like I was in a typical university from a movie.

- Kilmainham Gaol:  It is an ancient prison built in 1796 and it is famous because some scenes of the movie “In the name of the father” were taken in there.

Saint Patrick's Cathedral

Christ Church 

Next to Molly Malone

Please leave an e-mail or comment if you have any questions

Regards

Irene Jimenez & Isak Uzun

Córdoba in our bag

The Cathedral of Cordoba

Córdoba once the capital city of the Moors, the capital of the Muslim Spain. Old historians describe the Córdoba as the culture and science capital of the world. 

The Cathedral of Cordoba

First of all a suggestion to all beware of the killing hot weather in Córdoba, especially if you are not use to hot weather. Córdoba is extremely hot but nice and welcoming city. You can see the Muslim architecture and the amazing heritage of the Moors. 

Main door of  the Cathedral of Cordoba 

Internal view of Cathedral

Actually it’s the amazing structure, once one of the biggest Mosques in the Europe that build by the Moors and is the main attraction in the city.

Christian effects in the old Mosque

Christian effects in the old Mosque

Christian effects in the old Mosque

The construction started in the year of 785. In 1236, after the Christian invasion the mosque was turned in to a cathedral by the Christians.

A clue for u till 10:00 in the morning its free to enter inside the cathedral after 10:00 its more than 10 euros.

Galeria De La Inquisicion ( Inquisition Museum) 

In Córdoba between the narrow streets you can fınd the hidden Inquisition Museum. The entrance is 5 Euros (2012). If you have a chance definitely visit the museum.

You can smell the history, culture, religion and the wonderful heritages in the city everywhere. One thing we didn’t like in the city, there are many beggars and gypsies begging for money and such things and they don’t let you go easily.

Where the Equestrian show happens :) 

View from Alcázar de los reyes cristianos

Alcázar de los reyes cristianos

This is an old fortress and the Catholic Monarchs of Spain used it as a residence for eight years. You can visit the patios, the towers and a beautiful garden, full of flowers and trees. Also, there is a statue that means the meeting between the Catholic Monarchs and Cristobal Colón. 

Gardens of Alcázar de los reyes cristianos

Catholic monarchs and Cristobal Colón

Ornamental pools of Alcázar de los reyes cristianos

Ibn Rüsd - Averros

Averros, commonly known as Ibn Rushd or by his Latinized name Averroës was a Spanish Andalusian Muslim polymath, a master of Aristotelian philosophy, Islamic philosophy, Islamic theology, Maliki law and jurisprudence, logic, psychology, politics and Arabic music theory, and the sciencesof medicine, astronomy, geography, mathematics, physics and celestial mechanics. Averroes was born in Córdoba, Al Andalus, present-day Spain, and died in Marrakesh, present-day Morocco. He was interred in his family tomb at Córdoba. The 13th-century philosophical movement based on Averroes' work is called Averroism. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Averroes)

Colorful seramics

Left side of the The Cathedral of Cordoba there is a seramic galeria, its bloody expensive but there are cheap and nice things as well. Highly recommended.

Calleja de las Flores

In Córdoba nearly all the courtyards are decorated with colorful flowers, if you have the chance to visit Córdoba the first week of May, don’t forget that they celebrate an important competition to choose the best courtyard in the city.

Bridge Gate

Guadalquivir River 

Córdoba was an important city that Romans, Muslims and Christians fought to have the control of it and also because of its strategic situation in Andalucía. Córdoba is divided into two parts by Guadalquivir River, one of the most important rivers in Spain. You can cross it side by side through the Roman Bridge and take pictures of the city at night. 

Famous Roman Bridge in Cordoba

La casa andalusí

This house was a great surprise for us. We were walking between the narrow streets when we saw a house, but not a normal house. There was a sign and it said “Casa andalusí” what it means Andalusian style house so we didn’t doubt and entered. We suggest you to visit this little and cute place because it is full of objects related to Islamic culture. 

La casa andalusí

Whirling Derwish 

Since the first the entrance, Muslim music move us to a magic environment where in every corner you will find new objects and documents (thanks to Isak I could understand the meaning of them) about the Islamic culture.

We recommend you visit it because we are sure that you will discover a new world connected with a Muslim part of Andalucia.

Please leave an e-mail or comment if you have any questions

Regards

Irene Jimenez & Isak Uzun