The past weekend was the Cordoba trip with the school. The trip was only a day trip on Friday but I stayed to show Elizabeth, Hannah, and Donelle around my home city here in Spain. They said at the end of the trip that Cordoba deserved more than just a day to visit and there was yet much unseen after we left on Saturday. We toured the city zoo, the riviera, two malls (Zoco and Eroski [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eroski]), and las tendillas(http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaza_de_las_Tendillas). We also say La Corredera (http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaza_de_la_Corredera) which is very similar if not exactly the same as Plaza Mayor in Madrid.

Las Tendillas features many stores big and small along with some iconic landmarks of Cordoba. El Gran Capitan can be seen at the top of a fountain riding a horse. There are some interesting stories as to why his head is white marble while the statue is black bronze. http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monumento_al_Gran_Capit%C3%A1n#Leyendas_en_torno_al_Monumento

Also there is a clock tower that plays an interesting tune every hour. Here is a link to youtube for it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fexMbX4EsRE

In class we learned some fun things about el Camino de Santiago de Compostela or The Walk of Saint James of the Star Lit Field. There is a lot about it that I would have to write and none of it would do it justice since I have not done it. If you are interested there are plenty of blogs and journals from people who have done the pilgrimage. I find the topic interesting and if you do to I urge you do read more about it.

Today is the first day of tests and my first test was rather simple. The Spanish Cinema class is interesting and our first movie was Planta 4a. This is a story about the "Pelones" or the bald kids who are being treated for cancer and how they live their life in the hospital while going through the teenage years.

Bikes are very useful in Seville and there are bike paths everywhere. I am able to park a bike inside my apartment patio so I will consider buying a used bike that I would be able to leave in Cordoba after my stay. In the mean time I did receive my Sevici card that lets me use a city bike that can be found in one of the many stations around the city. You must be careful to get a good one though. Make sure the tires aren't flat and nothing wobbles. On my first ride the bike's left pedal had issues and would not turn properly. This resulted in a loss of acceleration and speed. Maneuverability was also diminished because of this and I was forced to go on the sidewalks instead of on the streets for the parts with no bike paths.