January 10, 2004 - page 2


composed predominantly of Gothic style with woodworking and painting as the focal points. The Islamic elements include mosaic works adapted from Byzantine technique with glass pieces no larger than 3mm. Words cannot do the building justice.

We wandered a while through the Jewish Quarter, though there are no Jews living in Cordoba now. It is a maze of tiny wandering streets, some too small even for a moped.

Most are covered in flowers and plants, and many open to courtyards. Many of the streets are composed of narrow stones with gaps between them. In the summers when was really hot, cold water was poured onto the stones. As it slowly evaporated into the air, it cooled the spaces between the houses and shops.

We finished the tour and watched the sun set on the Puente Romano as horse-drawn carriages rolled across toward the tower on the opposite side of the Guadalquivir River.