Thirty hours after leaving Adelaide we have arrived in colourful Córdoba in Southern Spain. Lucky us to commence our trip in this small, serene city where the weather is warm and long, balmy evenings soothe the soul.We are only here for two days-a chance to catch our Spanish breath and discover a new city for the first time.

Highlights of our 48 hours in Cordoba

• Walking through the Juderia ( Jewish quarter), not quite getting lost in the maze of narrow lanes with finely restored buildings and homes and noticing the blend of architecture from Roman times to Moorish and then Medieval times. The Jews were expelled from Cordova in 1492.

• Discovering the history of Cordova through a walking tour presented by a knowledgeable university student. Amazing to learn that Cordova was a prominent city in Roman times and that around 1000 AD under Moorish rule was perhaps Europe’s largest and most developed city. After the fifteenth century when Cordova was conquered by Ferdinand and Isabel it became a Christian city and gradually lost its power and became a relatively small sized city.

• Visiting the Mezquita,Cordova’s number one tourist attraction. Yes, thousands of tourists here but an essential monument to visit because of its unique nature of having been a Mosque which was then converted to a Cathedral. Absolutely overwhelming in size, second only to Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia.

• Strolling through extensive gardens and along wide boulevards in the contemporary part of the city and enjoying the brightly coloured flowers in pots on balconies, courtyards and patios. We missed the Patio Festival due to commence next week but we appreciated that gardens were at their best. And the orange trees! Thousands of them along streets, in gardens and pots brimming with bitter oranges.

• Enjoying tapas at the many cafes and restaurants all within walking distance. Cold gazpacho was refreshing in hot afternoons, honeyed eggplant interesting and the Cordovan version of paella ( perol) sensational. We didn’t try the snails but we had to try the special Pedro Ximenez of the region.