As soon as I set foot out of the bus I got this weird feeling in my stomach. I don't know what was wrong in the station that day, but I didn't feel safe and all I thought was "I just need to get to the city center and I'll be ok". I don't usually get all scared as I arrive in a new city, but the truth is sometimes I get spooked for no reason, and Cordoba's bus station gave me a weird vibe. Suddenly I was walking the station, asking for coffee and some food, and everyone I came across would look at me in a very strange way. I didn't feel that curious look of "oh, there's a tiny young girl alone with her two very heavy backpacks". That day I saw no security, I had no idea how to get to the center, and I was scared. Still, I should say the waitress at the bus station was very sweet and he even draw on a piece of paper the directions on how to get the bus to the city center.
My hostel was amazing, central, comfortable, great wifi, a typical Cordoban building with a patio and really nice receptionists. The thing is, it was around 1am and there were KIDS in the hostel. When I say kids, I mean about FIFTY kids, singing and screaming and being annoying and I saw the entire situation as disrespectful, because neither the receptionists nor the adults they were with said a word about the noise. They just decided it was awesome to let fifty kids scream and make one hell of a mess, bothering all the guests in the hostel and not letting anyone sleep.
I got out into the streets, ready to explore Cordoba and decided to find my love for the city. Being really early there wasn't a lot of people outside yet, so I got to enjoy a little of getting lost and take some photos without tourists getting in my way.
Instead of spending my money entering main sights in Cordoba, I decided I would try local food and I was happy with my choice, as I love food and I don't really have the patience to see sights where all the tourists are, which means I would be paying to see something and not really be able to enjoy it because I have a thousand other people in the same place, doing the same thing.
started with Salmorejo wich is a tomato based kind of soup, served cold, with cheese and bacon, and tastes AMAZING! Way better than Gaspacho if you ask me. Than I went for another specialty, Croquetas caseras, with a yummy filling and that got my stomach pretty full and happy. I ended with the one I was searching for, the famous Rabo de Toro, which translated is Cow Ass. I know, not very appealing, but it was one of the best meat dishes I tasted in Spain, and one you can't miss! I tried all these in tapas mode. You had the option to order them as big meals, but it would be expensive, and my stomach wouldn't be able to take so much food.
I paid a total of 12€, being the Salmorejo and the Croquetas Caseras 3€ each, the Rabo de Toro 4€, and the drink (that is always the most expensive thing in Spain I believe) that cost me 2€.
I wish my weekend in Cordoba would have been different, because even having loved the typical food, the nice and helpful people, and getting to the Mezquita, a place I'd been hearing for the longest time, I still didn't click with the city and that makes me a little sad. I know I can't love all the places that I visit, but when I only have two weeks to spend before having to go back to a sucky job, I expect that all the places that I choose are as amazing as I dreamed them to be.