I found myself in Córdoba purely by laziness. I was supposed to go from Valencia to Granada, but it turned out that the trip is at least 8 hours. Rather than spend a full day on the train, I opted to split the trip into two days, stopping in Córdoba for a bit in between. And I’m glad that I did.
The capital of the Córdoba province, the town of Córdoba was a former Roman settlement, then it was the capital of the Islamic Emirate in the 8th century, all before ‘falling’ to the Christians. The diverse cultural history is readily visible to anyone with an eye for architecture. Unfortunately, I don’t have said eye for architecture, but I can listen to tour guides and read articles online, so I still manage to sound like I know what I’m talking about.
As far as I can tell, there’s not much to do in Córdoba. There are plenty of historical buildings to be sure, but few of actual historical importance. There are shops and businesses, but I don’t see any major headquarters or skyscraper buildings. What I do see, however, are a lot of bars and cafes with tables on the sidewalk, shaded from the midday sun by umbrellas. Drinks start pouring as early as 9:00A (maybe earlier, but that’s the earliest that I’ve left the hotel), with food following shortly behind.
The food is one thing that I love about this town. First, I’ve had some really tasty meals here, from the puntos de solomillo at De Tapas, which are small slices of the most tender pork I’ve ever had to the croquetas at Bodegas Mezquita, which were perfectly fried to ensure a perfectly crispy shell but soft and flavorful filling. But those meals aren’t the best part. If you find yourself sitting at a patio, drinking in the afternoon, the staff will periodically come by with trays of tapas. Small, one or two bite pieces of bread with ham, marinated grilled chicken on a skewer, omelette with egg, or any other tapa that you can imagine. Right now, I have 3 mini empanadas and a small croquette sitting next to me. When you’re ready for your check, they tally up your empty plates and charge you accordingly. If I remember correctly, it’s about 1€ per plate at the bar where I find myself now. 3 – 4 of these plates will make a small meal, but that’s not really the point.
The Spanish way is to find a bar and hang out for a few hours with friends. The food is a way to pace yourself and to add additional context to the social interaction that is the primary purpose of being at the bar. I haven’t seen a single Spaniard appear drunk since I got to Spain, despite the patios being consistently busy. The ice is apt to melt in their drink long before they finish that cocktail. It’s a different attitude towards drinking than I’m used to, given my personal disposition and my social circle, but it’s pretty cool to watch. The cynic in me thinks that either this laid-back hang-out-for-hours-with-friends mindset is either the result of the high unemployment rate in Spain or the cause of it. That notwithstanding, they definitely look more relaxed than people in a similar environment would in DC.
It comes back to prioritizing life over work. It’s not always a race against the clock- trying to get a deliverable done before the unreasonable deadline or squeezing one more drink in before happy hour ends. Sometimes it can be about hanging out with friends and wasting a few hours with just two or three drinks to help lubricate the conversation. It’s a different mindset on this side of the pond.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a mini pork burger in front of me with my name on it.
As it turns out, 4 beers and 6 tapas is 12.60€. It was going to be a snack, but it ended up being a light dinner, for less than the cost of an appetizer and a pint in DC.
