Greetings from Granada: Patios of Cordoba

The second weekend in May I went home with my friend Marta to see the patios of Cordoba, a big attraction during the month of May. My friends Marta and Jose Luis from my dorm, who I blogged about earlier, are both from Cordoba and thought it would be fun to show off one of the most important events of their city. The patios are a competition where each participant strives for the most elaborate, decorative patio. Plaques are posted at the entrance of homes that have won an award. There is an official list of patios along with a map in order to make sure you don't miss one. Not only did I see the patios of Cordoba, but it was also my first time staying with a Spanish family. Marta's family was very warm and hospitable, going out of their way to make sure I had a nice visit. When I arrived to Cordoba on Saturday afternoon, Marta's parents were preparing lunch, the biggest meal of the day in Spain. Her father made an authentic Spanish tortilla and her mother prepared a fried fillet that is popular among Spaniards. I could not believe how much food her mother put out for lunch. The table was literally covered with food. I had been warned that Spanish mothers fix a lot of food, especially when there is company. Throughout the meal Marta's parents would say, "Elizabeth, you haven't tried this yet," and I would then proceed to try another dish. I had eaten so much more than I'm used to eating in the cafeteria, and still at the end of the meal, Marta's mother said I hadn't eaten enough! Saturday afternoon I met a group of Marta's friends from Cordoba and we walked around the city. I had already seen most of the sights on my previous trip, but Marta showed me a few of her favorite sights that I hadn't seen before. Later that night we met up with Marta's parents to tour some of the patios. The patios had a unique atmosphere at night, the illuminated patios were full of observers who were entertained by bands playing traditional music. There was a moment when I thought, "this is Spain." After we saw about 5 patios, we headed back to Marta's home and ate dinner at 1:00 AM! Marta's family joked that while they do like to eat late, 1:00 AM is not when they usually eat dinner. The next day Jose Luis came from his village outside of the city and we toured different patios. We had a nice time touring the patios and we later stopped for lunch at an Italian restaurant. I was really glad to have gone to Cordoba, to witness the home of a Spanish family firsthand. I was feeling very proud of myself for surviving a weekend with a family that does not speak any English! I am so grateful for Marta's family who allowed me to spend the weekend with them!