The city to visit during May is, without doubt, Cordoba. The whole month is filled with endless festivities, starting on the last Sunday of April with the “Battle of the Flowers”. This is when a procession of decorated floats winds its way through the thronged streets, with all the ladies wearing the traditional ‘flamenco’ dresses, and up to 140,000 carnations being thrown at the onlookers.

The next big event starts at the beginning of May and lasts for 4 days. This is the festival of the crosses with the ‘Cruces de Mayo’ being decorated by catholic brotherhoods (hermandades), and which enter into fierce competition with each other. However, do not expect this event to be very religious. Basically, it is a 4-day street party with ‘chiringuitos’ erected in every little square and on every street corner, with singing and dancing extending well into the early hours of the morn.
 

The third springtime event in Cordoba is probably the most popular and most famous. The festival of the ‘Patios’ is a must for tourists, and it lasts for 10 days. This is the time of year when spring flowers are in bloom and the local people adorn their houses with pots of plants to compete for the most beautifully decorated patio or balcony in the city. Of course, these patios can be seen throughout the year, but normally through iron railings. During these 10 days of May, the iron gates are swung open to allow us, the public, the privilege of entering, perusing and meandering around these marvellous courtyards.

The fourth big event in Cordoba is celebrated during the last week of May in an area known as El Arenal, which adjourns the river Guadalquivir. It is, of course, La Feria and is considered, by many, to be much friendlier than the April fair of Seville. This is because most ‘casitas‘ (little houses) in the Seville fair are private, yet those in Cordoba’s fair are open to one and all for eating, drinking and dancing. Also in May, Cordoba celebrates the tasting of wine from Montilla and Moriles. In a large area, near the railway and bus stations, some 40 bodegas offer samples of their wine from this famous region, together with tapas typical of the mountains that border this beautiful city. This festivity was the main reason for our sojourn to the Moors’ old Capital of Andalucia.

Cordoba is famous for its ‘fino‘ wine made from the noble grape ‘Pêdro Ximenez’. During our stay, we drank many fantastic ‘copas‘, not only at the wine fair but also at some excellent restaurants. However, I am not going to wax lyrical about the various finos – Pompée, Patachula, Gran Baquero, Delgado1874 etc. that we drank – nor the gastronomically delights of the expensive restaurants such as “Bodegos Campos” that we ate in. No, I am going to tell you about a quiet little square that backs onto the historic church of San Agustin, set in the back streets of the old part of Cordoba. Here, you can find the picturesque ‘Taberna de las Beatillas’. This hostelry has a central patio with lots of side rooms available for tetulias (discussions) or private parties. We sat in the shaded central area, watched over by the heads of wild boar and deer – trophies of past hunting trips. We gorged ourselves on plates of venison, oxtail, wild goat as well as dishes of salmorejo and japula en adobo – all washed down with glasses of local red wine (Yes, Cordoba does produce red, white & rose wine!). Forget about the D.O. of Cordoba and look for its V.T. equivalent, and you will be pleasantly surprised. The famous ‘Alvear‘ bodega is one of the many wineries that are now producing table wine under the VT category. The one my wife and I drank that day, and which I am recommending, is the young, fruity, cherry red, tempranillo, Alvear wine called “Marques de la Sierra”. At only 3•70€ a bottle, it is ideal for the economic climate we now live in, and I am confident you will enjoy your Cordoba experience, without the inconvenience (or expense) of having to travel there.
   

 Here’s to your very good health!
       
Brian