A (Spanish) Birthday Story

Walking home from the bank, my cell rings.
"Hey honey! I got your e-mail saying that you got your birthday package, and I just wanted to let you know that you might want to open the package before you leave for the weekend because there is..."
"Something pershiable in it? Oh my goodness -- you didn't send me a cake, did you?" I wouldn't put it past my mom. But how in the world would a person possibly ship a birthday cake across the Atlantic?
"Well, that would be really challenging to do, wouldn't it?"
"Whew! Good. That would have been crazy, Mama."
"Well...I didn't say I didn't do it...I just said it might be challenging...."

Within minutes I'm back at my apartment, tearing away the cardboard strip of the UPS box, pulling out a plastic tupperware container with what appeared to be a somewhat-shifted-during-flight-but-still-ever-delicious chocolate cake. Popping the lid off, the sweet scent of Mama's homemade double layered chocolate cake with chocolate frosting fills the room. Ahhh....CAKE! :) There's something red -- perhaps some other frosting? -- smeared across the top of the cake along with an adorable small smiley face in the bottom right corner. Amazing -- somehow that smiley face remained completely in-tact through the international travel, jostling, and rough handling.

Tearing up with unbelievable joy and thanks, I call Mom back.
"I wrote 'Happy Birthday' on it!" she exclaims.
So that's what all of the other red frosting was...
Several other small, neatly wrapped gifts rest inside the box, and Mom and I agree that we'll "celebrate" my birthday on Monday when we skype and I can open the gifts then. :)




After opening the incredibly thoughtful package/cake, I head to Cordoba with Ashley and Joanna. A three hour bus ride later, we safely arrive to the Terrace Backpackers Inn -- a reasonably priced, yet still clean and nice, hostel in a central location of the city. "And here are your keys..." the receptionist says. Walking up the wooden stairs, we glance at our room. There is a sign on the door, deeming our place:

La casa de l'abuela

Translation: Grandma's House

Perfect for a 20-something birthday celebration. :)

The agenda for Saturday in Cordoba consists of visiting the Mezquita (the mecca monument to visit in Cordoba -- it's a huge and beautifully constructed mosque/cathedral with countless arches and elaborate white-washed domes). Lonely Planet also suggests a few "squares" to see in Cordoba, so we figure we can leisurely wander through those as well.

Saturday morning quickly comes. Closing the hostel front door behind us, we are met with wet sidewalks and raindrops. Popping open our umbrellas, we are determined to make the best of the day -- rain or no rain.



Cordoba is a quintessential European town -- truly, when you think of Europe, you probably think of a place like Cordoba. Narrow, windy cobble-stone streets criss cross to form a windy maze of a city. Window gardens with green and pink and purple draw your eyes up as your walk through the streets while the smell of coffee from countless sidewalk cafes draws you in. Beautiful is almost an understatement. Walking along, I think to myself: It's days like today, and places like this place, that make me fall more and more in love with Spain.



Wandering our way into the Mezquita, we picked up the English pamphlets of information. Joanna begins reading aloud to me and Ashley -- Ashley stays for a few moments and then wanders to take some pictures. Archway after archway after archway fill the room in the Mezquita. The arches are pretty, but not the most awe-inspiring thing I've seen in Europe. We walk further and find the cathedral part of the Mezquita. Looking up, it seems as though I cannot physically crane my head up high enough or tilt my neck back far enough to completely view the massive white, detailed dome above me. Wow.





We admire the beauty, but we also want to have some fun...so we take some "different" pictures. :) When you live in Europe, you see a lot of cathedrals -- and they are all certainly amazing and beautiful in their own way, but you come to this point where you want -- you NEED -- to start becoming creative with your photo poses. And so, the creativity we embraced....




Fast forward to the night -- we put on our shiny tops and heels and are ready for a night on the town! Rumor has it that Cordoba is home to gorgeous men -- with ice blue eyes, dark hair, and olive skin. I mean, I don't know about you, but I think I could handle that in a guy. :)



Leaving the hostel, we find a bar with fun music just around the corner. Enjoying a drink, we stay and dance for a little while, but the crowd is a bit older than us...time to head to the centro! Getting in the elevator, two guys come out of the elevator -- "Come with us! We're boyfriends!" they say. "Ahh! Let's go party with them, y'all!" I say to Ashley and Joanna. They both look at each other and then look and me and firmly say "NO. We're leaving." Lesson learned from this night and the night I went out in Malaga: Don't trust guys easily here. And if guys tell you they are gay, they probably aren't. Praise God for my common-sense and street-smart friends. :)

Next up: The Underground, a nightclub advertised at our hostel. Here we find a huge space for dancing, lots of young people, American music (yeah!) and (some) cute guys. We spend the night sipping on drinks and dancing with new Spanish friends. :)

Sunday we head back to Huelva, and Monday I make it home to Antilla and chat with my wonderful madre that night. :) Needless to say, it was an amazing weekend and birthday....there is still so much more to tell. Look out for a second birthday-related entry soon.

But for now....peace, love, Cordoba. :) And thank you for all of your love, support, and for helping to make my birthday abroad special! :)



Be blessed,
Your now 23-year old American rubia :)

"God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart." --Ecclesiastes 5:20 ESV