Happy Halloween from Florence

We interrupt our regularly scheduled posts on Andalucia to bring you a special Halloween themed update today.

Happy Halloween!

It's October 31st and I'm having some costume withdrawal here in Florence. I'm normally "that" person who spends weeks coming up with a costume idea and then tediously constructs the entire thing by hand hoping it turns out, while Travis couldn't care less if Halloween was banned for eternity and loathes dressing up. Besides "helping" to eat any left over candy his Halloween participation is zero. 

Without any special plans we decided to take shelter from the rain and hit some of Florence's world class museums today. Perhaps not in the top 100, but intriguing to us was La Specola, or the Museum of Natural History. The museum's 34 rooms feature zoological specimens and a collection of anatomical waxes, surprisingly it's also (possibly) the absolute best way to celebrate Halloween in Florence.

We'd read that the museum was a bit odd but were not prepared for the collection which resembles the content of a taxidermist's garage, who also happens to be a hoarder, and not very good at his job. Each room opens into floor to ceiling antique display cases stuffed with hundreds of species - mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, insects... it seems never ending. 

Better specimen jars than anything DIY by Martha Stewart

Butterflies, only creepy when in large numbers

As close as I was willing to get to this case

Is that a dog or a bat? We still aren't quite sure.

Family pet turned museum display (via)

He obviously hasn't seen any Alfred Hitchcock films

The collection dates back hundreds of years with many specimens donated by the Medici family - the museum itself was first founded in 1771. As a result, the hides and furs are a bit tattered on many of the animals and some of the taxidermy work is a bit suspect - partially due to aging of the collection as well as an unfamiliarity with the animals they were preserving. Legend has it that the hippopotamus specimen currently on display was originally a Medici family pet in the 17th century. After a natural death, the hide was taken to the taxidermist for preservation however, never having seen a hippopotamus before, he did his best to preserve the specimen and decided to finish the feet as he would for a dog.  

Although higher quality specimens can be found on display at other Natural History Museums, including the one we visited while in London, the presentation, atmosphere, and sheer size make this collection unique, and a bit bizarre. And the weird-level was only about to go up because once we made our way through the zoological collection we entered the area displaying anatomical waxes, something you won't see anywhere else. 

Creepy right?

The grey curls add a certain je ne sais quoi

Museum that moonlights as a haunted house

Quite the provocative pose

Multiple rooms of cases, waxes, and drawings

The displays oddly resemble caskets

Try creating that for your haunted house decor

An art developed in Florence in the 17th century for the purpose of teaching medicine, the anatomical waxes originally acted in place of cadavers. The collection is actually quite famous, with Napoleon ordering a set for medical schools in France, however the wax molds of organs, arteries and veins, and peeled back skin are also quite creepy and eerily lifelike. I imagine the constant stare from those true to life eyes was quite distracting to students trying to learn!

Very strange, a bit disturbing, and completely geeky, La Specola is a wonderfully different museum to anything in Florence. We really enjoyed our visit and unfortunately (or fortunately depending how you look at it) we were only two of a handful of visitors in the place. For the 6 Euro entry fee you really can't go wrong with a visit, especially if it coincides with one of the most haunted days of the year!

Note: I apologize as we are still writing about Andalucia although technically in Italy now and promise to get caught up as quickly as possible. Also, if you're freaking out because the posts are no longer in a linear order now that we've jumped ahead to Florence in celebration of Halloween, please take comfort in the fact that I too am having a hard time with this and you're not alone.

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Cordoba in Pictures

While planning our trip through Andalucia we allocated a full day to Cordoba. After arriving mid morning from Seville, we wandering through Cordoba's narrow streets, exploring different neighbourhoods, before spending a couple hours in awe of the Mezquita - both inside and out!

The next morning we had a few more hours in this lovely city before catching the bus to Granada and chose to spend our time at the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos. The fortress has a few rooms inside to check out but the main draw are the incredible gardens. 

It turns out Cordoba has a lot to offer in addition to the Mezquita...

Morning view over the city from the Alcazar

Roman Bridge

Puerta del Puente

Fuente de los Jardines de Colón

Roman ruins in the middle of town

Alcazar gardens

Ruins from a previous muslim fortress (under the Alcazar)

Final blooms before fall

Sculpture in the Alcazar gardens

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The Mezquita - Unlike Any Church We've Seen

While sites like the Sagrada Familia, the Alhambra, Santiago de Compostela, and the Guggenheim tend to dominate Spain's tourism scene, attracting hordes of tour buses daily, our undisputed favorite was actually a bit of a surprise.

Found in Córdoba, a town of just over 300,000 people with a small town feel, the Mezquita is an ancient site of both Muslim and Catholic worship. Easily one of Andalucia's most important historical sites, the surrounding city adds to the allure with narrow winding streets, preppy white and yellow painted houses, and an almost complete absence of cars in many of the neighborhoods. Criminally, few tourists visit this gem of a town, but those who do venture here are immersed in a city with an astounding amount of history.

The Mezquita has held importance as a site of worship since the 7th century and it's influence as a Muslim Caliphate (government capital) helped Cordoba grow to one of the largest cities in the world. As a result, Cordoba holds the distinct honor of having been both a Roman provincial capital and a capital of the Arab state of Al-andalus. It's importance in the Muslim world even rivaled Damascus during medieval times. Our visit quickly became a long term affair inside this amazing building, exploring its never ending rows of red and white Muslim arches and sitting in awe in the Cathedral's pews where Baroque, Renaissance, and Gothic architecture intersect.

 Exterior with ornate Moorish doorways and Catholic belltower (via)

Roof line showing the elevated Cathedral  (via)

Muslim details over a doorway

Original orange grove in the courtyard

Worship on this site dates back to the Visigothic Church of St. Vincent in the 7th century, the remains of which are still visible via plexiglass floor sections inside the Mezquita. As well, many artifacts from the ongoing archaeological excavations are on display inside.

After the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the church was converted into a mosque beginning in 784 AD. Each subsequent ruler added his personal touch, enlarging the interior or adding a minaret, until it reached current size in 987 AD where it stood as one of the most important sites in the Islamic world until Cordoba was reconquered by King Ferdinand III in 1296.

Remains of the Visigoth Church under the current site (via)

Mihrab - all Muslims would face this while praying

Ornate ceiling over the Mihrab

Surprisingly, the conquering Christian Spaniards chose not to demolish the Mosque and rebuild, instead deciding to alter the building. This controversial decision resulted in a unique church unlike anything we've seen before, with a central Catholic chapel surrounded by an endless forest of red and white Mujedar arches. Adding to the uniqueness, the central chapel features a melding of different architectural styles as each King added and altered the church during his reign.   

The recognizable red and white arches

Never ending rows of incredible arches

Mix of Muslim and Catholic elements

Chapel ceiling, hand painted

Beautiful organ

Catholic details

All of these actions have resulted in one of the most striking churches we've visited thus far; withing five minutes of wandering around we simultaneously whispered to each other, "this is the best building I've ever been in." Seemingly shrouded in controversy that continues to this day with Spanish Muslims demanding the right to prey onsite, the Mezquita's stunning architecture, religious importance, and compelling history make it a must see site.

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Halfway Point - The Numbers

As we mentioned previously, our first day in Malaga marked the halfway point for our trip. Here is a breakdown of the numbers - both important and trivial.

Days Traveled = 61

Cities Visited = 23 

The view over Granada, Spain

 Beds Slept In = 16

Beds with Amazing Faux-Animal-Hide Bedspreads = 2

We've seen TWO of these

Brands of Beer Sampled = 23

Spontaneous Street Zumba Classes Witnessed = 1

Check out the video here

Churches Entered = 19

The Mezquita in Cordoba (posts coming soon!)

Photos Taken = 5620

Soccer Games Attended = 2 (hopefully this will be more by the end!) 

Warmup at the Atletico Madrid Game we attended

 Kilometers Walked = 652 (give or take a few)

Walking to our accommodations in Plitvice NP

 UNESCO World Heritage Sites = 13

Trogir, Croatia - A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Foxes Spotted in Downtown London = 1

Dollars Spent Per Day = 148

Posts Written = 54

Gyros Eaten = 19

Still makes Calli's mouth water

 Loads of Laundry Washed = 8

50 Euro Bills Lost = 1

50 Euro Bills Found = 1

Rainy Days = 7

Thunderstorm in Kotor, Montenegro

Museums Visited = 11

Natural History Museum, London

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Seville - Our First Stop in Andalucia

Moving on from Lisbon, we started a week long stay in Spain's Andalucia region with a visit to Seville. Arriving on the night bus in the early morning hours, we expertly navigated Seville's winding streets and found our hotel without argument - a surprise considering how tired we were. After dropping off our bags we wandered back to the main square, grabbed a Starbucks*, and watched the sun come up in the presence of the town's looming Cathedral. 

Cathedral exterior and bell tower

Entrance details

Orange grove from the original mosque

It really is enormous, the Cathedral I mean. The largest in the world, by volume, we've read that the family responsible for funding the project actually strove to create something so large they would be thought mad. Mission accomplished as I personally can think of a million other ways to spend millions of dollars.

Reading the paper

Cathedral interior

Christopher Columbus' tomb

In addition to the over-the-top Cathedral, we spent time exploring Seville's Alcazar, the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe. Entrance is 7.50 Euro/person but definitely worth it as the grounds and architecture are amazing. However be forewarned that the line is very long on weekends/whenever the Cathedral is closed. We lined up on a weekday morning around 9am and got in right away when it opened at 9:30am. 

Alcazar reflecting pool - as seen in Kingdom of Heaven

Castle-like exterior

Interior details

We also spent a lot of time wandering Seville's streets and eventually found our way over to Maria Luisa Park and the Plaza de Espana one afternoon. The plaza, built for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition, and surrounding park are not only lovely but also free to explore.

The Plaza de Espana

Great colours and a wonderful sunny day

Although the Cathedral is Seville's pride and joy, and main attraction, we were a bit disappointed with the interior, especially after paying the 8 Euro/person entrance fee. I understand that Christoper Columbus is buried there (allegedly), however I'm not sure this calls for such a steep entrance fee (we can eat an entire dinner for 16 Euro). Unfortunately, we felt a bit cheated after being charged such a large amount and then discovering the alter was covered with a tarp while undergoing 1.5 million Euro in repairs. I don't think I'd pay to visit the interior of the Cathedral again, the exterior is the real gem in my opinion; However, it's easy for me to say that having already been inside. In the end it's you're choice and hey, maybe the alter will brighten up the interior once it's restored.

*Come on, don't be like that, there's really no reason to judge. Everyone is entitled to a little indulgence now and then and it was one of only a handful of places open so early.

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