Sunday, we arrived by bus and settled in our rooms. We spent the afternoon poolside with wine and beer.

Monday, we drove into Estepona, a fishing harbor city. Our guides were local women, one of whom is a professional fisherwoman, runs a bed a breakfast and does tours. We were escorted around the old town and then had lunch. The lunch was local fish, sardines, octopus and shellfish. After lunch, our plan was to shop, but all stores close from 2 pm to 4 pm. This is the time of the large family meal and all businesses are closed.

Tuesday was one of the trip highlights, Cordoba. The great mosque was built in 787AD by the Moors who ruled this part of Spain. In 1146 Ferdinand and Isabella conquered Cordoba, drove out the Moors and had the Mosque consecrated as a Christian Church.

In the 16th century, Carlos ordered the building of a bacillus within the mosque. The church is extremely ornate and clashes with the mosque. We walked thru the Jewish quarters and wandered the traditional streets.

Wednesday, we went to the harbor to learn about the fishing industry. After that we had a paella cook-off. We divided into teams and each team cooked their own paella. The results were a delicious traditional lunch.

Several of us visited the cities orchid museum.

Thursday, we drove to Ronda, a city built on a large gorge and surrounded by mountains. We went to the bullfighting ring and museum. The ring is one of three that are sanctioned by the royals. It is a brutal sport, usually fought to the death of the bull. The country is very divided on their thoughts of this sport.