Cathedral-Mosque, Cordoba

Annnd, we’re back!  Thanks to everyone who commented and emailed while I was away – it was much appreciated.  The good news is that I have a whole lot of new pictures to share!  I hope you all like pictures from Spain, since I think there’s going to be a few of them showing up here in the near future 

The picture above is of the Cathedral-Mosque of Cordoba.  Built on the site of a pagan temple, the Cathedral-Mosque (or Mosque-Cathedral, depending on your point of view) was first a Visigoth church, a Mosque, a bigger Mosque, an even bigger Mosque, and finally a Roman-Catholic Cathedral.  The Cathedral-Mosque is famous for its stunning Moorish architecture, including its distinctive columns and double-arches, which are made of alternating brick and sandstone for both strength and earthquake-proof flexibility.