Córdoba Excursion

A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go to Córdoba with my third level students, and it was an incredible experience. Córdoba is the capital city of the province of Córdoba, which was about a 3.5 hour drive northwest from my school in Almería. We visited the incredible Mezquita of Córdoba, which shows both Muslim and Roman Catholic architecture due to its complex history. We saw Moorish ruins, some incredible gardens and an archaeological museum. I got the chance to try two dishes Córdoba is known for. The first dish was Salmorejo, which is a thick orange paste with vegetables and meat. I wasn't a huge fan of this one--it tasted more like a dip for chips to me than something to eat on its own. The second dish was flamenquín, which consisted of ham, pork and eggs wrapped together and deep fried into a long stick. I enjoyed this dish a lot more. The best part of this trip was probably the opportunity to spend time with the students and the teachers outside of the classroom. After getting to know me on this trip, these students seem to respect me more in the classroom and get quiet for me a lot faster, which has been a great improvement. I also got the chance to get to know the three teachers who went on the trip a lot better. It was a great opportunity to practice my Spanish as well. At this point, after three months of living here, I think my listening level has drastically improved. I am at the point where I can understand 85-90% of Spanish conversations happening around me. Speaking is still difficult. I can hold a one-on-one conversation fairly well, but it's very difficult for me to contribute to a group conversation in Spanish. I'm hoping by the end of my experience I will be able to think and speak in Spanish fast enough to fully participate in a group conversation. I've included several photos from my trip to Córdoba, enjoy!