I wake up later than usual this morning, potentially due to the fact that I have finally relaxed into my holiday, and have left the rigid schedule of work and home life back in the UK. Or, potentially due to the full day and late night that preceded it.

I have decided to visit the Alcazar de los Reyes Christianos this morning and hope to get there before the heat and other tourists take over. This was the place I most wanted to visit once I decided to come to Cordoba.

The entrance does not disappoint. The courtyard within the palace walls has been excavated, exposing stone ruins which lay at the foot of the sprawling building. The scale is impressive and I feel humbled by the history that these walls have seen.

There are only a couple of interior rooms open to the public, the most impressive being the hall of mosaics. It’s fairly common to see a historic mosaic floor, however when they have been transposed onto a wall, the sheer size and detail is astounding. It’s almost as if something hung on a wall gives it more gravitas than something you would walk on.

I follow the signs leading to the tower and know I’m about to experience something special. I wind my way up the spiral staircase, the stone steps worn down and pitted from years of use. I reach the rooftop walkway and am delighted to get a perfect view of the Royal Stables, as well as the exterior courtyard with its palm tree standing at attention.

I continue up the tower and reach the top where the panorama of the city stretches before me. I meet two American girls and offer to take their photograph in exchange for one of me.

What strikes me the most about the scene below me is how silent it all is. This area of the city is mostly pedestrian zones, the royal gardens and the mosque-cathedral, which creates a calm bubble of space that feels almost untouched by modern civilisation.

From the top of the tower I spy the formal gardens and the delicious greenery calls me to explore it.

Although it’s September and the flowers are on their last blooms, the architecture of the garden is on full display and it is breathtaking. Water features and fountains adorn different levels of the garden each creating a frame of sorts from which to view the palace at a different angle.

An impressive statue in the center of the garden of a giant king and queen, remind me of chess pieces ready to come alive.

I enjoy a peaceful quarter of an hour exploring hidden spaces and admiring little details, such as the patterned paving tiles before the area begins to fill with other sightseers. I take this as my cue to move on with my day.

I stop for my customary croissant and water before wandering the alleyways of shops and bars, eventually coming across the Royal Baths of the Caliphate Castle.

I stop in, thinking the underground archaeological exhibition will give me a break from the heat but if anything it’s hotter than outside, ideal for the baths! I’m amazed by the complexity of the engineering and smitten by the little star shaped holes in the ceiling that deliver daylight.

I succumb to the heat pretty quickly and exit back out into the fresh air. I wander towards my guesthouse contemplating what to do with the rest of my last day in Cordoba.

I am in my own world as I meander the streets, but my attention is quickly drawn to royal stables. Its large double doors are open and people are walking in and out. My curiosity gets the better of me and I wander in to see what’s happening. The gentleman on the gate tells me there is a horse show running today and it’s free to watch. I don’t think I could have planned a more perfect way to spend my afternoon if I had tried. I buy myself some drinks and settle into a front row seat under a shady canopy.

I don’t know the competition rules but it seems similar to a dressage freestyle, with each competitor performing set movements in whichever order they please to music. I am transfixed by the beauty and ability of each horse and rider combination. The outfits paying homage to Spanish tradition and the music a mix of modern day pop and Spanish staples.

I watch the entire class and before I know it the entire afternoon has passed. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so happy. The advantage to travelling solo is being able to do exactly what interests you even if it’s niche!

As the horse show comes to an end I find a cafe and try some more traditional dishes. A Salmorejo, a type of gazpacho,and tortilla de patata, a potato omelette.

Once I’ve satisfied my hunger I finally reach the guesthouse and fall into bed after a fabulous day of exploring and relaxing in my element.

I’m up early to meet the day, and to my sadness I realise that the sun doesn’t rise until 8am these days. A quick google search tells me that the best place to see the sun rise in Cordoba is at the Roman Bridge, so I head over there and make it with a few minutes to spare.

The river runs under the bridge creating a soothing soundtrack and only a handful of people are out and about at this time. As the sun rises, it bathes the river and the bridge in golden light and it feels like the world is holding its breath as we wait to start the day. I take the opportunity in this in between moment to do a short meditation, syncing my breathing to the sounds of the Guadalquivir river below me.

With the sun safely in the sky I decide to wander the town and find some breakfast before my timed entry to the Cathedral at 10am. Everywhere looks so different before the shops are open and the alleyways fill with tourists. I delight at the stunning flowers and plants that are essentially art installations on each building, as well as marvel at the architecture, that pulls from the Arabic and Roman influences of centuries past.

I find a cafe outside of the cathedral and have a croissant and some water before entering. The courtyard is enormous and I’m quite surprised at the number of people already queuing to go in. I cross the threshold into a dimly lit space and am immediately taken aback by the columns and archways that define the enormous room.

It’s my first ever time inside a Mosque and I am fascinated at how sensual the experience is. The warm colours in the dim light evoke calm and peace. There is a lingering smell of spices that transports me back to an unknown time, and the sound is dampened and absorbs into the architecture, giving the space an intimacy that is out of character with its size.

As I venture further around the edges it’s evident how this has been appropriated from a Mosque to a Cathedral. Christian iconography is everywhere and there are small chapels that populate the edges of the space. Probably the most impressive and surprising area is the centre of the room where a nave has been constructed with an ornate altar and domed ceiling with stained glass windows. The brightness of the centre of the cathedral is at odds with the outer areas of the mosque that surround it.

I’m not sure how I feel about this building. Conflicted. It is unique and beautiful, and in parts of it I feel deeply spiritual. However, I also feel anger and sadness for the people who originally built this sacred space and were exiled. The transposition of one religion directly on top of another in such an obvious manner is jarring and almost feels disrespectful.

I exit the building and once back under the blue skies and in the open courtyard I feel the oppression lift. There is no doubt that this is a magnificent building, and I hope that the reaction I have to it and the questions it asks me to consider are a sign of its continued importance and purpose in telling its story, and reminding us to be aware of the layers of culture that we shouldn’t want to lose or erase.

I leave the Mezquita-Cathedral and spend some time people watching in a park sitting under some shady trees. I decide to embrace the European culture of a long lunch and happily ensconce myself on a terrace with a Sangria, a salad and a book. I spend a very satisfying couple of hours in this manner.

After a trip back to the hotel to cool off (it’s been 35 degrees most of the day) and change for the evening I make my way to the Royal Stables for a nighttime show. I’ve been looking forward to this since I booked my trip.

As a lifelong equestrian I’ve always been awed by the beauty of the Andalusian horses and fascinated by the Spanish riders who are trained to such a high level. The Royal Stables is home to Cordoba Ecuestre, the International Equestrian Riding School and they run demonstrations a few evenings a week. I was delighted to see the queues to enter for the evening were wrapping around the building and indeed it was a sold out show. I had treated myself to a front row ticket (for an astonishingly cheap 17€!) and sat in awe for the next 75min as the history of the Andalusian horse was played out in front of me. The power and grace of these stunning animals, the music and flamenco dancing which accompanied them, performed in an open air manège under the stars was truly magical. Aside from the amazing performance I was happy to be able to see the high level of care that each horse received after its performance and the beautiful stables that surrounded the outside of the manège. After the show visitors were able to tour the stable area and chat to the riders and meet some of the horses.

Thoroughly on cloud nine I stopped for a quick bite to eat after the show and indulged in some Iberian ham and local cheeses. Before I knew it, it was midnight and I happily headed back to my guesthouse to fall into bed.

I exit the train station and the 35 degree heat takes my breath away. I had been planning on walking from the station to my hotel, but think better of it and jump in a taxi. 10 minutes later I’m dropped off in a quiet, cobblestoned lined road, with whitewashed walls and wooden doors.

I enter number 17 and am surprised to find a tiled entrance way leading into the most beautiful courtyard I have ever seen. I feel as if I have wandered into a secret garden oasis from the 1600’s. There are mosaic tiled floors, aristocratic archways, wooden ceilings and a balcony that stretches the length of the house. To add to that everything is a luscious green, there are plants everywhere.

I am shown to my room which overlooks the courtyard and then shown the communal kitchen, living and dining room.

It’s now 5pm and after a much needed nap I am ready to explore the city.

As I wander the streets making my way into the historic centre I can’t help but notice how few people there are and how serene and calm the atmosphere is. Every time I round a corner I am surprised and delighted with historic monuments and stunning architecture.

I stop for a refreshment, a cerveza of course, before meeting my walking tour group. One of my biggest pieces of advice when visiting a new city is to sign up for a free walking tour. They are usually led by locals with a history degree and you learn how to situate yourself in the city as well as its social, political and religious history. It’s also a great way to meet people from around the world. There were about 10 of us on this tour from Brazil, Italy and the USA. It’s customary even though the tour is free to tip the guide anywhere between 10-20€ per person.

The tour proved to be fascinating and set out the history of the city not shying away from the deep rooted religious conflicts that so impacted the culture and architecture that we experience today. We visited the Synagogue and the Mosque as well as the Cathedral and many notable plazas. An added bonus was also being educated on the gastronomical history of the area and having a lot of the local dishes explained. At the end of the tour we were also given restaurant recommendations.

Nearing the end of my first day I decided to try one of the recommended restaurants that happened to be just opposite my guesthouse, La Posada del Caballo Andaluz. I enjoyed the beautiful terrace and indulged in a local delicacy, an oxtail stew, and tasted the Montilla-Moriles sweet sherry wine which is only made in this region.

Feeling full in body and with my nomadic soul brimming over with happiness I crossed the road to my room and fell into bed, excited for what tomorrow would bring.