Úbeda

One thing Laurie and I have learned over half a dozen trips to Spain is driving is always - and I mean ALWAYS - an adventure. Here's today's adventure, as we left Córdoba...

Four miles outside of Córdoba is the archeological site Medinat al-Zahara. There, a thousand years ago, the Calif (Moorish ruler) built an incredibly beautiful palace complex; now it is being excavated and restored. We visited Medinat when we were here twelve years ago, and wanted to see it again.

Off we went - it's only 4 miles; how bad can this be? Leaving town the route is marked with signs to the site, so we're doing just fine until...we get to a section in which there is a bunch of new roads and roundabouts, coinciding, curiously, with the disappearance of any signs pointing anywhere. Quickly, we are totally lost, without the slightest idea of how to get anywhere except back to Córdoba and we're not very excited about that. Our maps don't show all the new roads, nor does the GPS.

I stopped at a gas station and asked an employee there for directions. She took me out front, pointed down the road and proceeded with her training for the world's fastest Spanish speaker competiton. After three repeats, I thought I had it and off we went. I didn't have it. We turned around, headed back into Córdoba and found the freeway that would take us here to Úbeda.

Medinat al-Zahara has been there for a thousand years; I'm sure it will still be there on our next trip.