Stupid Cupid

After visiting with Sand Sculptor Paul Blane yesterday (click here) and admiring his as-always brilliant work, I headed home and passed another sand sculptor along the way. His skill and artistry are not of the caliber of Paul Blane's (but whose is???). He's the guy who created the "quirky" Spartacus, Helen of Troy, Mona Lisa, etc. (click here and here). But he can still be entertaining.

CLICK TO SEE THINGS MORE CLEARLY.

His latest work planted a song in my head...

The Last Brunch

Father Guido Sarducci (actor Don Novello, click here) rose to fame in the '70s on American television shows like "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" and "Saturday Night Live."

FATHER GUIDO SARDUCCI.

While traveling in Mexico, Father Guido says he managed to obtain the check from the Last Supper. Except it wasn't actually a supper. It was a brunch.

According to the good Father, the check reveals that one guy only had a soft-boiled egg and tea. Everyone else stuffed themselves. But when the bill was paid, it was divided equally.

The moral (per Father Guido): "In groups, always order the most expensive thing."

Fuengirola's Last Brunch
Paul Blane, international sand sculptor extraordinaire, is in the process of completing his own Last Brunch on the beach here in Fuengirola. Well, he calls it "La Ultima Cena" (The Last Supper). So I guess he's not a believer in Father Guido Sarducci.

I was in awe of Paul's work on last year's Easter sculpture (Click here). This year's is an absolute marvel.

I WISH I HAD KNOWN CATS WERE INVITED.
(CLICK ANY IMAGE TO GET A GOOD LOOK.)

AND DOGS...

JUDAS ISCARIOT AND HIS SISTER SUE?
(I KNOW.  I KNOW.  NOT SUE...  IT'S A BROADWAY QUOTE.)

"MOI?"

LEFT TO RIGHT: BARTHOLOMEW; JAMES (SON OF ALPHAEUS); ANDREW;
JUDAS ISCARIOT; PETER; JOHN; JESUS; THOMAS; JAMES THE GREATER; AND PHILIP.

An Arm And A Leg And An Arm And A Leg And...

"Our octopus only has seven legs," commented our nephew Matt. He had already cut one leg from the eight-legged monster, I mean delicacy, that had been brought to our table.

Matt and Lindy returned to Fuengirola last week for one final day with us before continuing on their travels. We went out to dinner at El Tapeo Andaluz, a nearby restaurant that our friend Elena has been recommending to us for months. It had been closed for the winter and just re-opened. We were all really glad we listened to Elena (especially since she's warned me that we must always do as she says). The restaurant, the service, the food... all exceptional. San Geraldo and I can't wait to go back.

As a result of Matt's seven-legged comment, San Geraldo had a revelation. He said, "You know, it never dawned on me that it was called octopus because it had eight legs."

PULPO A LA GALLEGA (GALICIAN OCTOPUS) AT EL TAPEO ANDALUZ.
(CLICK TO INCREASE THE SUCTION.)

Okay, it wasn't much of a revelation. And as soon as the words were out of his mouth San Geraldo added, "Oh, wait. I had to have known that." But it was too late. Matt and I were off.

"Well, now it's a septopus. Or is it a heptopus?" said Matt. He cut off a leg for Lindy and I said, "Is that a sexopus?" (Actually, I think it would be a hexopus.)

"OOPS."

"OK. YOU'VE ALL HAD YOUR FUN!
JUST FOR THAT, I'M HAVING DESSERT TONIGHT!"

HAPPY AGAIN.

Matt and I didn't bother with pentopus, rectopus (which is too disgusting to contemplate), or bipus. All eight legs were delicious. In fact, it was the most delicious pulpo (Spanish for octopus) I've ever tasted. And the texture was as good as it gets. But octopus, no matter how good, is wasted on me. I just can't get passed the suction cups.

DEEP-FRIED GOAT CHEESE WITH MOLASSES.
SAN GERALDO DOESN'T LIKE STRONG CHEESES.
LINDY, MATT, AND I LOVED IT.  IT HAD LEGS!

INSIDE TAPEO ANDALUZ. 

OUTSIDE AS WE HEADED HOME... ON OUR EIGHT LEGS.

Since that dinner, I've read a bit about octopus. Some people say it has only two legs. They call the other six "arms."

I never have understood this song...

The Last Córdoba Post ... This Month

This is it. I promise. I've got even more photos from our day in Córdoba, but I won't bore you with them all. Today, we start with lunch at Bodegas Mezquita on Calle Cespedes in the old Jewish Quarter, just across from the Mezquita/Cathedral. Exceptional food at good prices. Great service.

After lunch, we walked a bit. Until San Geraldo pooped out and I continued on my own.

San Geraldo says I dumped him. I like to think I parked him comfortably in an air-conditioned café. (Click the pics for a closer look at what San Geraldo saw and what he missed.)

DEEP-FRIED EGGPLANT WITH MOLASSES.

COD SALAD WITH ORANGES.

MEATBALLS "MOZARABE" — IN ALMOND SAUCE WITH SAFFRON.
"MOZARABE" REFERS TO THE CHRISTIANS OF MOORISH SPAIN;
(A NORTH AFRICAN STYLE OF COOKING). 

UNLIKE AT RESTAURANTE CITRON IN MÁLAGA (CLICK HERE),
THE MEN'S ROOM WAS EASY TO IDENTIFY.

PEEKING INTO AN ENTRY COURTYARD OF A HOUSE WE PASSED
(BEFORE SAN GERALDO WAS DUMPED IN THAT CAFÉ).

ROMAN TEMPLE OF CÓRDOBA (CITY HALL AT LEFT).

CONSTRUCTION BEGAN DURING THE REIGN OF CLAUDIUS (41–54 A.D.).

DISCOVERED IN THE 1950s DURING THE EXPANSION OF CITY HALL.

FRAGMENTS OF THE TEMPLE.

OTHER REMAINS ARE HOUSED IN
CÓRDOBA'S ARCHAEOLOGY MUSEUM.

PLAZA DEL POTRO (COLT/FILLY). MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS IN BACKGROUND.

And that completes our tour.

I'm glad this is done. Now I can get back to telling embarrassing stories about San Geraldo.

Córdoba: Mezquita/Cathedral

The history of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba (also known as the Mezquita and the Great Mosque of Córdoba) is amazing. If you'd like to learn about it in detail, Wikipedia is a good starting point (click here). Otherwise, I've got 'some' photos to share and just a few bits of information.

It is thought that the Mezquita was built on the site of an ancient Roman temple. The Visigoths invaded Córdoba and converted the temple to a church in 572. After the Islamic conquest of the Visigoths around 661, the mosque was begun and Christians were allowed to practice in their churches within the walls of the mosque. The mosque continued to expand (more than doubling in size) until the year 987. Finally, under Christian rule, Muslim worship was no longer allowed and it became the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady. That's an incredibly dumbed down version of history. But, it's meant to tell you that the mosque is huge and, within its walls are multiple Christian chapels and an entire cathedral. (Click the images to see how the mosque and cathedral grew over the centuries.)

VIEW OF THE MINARET FROM INSIDE THE COURT OF ORANGES.

A GLASS FLOOR TO EXPOSE ANCIENT MOSAICS BELOW.

"THE MIHRAB," WHICH IDENTIFIES THE WALL THAT FACES MECCA.

THE RIVER AND THE PUERTA DEL PUENTE (GATE OF THE BRIDGE), BUILT 1572.
(AS VIEWED FROM THE WINDOW OUTSIDE THE TOILETS — NEXT TO THE COMMUNAL SINKS.)

BACK IN THE COURT OF ORANGE TREES AFTER OUR EXPLORATIONS.

LOOKING FROM THE STREET INTO THE COURT OF ORANGES.

TOURISTS...

ANOTHER SIDE...

AND ANOTHER...