Andalucía - Discover Spain: Experience the Best of Spain - page 540

take for modern Brits who thought that their country had moved on since the days
of stuffy naval prints and Lord Nelson memorabilia.
The most exciting thing about Gibraltar is the Rock itself. The bulk of the upper
Rock, starting just above the town, is a nature reserve (adult/child incl attractions
£10/5, vehicle £2, pedestrian excl attractions £0.50; 9.30am-7.15pm, last entry
6.45pm), with spectacular views and several interesting spots to visit. The Rock's
most famous inhabitants are its colony of Barbary macaques, the only wild primates
in Europe.
CÓRDOBA
POP 306,000 / ELEV 110M
Picture a city 500,000-strong embellished with fine architecture and fuelled by a
prosperous and diverse economy. Picture universities and libraries filled with eru-
dite artists and wise philosophers. Picture an Islamic caliphate more advanced and
civilised than anything else the world had ever known. Picture Córdoba c 975AD.
OK, so this slightly grainy image may be over 1000 years old now, but enough of
ancient Córdoba remains to place it in the contemporary top three of Andalucian
draws. The centrepiece is the gigantic Mezquita, an architectural anomaly and one
of the only places in the world where you can worship Mass in a mosque. Surround-
ing it is an intricate web of winding streets, geranium-sprouting flower boxes and
cool intimate patios that are at their most beguiling in late spring.