41....

....is around 16 degrees too much but that is what we had to endure today!

The drive from Ciudad Real (not sure how it is pronounced but See You Dad, rolls off the tongue) to Córdoba had its moments, our intention is always to be on the main motorway- the Autovia - but today MRS GPS initially took us off the motorway and along a very minor road.

After around 10 kms of this we could see the Autovia so abandoned the GPS and took a road that joined up with the A road so off we merrily went again until we came to another intersection where SHE said leave the motorway but on this occasion we chose to stay with our instincts and alas we ended up on the second level motorway which we had to use for around 100kms.

The drive was not too bad as there was next to no other traffic but the speed limit was 90 whereas on the A road it is 120.

The moral of the story - not really sure, perhaps you are damned if you do and you are damned if you don't!!!

Córdoba greeted us with the hottest temperature we have experienced so far and you start to really feel it if you are not walking in the shade, if you are in the shade then you only feel it and not really feel it!🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞

Our hotel is across the Rio Guadalquivir from the "Old Town" and looks directly at the Mezquita, which is both a Mosque and a Cathedral and a place we will visit tomorrow.

To enter the Old Town you cross the rio, which is a very murky colour, via the Puerto Romano (roman bridge)

and you are immediately in the Jewish Quarter (La Juderia) where the streets are reasonably narrow but rather nice

We walked through the Old Town and up to Centro to find a department store that we knew would be well air conditioned and we spent a little time there taking in the cool air before we walked back to the hotel in what was now the hottest part of the day.

At the hotel we went to reception to uplift a couple of towels for the pool and I noticed that I was leaving a pool of moisture (others call it sweat) on the marble counter!

30-45 minutes in the pool put a little life back in the body however walking from the pool to the poolside lounger was not enjoyable as the tiles were so hot that it was impossible to stand on them without burning the soles of you feet (some might just call me "soft").