Calle del Pañuelo- Neckerchief Lane.

Calle del Pañuelo

I will readily admit that, at times I become so spellbound by the little hidden beauties Córdoba has to offer, I often find myself feeling like a tourist in my own city! It´s main allure, well for me anyway, is that you can completely lose yourself in its labyrinth of narrow streets which are suffused with the sweet smell of oranges and, especially at this time of year, the distinctive aroma of flowers. These maze-like streets are framed by ever so charming time-worn buildings which, I´m sure, if their walls could talk would have a lot of tales to tell! You could honestly spend hours, believe me I have, wandering through these quaint little streets soaking up the history that continues to unfold with each new turn you take. It honestly is magical.

Yesterday, seeing as the sun decided to bless us with a much awaited appearance, I ended up going on one of these mindless wanders. I say ended up as I started out, as I mentioned in my pervious blog, with an aim to take photos of the cruces. Obviously it was an aim that I wound up achieving but that´s not the point! The point is, on this wander, I became inspired to write about the little nooks and crannies I have been lucky enough to discover by living here. Nooks and crannies which, sadly, often go unnoticed by those who visit Córdoba. So I have decided to dedicate a section of my blog to these hidden beauties, I think I shall name it – Uncovering Beauty – quiet a fitting title if I do say so myself!

I am going to start my section with one of the most intriguing, and perhaps my favourite, little lane that Córdoba has to offer – Calle del Pañuelo, or neckerchief lane. Calle Pañuelo, a Moorish style lane, is located in the heart of the Jewish quarter, just beside la plaza de la Concha, It is an endearing little lane which, as the name suggests, is about the width of a neckerchief, 75cm. At the end of this whimsical little lane lies a tiny plaza, 15 meters squared to be exact, which is considered to be one of the smallest plazas in the world. The distinct smell of oranges and the soothing sound of the water from the miniature fountain add a certain charm to this quirky plaza. To add to its quirkiness, the plaza has no exit. The only way out of this delightful plaza is to retrace your footsteps and return by the very path you entered with!

I´m not quite sure if there is an actual history to this plaza or not, but, with graffiti covering the walls and doorways of the plaza and writing etched into the trunk of the orange trees, it´s safe to say, it´s certainly got some tales to tell. In my eyes this plaza has an untold amount of character and personality and I´m so glad to have stumbled upon it on one of my countless wanders through the city!