Cordoba, Spain (Andalusia): 3 hours

It’s highly likely you will not be in Córdoba  on business, but you may want to pop in by train from Seville or en route to Seville from Madrid. However you come to be in Córdoba, 3 hours is plenty to get a feel for what makes the town tick.

The allure of Córdoba is it’s ancient architecture by way of the magnificent Mezquita. Go there, take it all in, and you’re done!

If you want a little more action, walk around the narrow streets around the Mezquita and have tapas somewhere with a patio. The tapas in Córdoba are very inexpensive and the patios are works of art to behold - innovative gardening to the extreme, If you are lucky enough to be there in May, take a look at the Córdoba Patio Contest and Festival, where residents and business owners  celebrate gardening, Andalusian style! Some even add music, food and beverages.

Córdoba has the second largest Old town in Europe, the largest urban area in the world declared World Heritage by UNESCO. Because of this, you may feel guilty popping in and popping out. For a little more historiacal action, walk down do the river and check out the medieval Islamic water wheel.

Now you’re done.