We used to be taken care of. We used to be wild, we used to be clean. We used to be the source of life for the people and creatures on our banks, and were honored as such. The change has been gradual, as everything is to us when the only way for us to observe land life is when we wash over it. They built their bridges over us, so that now when visitors come from far away to marvel at the land’s beauty, they need not actually acknowledge the land (nor water) that is quite literally the foundation of civilization here. They come to look at the Roman arches and brickwork, and they throw their souvenir wrappers and classy European cigarettes over the side and into our currents. Those who live here treat us no better; there is a sense of apathy we sense from the piles of beer cans we wash over, the broken wine bottles, the plastic wrappers that come with nearly every item, it seems. The water that makes its way to our banks is already heavily polluted, the runoff from hundreds of shop owners washing the streets and sidewalks in front of their buildings every day. It carries trash, grime, chemicals, harmful soap, food scraps, tar. We cannot blame the water that joins us, it just follows the quickest path through the streets, down the drains… It cannot help how people direct it as it makes its way here, to the Guadalquivir.
Though life has been made more difficult for them due to our polluted state, there are still creatures who live off of us daily: the cats who find sanctuary on our shores, the birds that frolic in the trees and dive into the water hoping for food, the few fish who swim through us. However, the humans who used to revere us have shifted to use us as little more than a drain, worth building beautiful structures over but not interacting with or protecting.
Nature does play a role in the advertisements here, but more so as a product to be sold and used as decoration than as a precious resource or entity to respect. I’ve seen flowers in countless ads, and as the city celebrates Semana Santa, or Holy Week, flowers are a huge part of making the city come alive for spectators and tourists. In May, Córdoba will celebrate the Festival of the Patios in which the entire city competes for the most extravagantly and beautifully “wild” (but heavily contained) patio of flowers. I have not seen it yet, but I doubt there will be much emphasis on sustainable gardening. Though for now the natural (curated) beauty is amazing to witness, I intend to keep a sharp eye out for what happens after the tourists have gone home and the nature no longer serves a financial purpose. I don’t mean to be so pessimistic, but I am hoping to see more appreciation and respect of the nature that sources the beauty as opposed to just the people who arrange it. Perhaps if there were more (any) advertisements that championed the causes (and financial benefits!) of sustainability, restoration, and intersectional climate activism, the ways in which tourists and locals alike engage with this city would change in a way that would allow the natural beauty to continue to thrive on its own, even when there is no audience.
Patios image from Google
Overflowing trash can (honestly one of the better ones) from a Semana Santa procession point
Two bonus images of a Semana Santa procession (the tall hats have nothing to do with the KKK, they are a symbol of penitence that have been around for centuries)! The processions and floats are actually so interesting to look into if anyone’s curious! They are carried by up to 40 men at a time, sometimes barefoot, sometimes all night, and can weigh up to 11,000 pounds….
