Things at home were very real and lively in those spring days at Cordova.

The war against the Moors had reached a critical stage; King Ferdinand was away laying siege to the city of Loxa, and though the Queen was at Cordova she was entirely occupied with the business of collecting and forwarding troops and supplies to his aid.

The streets were full of soldiers; nobles and grandees from all over the country were arriving daily with their retinues; glitter and splendour, and the pomp of warlike preparation, filled the city.

Early in June the Queen herself went to the front and joined her husband in the siege of Moclin; and when this was victoriously ended, and they had returned in triumph to Cordova, they had to set out again for Gallicia to suppress a rebellion there.

When that was over they did not come back to Cordova at all, but repaired at once to Salamanca to spend the winter there.
At the house of Alonso de Quintanilla, however, Columbus was not altogether wasting his time.