We took a day trip from Seville to Cordoba which was a short 40 minute train ride. We left the train station and headed for Cordoba´s main attraction Mesquita - an amazing combination of an Islamic Mosque and Catholic church combined together.
The Mezquita decided to build a magnificant mosque on the site of an 8th century Visigothic Christian church. The mosque is one of the great creations of Islamic architecture with its shimmering golden mosaics and rows of red-and-white striped double arches disappearing into infinity. When the Christian´s conquered Cordoba from the Moors they choose to build a cathedral inside the huge mosque. It was inspiring to see how the Mesquita could be both a beautiful mosque and cathedral. Its an example of how Islam and Catholisism can seemingly co-exist together in harmony.
Afterwards we strolled around and discovered it was siesta time and all the other sights of interest were closed for several more hours. While sitting on a bench, trying to decide what to do next, we saw several ladies dressed in traditional flamenco dresses walk down the street. We figured, hey...that´s strange let´s fallow them to see what´s going on. After a 30 minute stroll of secretly following the flamenco dancers, we discovered a huge Fiera de (fair of) Cordoba. There were tons of huge tents filled with ladies and children in flamenco dresses, and men on horses wearing old styled suits and hats. Plus there was a carnival and rides. We had cotten candy, a delicious chocolate stuffed churro, and we rode the huge, whirling ride - the "Flash Fashion" that took us over 100ft in the air, flipping us head over heels. In one tent, Lee-Anne took a picture of a poster and this Spanish gentleman came over and took down the posters to give to her. So we had a couple beers to hang out and chat a little bit with them.
After a few hours at the Fair, we headed to the bus station and snuck a quick peak into the Castle of the Christian Monarchs where the Spanish Inquisition operated out of from 1490 to 1821. They also had some pretty gardens and fountains.
At 19:20, we made the train back to Seville with a big smiles on our faces.
-Russ and Lee-Anne
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Seville
When we first arrived in Seville, it was a dirty rainy city with seemingly less character than where we had come from in Granada. We rented a really nice apartment, so we got to cook our own food and pretend we lived in Spain. Actually, if either of us could live anywhere else Spain it would be high on the list.
The rest of of rainy first day was spent roaming the shops, Lee-Anne bught some bright red sandles and a stylish black leather-looking jacket. The second day we had a day trip to Cordoba to see the Mezquita--another jaw-dropping cathedral/mosque. On our first real full day in Seville (our 3rd actual day) we discovered what an amazing and beautiful place Seville is. We walked out of our apartment to one of the main plazas and the first street performer we saw was balancing 5 hula hoops on her nose. It was a theatrical display with comedy, crowd particpation, and circus-type acts. I got some footage of the woman doing a hula-hoop routine that I´m going to try and mimic. The street performers were very different than others I´ve seen, very professional. We also saw some flamenco and guitar playing that was entertaining as well. We walked on to our destination, the Cathedral. It is one of the largest in the world, and in a gothic-renaissance style. Everything else I see now pales in comparison, I feel I have become a catherdal snob. The pillars are MASSIVE - tall and wide, and it wasn´t as goddy as some of the other cathedrals we´ve seen. The cathedral has beautiful stain-glass dating back to the 15th century, and (the savage) Christopher Columbus´s tomb.
The afternoon was spent walking to to the Plaza Espana, a huge area built for the 1929 World´s Fair. A beautiful fountain dominates dominates the square, title work on the grounds and all along the walks of the buildings. Then we walked all over town to find a little hole-in-the-wall flamenco place - awesome!
On our fouth day, we slept in and ate a leisurely breakfast then hit the town. We walked along the Rio Guadalquiver, Spain´s historic River. It was the best weather days we had and everyone was out enjoying the sun. Then we saw the most breath-taking gardens I´ve ever seen, and a magnificent palace: The Alcazra. Residence of many generations of kings. This place, like many others, has renditions done by each of it´s residence spaning across the centuries starting in the 11th century, it is mostly in the Moorish, Andalucian style--tiles, archways, fountains, pillars, carvings, etc. Our day coutinued with a walking tour of the city, down little ally-ways, and stoped for tapas and sangria.
We left the next morning on a plane to Barcelona to meet up with our friend Spench.
Lee-Anne and Russ
The rest of of rainy first day was spent roaming the shops, Lee-Anne bught some bright red sandles and a stylish black leather-looking jacket. The second day we had a day trip to Cordoba to see the Mezquita--another jaw-dropping cathedral/mosque. On our first real full day in Seville (our 3rd actual day) we discovered what an amazing and beautiful place Seville is. We walked out of our apartment to one of the main plazas and the first street performer we saw was balancing 5 hula hoops on her nose. It was a theatrical display with comedy, crowd particpation, and circus-type acts. I got some footage of the woman doing a hula-hoop routine that I´m going to try and mimic. The street performers were very different than others I´ve seen, very professional. We also saw some flamenco and guitar playing that was entertaining as well. We walked on to our destination, the Cathedral. It is one of the largest in the world, and in a gothic-renaissance style. Everything else I see now pales in comparison, I feel I have become a catherdal snob. The pillars are MASSIVE - tall and wide, and it wasn´t as goddy as some of the other cathedrals we´ve seen. The cathedral has beautiful stain-glass dating back to the 15th century, and (the savage) Christopher Columbus´s tomb.
The afternoon was spent walking to to the Plaza Espana, a huge area built for the 1929 World´s Fair. A beautiful fountain dominates dominates the square, title work on the grounds and all along the walks of the buildings. Then we walked all over town to find a little hole-in-the-wall flamenco place - awesome!
On our fouth day, we slept in and ate a leisurely breakfast then hit the town. We walked along the Rio Guadalquiver, Spain´s historic River. It was the best weather days we had and everyone was out enjoying the sun. Then we saw the most breath-taking gardens I´ve ever seen, and a magnificent palace: The Alcazra. Residence of many generations of kings. This place, like many others, has renditions done by each of it´s residence spaning across the centuries starting in the 11th century, it is mostly in the Moorish, Andalucian style--tiles, archways, fountains, pillars, carvings, etc. Our day coutinued with a walking tour of the city, down little ally-ways, and stoped for tapas and sangria.
We left the next morning on a plane to Barcelona to meet up with our friend Spench.
Lee-Anne and Russ
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Granada and Alhambra
Ahhh Granada. This is a magical little city with it´s main attraction being the Alhambra. It is a special place that has all of the conveniences of a city, with a small town feel. There are winding streets that go up long hills with balconies decorated with flower pots and ivy--this is how I thought Seville would look like.
Alhambra was an all day affair. We bought tickets online to access the gardens of Alhambra during the morning since it was recommended we get tickets in advance and that was all that was available online. Nevertheless, we still got up early (7am) and got in line to try and get the full admission ticket to view the highlight of Alhambra, it´s palace--Palacio Nararies. We succeeded in getting afternoon tickets to the Palacio Nararies and decided to keep our garden tickets so we could spend the entire day at Alhambra. Alhambra has been expanded on since it orginal structure built in 1492. Orginally a fortress; turn mosque, turn Sultan mansion, turn Cathedral, turn tourist attraction. I cannot fully explain what it is like to see Alhambra, the pictures will show a better discription than I can. It´s massive with many aspects to see. First there´s the impressive gardens with long banks of water and fountains, hedges that look like castles, roses and all kind of other beautiful flowers blossoming; a stone path leading along to a palace that overlooks everything--the gardens, the water, the fortresses, etc. Then there´s the ruins of the fortress: old dungens, ramparts, and a watch tower that allows views of all of Granada and the Sierra Nevada´s snow caped moutains. The Palace Nararies and Palace of Carlos V built in the 14th and 15th Centuries have courtyards and artitechture consisting of carved wooden ceilings, glazed tiles, and molded stucco gives a real grandiose effect.
After a full day of awe-struck amazement, we went to a grocery store and bought cheeses, olive oil, wine, meats, and figs. Then stopped at a pastry shop for yummy bits of flan, cream puffs and chocolate. With these treats we had a delicious dinner on our bed. YUM!!
We stayed an extra day in Granada to just enjoy the town, sleep in, eat tapas and donar kebabs. Also on this day Lee-Anne insisted on relaxing in a Hammam built in the 11th century. Oh it was decadent, with three pools lined in marble, Arabic arches, and tiles all lit by candle light. We had a short massage and sipped Moroccan mint tea. We also visited a cathedral that was part gothic, part renisance, and very beautiful. On a walk through the town we found an artist community selling jewerly and such, I had to indulge my apperication for the art.
Sad to leave this special place, we stopped in the pastry shop for fresh pastries for the train to Seville.
Lee-Anne and Russ
Alhambra was an all day affair. We bought tickets online to access the gardens of Alhambra during the morning since it was recommended we get tickets in advance and that was all that was available online. Nevertheless, we still got up early (7am) and got in line to try and get the full admission ticket to view the highlight of Alhambra, it´s palace--Palacio Nararies. We succeeded in getting afternoon tickets to the Palacio Nararies and decided to keep our garden tickets so we could spend the entire day at Alhambra. Alhambra has been expanded on since it orginal structure built in 1492. Orginally a fortress; turn mosque, turn Sultan mansion, turn Cathedral, turn tourist attraction. I cannot fully explain what it is like to see Alhambra, the pictures will show a better discription than I can. It´s massive with many aspects to see. First there´s the impressive gardens with long banks of water and fountains, hedges that look like castles, roses and all kind of other beautiful flowers blossoming; a stone path leading along to a palace that overlooks everything--the gardens, the water, the fortresses, etc. Then there´s the ruins of the fortress: old dungens, ramparts, and a watch tower that allows views of all of Granada and the Sierra Nevada´s snow caped moutains. The Palace Nararies and Palace of Carlos V built in the 14th and 15th Centuries have courtyards and artitechture consisting of carved wooden ceilings, glazed tiles, and molded stucco gives a real grandiose effect.
After a full day of awe-struck amazement, we went to a grocery store and bought cheeses, olive oil, wine, meats, and figs. Then stopped at a pastry shop for yummy bits of flan, cream puffs and chocolate. With these treats we had a delicious dinner on our bed. YUM!!
We stayed an extra day in Granada to just enjoy the town, sleep in, eat tapas and donar kebabs. Also on this day Lee-Anne insisted on relaxing in a Hammam built in the 11th century. Oh it was decadent, with three pools lined in marble, Arabic arches, and tiles all lit by candle light. We had a short massage and sipped Moroccan mint tea. We also visited a cathedral that was part gothic, part renisance, and very beautiful. On a walk through the town we found an artist community selling jewerly and such, I had to indulge my apperication for the art.
Sad to leave this special place, we stopped in the pastry shop for fresh pastries for the train to Seville.
Lee-Anne and Russ
Gibraltar - the Rock
Despite being tired from a long, arduous journey into Spain the night before; Russ got up early and got a train tickets to Granada and found out the bus schedule for Gibraltar all while Lee-Anne slept in. All Lee-Anne wanted to do that day was rest and maybe go for a stroll however she decided to rally and join Russ in a short adventure to this small British colony.
We took a 40 minute bus to La Linea which is the town that borders Gibralter. The entrance into Gibralter requires people and cars to cross an active runway for the airport, a deal that Spain and England finally came to and was completed in 2006. Gates close; stopping traffic anytime a plane takes off or lands.
The first order of business was getting an english breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon, sausages(which were aweful), beans, tomatoes, and toast. It was so nice to have a good breakfast again after the so many bland toast breakfasts in Morocco.
We walked down Main street which was lined with beautiful 16/17th century buildings. The architecture had a unique mix of English, Spanish, and Genoese influences. Of course most of the shops, bars, and restaurants names referenced jolly old England.
The highlight of our short trip was 30 minutes on the top of the 426m Rock of Gibraltar. We took a quick 6 minute gondola ride to the top. Two sides of the rock were spellbinding cliffs. The Rock of Gibraltar is also home to the only population of Monkeys in Europe. We saw a dozen or so of them playing, hanging out, and observing us. They didn´t mind people at all.
Afterwards we hurried to the bus station then we caught a train to Granada. The train ride from Algeciras to Granada was a gorgeous ride through mountains and rolling hills covered in olive trees and grape vines.
Adios,
Russ and Lee-Anne
We took a 40 minute bus to La Linea which is the town that borders Gibralter. The entrance into Gibralter requires people and cars to cross an active runway for the airport, a deal that Spain and England finally came to and was completed in 2006. Gates close; stopping traffic anytime a plane takes off or lands.
The first order of business was getting an english breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon, sausages(which were aweful), beans, tomatoes, and toast. It was so nice to have a good breakfast again after the so many bland toast breakfasts in Morocco.
We walked down Main street which was lined with beautiful 16/17th century buildings. The architecture had a unique mix of English, Spanish, and Genoese influences. Of course most of the shops, bars, and restaurants names referenced jolly old England.
The highlight of our short trip was 30 minutes on the top of the 426m Rock of Gibraltar. We took a quick 6 minute gondola ride to the top. Two sides of the rock were spellbinding cliffs. The Rock of Gibraltar is also home to the only population of Monkeys in Europe. We saw a dozen or so of them playing, hanging out, and observing us. They didn´t mind people at all.
Afterwards we hurried to the bus station then we caught a train to Granada. The train ride from Algeciras to Granada was a gorgeous ride through mountains and rolling hills covered in olive trees and grape vines.
Adios,
Russ and Lee-Anne
Heading to Spain - crossing the Strait of Gibraltar
Our road from Chefchaouen to the Southern Spain wasn´t an easy one. That´s part of the fun of traveling, right?!
While waiting for the bus in Chefchaouen we met some English speaking students: Scott(from Pennsyvania), Denny(Whistler), and Nafalie(Oregon). There were in the middle of a year long traveling course for international relations & photography which took them to several 2nd & 3rd world countries across the globe.
The bus arrived late and was packed. We were fortunate to get two seats together although they were in the very back of the bus. Those were the worst seats to have on the 3 1/2 hour journey through windy mountainous roads.
We arrived in Tangier at 6:30pm on Sunday night (5/25) and our student friends were staying in Morocco for the night while Russ was determined to get to Southern Spain so he could spend the day in Gibraltar. Knowing we had more money than time; we ran to try and catch a 7pm fast ferry to Tangier with a bus ride to Algeciras. Things were going smooth until we hit the ferry building.
Strangly the passport control appeared unmanned and no one stopped us as we hurried past. Next we hit a security check where the attendant was standing 10 ft away talking to a friend. We put our bags through the machine and he didn´t even care to view the bags. Running down the ramp to the ferry boat I told Lee-Anne how I didn´t feel good about not having our exit stamp from Morocco. But maybe they were going to stamp them as we got on the boat. Nope. As we tried to enter the boat, the employee told us to go back and get our exit stamp. So we ran back to the passport control booth in the ferry building and noticed only one of the 3 booths were manned; by a short lady who´s top of her head barely reached the counter. She needed us to fill out an exit form which we had to get in the direction she pointed. I ran there and asked a guy for the forms he pulled two out and gave them to me. Lee-Anne and I filled out the forms and he then asked for money and was telling us to slow down and the ferry would wait for us. In fact, he said he´d call the ferry and have them wait. He kept pestering us and Lee-Anne finally gave him a $1 so he´d go away. Oh man he was annoying and we can´t believe how everyone wants money from tourists traveling in Morocco. As we approached the ferry we saw the ramp rising and several employees yelled at us to stop saying "No, No. Short wait, only 30 minutes". That was a bunch of BS, we had to wait 2 hours.
Once on the boat, the first order of business was getting food and WINE. We hadn´t eaten for hours and Russ bought the best-worst soggy, doughy, frankfurt pizza with sliced hot dogs on top. The ferry also left over 40 minutes late...how come the other ferry could not have been late?!
Once in Spain everything went smoothly. The bus was there and dropped us off across from a hotel in the center of Algeciras near the bus and train stations. Excelente!
Right now its Saturday evening in Seville and we´ve had 5 wonderful days in Gibraltar, Granada, Cordoba, and Seville. We will eventually blog our adventures but we´re having too much fun to sit in front of a computer.
Hasta Luego!
Russ and Lee-Anne
While waiting for the bus in Chefchaouen we met some English speaking students: Scott(from Pennsyvania), Denny(Whistler), and Nafalie(Oregon). There were in the middle of a year long traveling course for international relations & photography which took them to several 2nd & 3rd world countries across the globe.
The bus arrived late and was packed. We were fortunate to get two seats together although they were in the very back of the bus. Those were the worst seats to have on the 3 1/2 hour journey through windy mountainous roads.
We arrived in Tangier at 6:30pm on Sunday night (5/25) and our student friends were staying in Morocco for the night while Russ was determined to get to Southern Spain so he could spend the day in Gibraltar. Knowing we had more money than time; we ran to try and catch a 7pm fast ferry to Tangier with a bus ride to Algeciras. Things were going smooth until we hit the ferry building.
Strangly the passport control appeared unmanned and no one stopped us as we hurried past. Next we hit a security check where the attendant was standing 10 ft away talking to a friend. We put our bags through the machine and he didn´t even care to view the bags. Running down the ramp to the ferry boat I told Lee-Anne how I didn´t feel good about not having our exit stamp from Morocco. But maybe they were going to stamp them as we got on the boat. Nope. As we tried to enter the boat, the employee told us to go back and get our exit stamp. So we ran back to the passport control booth in the ferry building and noticed only one of the 3 booths were manned; by a short lady who´s top of her head barely reached the counter. She needed us to fill out an exit form which we had to get in the direction she pointed. I ran there and asked a guy for the forms he pulled two out and gave them to me. Lee-Anne and I filled out the forms and he then asked for money and was telling us to slow down and the ferry would wait for us. In fact, he said he´d call the ferry and have them wait. He kept pestering us and Lee-Anne finally gave him a $1 so he´d go away. Oh man he was annoying and we can´t believe how everyone wants money from tourists traveling in Morocco. As we approached the ferry we saw the ramp rising and several employees yelled at us to stop saying "No, No. Short wait, only 30 minutes". That was a bunch of BS, we had to wait 2 hours.
Once on the boat, the first order of business was getting food and WINE. We hadn´t eaten for hours and Russ bought the best-worst soggy, doughy, frankfurt pizza with sliced hot dogs on top. The ferry also left over 40 minutes late...how come the other ferry could not have been late?!
Once in Spain everything went smoothly. The bus was there and dropped us off across from a hotel in the center of Algeciras near the bus and train stations. Excelente!
Right now its Saturday evening in Seville and we´ve had 5 wonderful days in Gibraltar, Granada, Cordoba, and Seville. We will eventually blog our adventures but we´re having too much fun to sit in front of a computer.
Hasta Luego!
Russ and Lee-Anne
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Chefchaouen - The Land of Blue Doors
Chefchaouen... a beautiful village set beneath the striking peaks of the Rif Mountain range. It has an old medina with red-tiled roofs, and several mosques scattered about. Every shade of blue coats the entire town--from
the buildings to their homes. Narrow lanes pave the way up through the blue saturated dewlings and is one of the most picturesque place we've been to in Morocco. The town also has a pleasant hippy vibe where we've come across several dread-locked backpackers who are drawn here by the laid-back atmosphere and the easy availability of kif. The days were comfortable cool here with the sun burning off a light morning mist both days we were here.
As we walk around the alleys we come across tons of little kids playing futbol, jumping rope, and wandering around with interlocked arms saying "Hola" to us with a smile. A few kids ask for money but most are happy to speak in a foreign tongue - mostly spanish. The prices here are marginally lower than Fez and Marrakesh however Lee-Anne sadly noticed many shop keepers were not willing to haggle.
We met an American couple, Jesse and Kristen, in their late twenties from Jackson, Wyoming. We chatted for a couple hours over breakfast. Jesse is a snowboard photographer who is friends with Travis Rice (one of today's premier snowboarders and winner of SF's 2008 Icer-Air contest) and Kristen who is a graphic artist. It was so nice to chat for a while with Americans about our travels and common interests. They're doing a similar trip as ours - a one month trip through parts of Spain, Morocco, and Portugal. Russ was able to get some insider information on the best snowboarding videos coming out for next fall. ;)
Lee-Anne and I also hiked a few kilometers to an old ruined mosque that sat on a hillside overlooking Chefchaouen. As we searched for more hiking adventures we came a cross a goat trail that lead up a rocky chute between two towering cliffs. We tightened up our shoelaces and climbed up several hundred meters which was half way to top of the saddle.
During our stay here Russ was experiencing some stomach problems. It was just a bad case of indigestion but Russ is looking forward to Spain for a new variety of cuisine. Morocco seems to have a small variety of foods: Tagines - clay pots with a stew of carrots, potatoes, onions, green peppers, a type of meat, and moroccan spices; Brochettes - shish kabobs, Couscous, omelette, Olives, Bread, and mint tea. You notice most of these foods are in french due to the heavy french influence here.
Au revoir Maroc!
Russ and Lee-Anne
the buildings to their homes. Narrow lanes pave the way up through the blue saturated dewlings and is one of the most picturesque place we've been to in Morocco. The town also has a pleasant hippy vibe where we've come across several dread-locked backpackers who are drawn here by the laid-back atmosphere and the easy availability of kif. The days were comfortable cool here with the sun burning off a light morning mist both days we were here.
As we walk around the alleys we come across tons of little kids playing futbol, jumping rope, and wandering around with interlocked arms saying "Hola" to us with a smile. A few kids ask for money but most are happy to speak in a foreign tongue - mostly spanish. The prices here are marginally lower than Fez and Marrakesh however Lee-Anne sadly noticed many shop keepers were not willing to haggle.
We met an American couple, Jesse and Kristen, in their late twenties from Jackson, Wyoming. We chatted for a couple hours over breakfast. Jesse is a snowboard photographer who is friends with Travis Rice (one of today's premier snowboarders and winner of SF's 2008 Icer-Air contest) and Kristen who is a graphic artist. It was so nice to chat for a while with Americans about our travels and common interests. They're doing a similar trip as ours - a one month trip through parts of Spain, Morocco, and Portugal. Russ was able to get some insider information on the best snowboarding videos coming out for next fall. ;)
Lee-Anne and I also hiked a few kilometers to an old ruined mosque that sat on a hillside overlooking Chefchaouen. As we searched for more hiking adventures we came a cross a goat trail that lead up a rocky chute between two towering cliffs. We tightened up our shoelaces and climbed up several hundred meters which was half way to top of the saddle.
During our stay here Russ was experiencing some stomach problems. It was just a bad case of indigestion but Russ is looking forward to Spain for a new variety of cuisine. Morocco seems to have a small variety of foods: Tagines - clay pots with a stew of carrots, potatoes, onions, green peppers, a type of meat, and moroccan spices; Brochettes - shish kabobs, Couscous, omelette, Olives, Bread, and mint tea. You notice most of these foods are in french due to the heavy french influence here.
Au revoir Maroc!
Russ and Lee-Anne
Thursday, May 22, 2008
The ancient city of Fez
Our trip to Fez was a pleasant train ride in comfortable first class that lead us through Casablanca, Rabat, and Meknes. Lee-Anne originally purchased 2nd class seats but after being on a bus the day before Russ wanted more room for his banged up knee and tailbone. As we approached fez a charismatic Moroccan man entered our sitting car and set us up with a great deal for a raid in Fez for 800Dhm which is roughly 110USD. After he left we read how there are Faux Guides all over Fez who offer you special deals and tours of Fezs Medina. We were told a man from the raid would be waiting for us at the train station with a sign. We never saw this man but we already agreed we were going to avoid him.
We want to warn everyone that you need reservations at a hotel before coming to Fez. We took a cab to the medina to a location where we wanted to stay. The first two places we found were booked. Walking around with our big backpacks made us targets for every faux guide and eager child around. Tons of people kept trying to steer us to a riad. Its said that if a guide brings you to a place, the guest pays more and the guide gets a percentage. We tried to avoid this but after several places declined us for not having reservations, a teenage boy helped us find a raid listed in the lonely planet which we couldnt locate in the maze of the medina.
Once in we haggled the room price down from 1500 to 800Dhm. Meanwhile in the courtyard of the raid the owner was arguing with our teenage guide...since he probably wanted a portion of our hotel fee. Isnt it ironic that we would have paid the same amount and saved some hassle if we just found the guy at the train station.
During our one full day here we did a walking tour from the lonely planet of the crazy medina. Many people and faux guides approached us saying they could take us here or there. We always declined and kept going. We came across many mosques, fezs oldest library, a palace, alleys full of small shops, and many overloaded donkeys.
Lee-Anne also accomplished many successful haggled purchases: a beautiful silver tea set with 5 colorful cups, hands of fatima(moroccan good luck charms), a pretty silk table cloth, a perfume bottle, and Moroccan spices. We realized that Lee-anne is definately a better haggler than me... so we would quitely agree on a good price then away she went. Lee-anne also got decorative henna on her right hand and Russ politely agreed when the lady asked if he wanted a small design on his arm.
After dinner we wondered and took a few more pictures then into the internet cafe. Now its time to read our books: Lee-Anne - Pillars of the Earth and Russ - King of Thrones.
Tommorrow morning off to Chefchaouen, a Rif mountain town, fortunately we have reservations. Thanks to Lee-Anne and her spanish, we called and made reservations last night. No more pestering faux guides for us!
So long for now!
Russ and Lee-anne
We want to warn everyone that you need reservations at a hotel before coming to Fez. We took a cab to the medina to a location where we wanted to stay. The first two places we found were booked. Walking around with our big backpacks made us targets for every faux guide and eager child around. Tons of people kept trying to steer us to a riad. Its said that if a guide brings you to a place, the guest pays more and the guide gets a percentage. We tried to avoid this but after several places declined us for not having reservations, a teenage boy helped us find a raid listed in the lonely planet which we couldnt locate in the maze of the medina.
Once in we haggled the room price down from 1500 to 800Dhm. Meanwhile in the courtyard of the raid the owner was arguing with our teenage guide...since he probably wanted a portion of our hotel fee. Isnt it ironic that we would have paid the same amount and saved some hassle if we just found the guy at the train station.
During our one full day here we did a walking tour from the lonely planet of the crazy medina. Many people and faux guides approached us saying they could take us here or there. We always declined and kept going. We came across many mosques, fezs oldest library, a palace, alleys full of small shops, and many overloaded donkeys.
Lee-Anne also accomplished many successful haggled purchases: a beautiful silver tea set with 5 colorful cups, hands of fatima(moroccan good luck charms), a pretty silk table cloth, a perfume bottle, and Moroccan spices. We realized that Lee-anne is definately a better haggler than me... so we would quitely agree on a good price then away she went. Lee-anne also got decorative henna on her right hand and Russ politely agreed when the lady asked if he wanted a small design on his arm.
After dinner we wondered and took a few more pictures then into the internet cafe. Now its time to read our books: Lee-Anne - Pillars of the Earth and Russ - King of Thrones.
Tommorrow morning off to Chefchaouen, a Rif mountain town, fortunately we have reservations. Thanks to Lee-Anne and her spanish, we called and made reservations last night. No more pestering faux guides for us!
So long for now!
Russ and Lee-anne
Essaouira (es oh where a)
We had a very difficult time getting the name of this beautiful Atlantic coastal town right, Essaouira. A tour bus took us from Marrakesh west to Essaouira, about 3 hours, to the ocean. This is a place where a lot of people come for holiday and reminded me of Santa Cruz in that way. I really wanted to ride a camel on this trip and read that this is one of the few places to do it.
The town has old ramparts that eccentuate the beauty of this town. The town is surrounded by these old walls of war and are accented with magnifisent archways and are lined with palm trees. With in the rampart walls there are winding streets with blue doors about every 20 feet, old cannons, and towers. Facinated by the beauty, we could not resist taking pictures every few moments. There are loads of fishermen and everything that comes with them: birds, boats, the smell of fish being gutted.
As we stolled along the beach dipping our toes in the water, we were approached by a business man who had camels. As is the tradition in Morocco, we bartered for a ride on on his camels. We found that saying that we're students helps a lot, and loving a good deal helped me swing a camel ride for less than a 1/3 of the asking price. Ridding our camels along the shore, we saw the the old Sultan ruins that provided the inspiration for "Castles Made of Sand" by Jimi Hendrix, kite and wind surfers and rode through sand dunes.
After a long day of being in the wind and sunshine, we loaded up on the bus and headed back to Marrakesh.
The town has old ramparts that eccentuate the beauty of this town. The town is surrounded by these old walls of war and are accented with magnifisent archways and are lined with palm trees. With in the rampart walls there are winding streets with blue doors about every 20 feet, old cannons, and towers. Facinated by the beauty, we could not resist taking pictures every few moments. There are loads of fishermen and everything that comes with them: birds, boats, the smell of fish being gutted.
As we stolled along the beach dipping our toes in the water, we were approached by a business man who had camels. As is the tradition in Morocco, we bartered for a ride on on his camels. We found that saying that we're students helps a lot, and loving a good deal helped me swing a camel ride for less than a 1/3 of the asking price. Ridding our camels along the shore, we saw the the old Sultan ruins that provided the inspiration for "Castles Made of Sand" by Jimi Hendrix, kite and wind surfers and rode through sand dunes.
After a long day of being in the wind and sunshine, we loaded up on the bus and headed back to Marrakesh.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Marrakesh Maddness
Bonjour from Marrakesh, where people speak four different languages, primarly French and Arabic, but also English and Spanish. A place where people drink mint tea, fresh orange juice and eat delicious pastries, steamed meat in tangines and the delicacies of lamb heads, and snail soup.
We started our journey waiting for an extra 2 hours in the airport at 1am, yawn. We got into Marrakesh from Barcelona at 3am Morocco time(2 hours behind Spainsh time). The town was d-e-a-d. Which was in stark contrast to what we witnessed when we got up the next morning; the city was very much alive with people, donkey carts, mopeads, trucks and people going about their day. That afternoon as we made our way to the middle of the medina and souqs (shopping area) and suddenly experienced a massive down pour. Good thing we had some rain gear, thanks to my metrologist boyfriend.
Later that evening we met up with our good friend Spench and went to dinner in the ville nouvelle part of town, where we found a swanky place to dine and have wine. Russ was insistant on having the best Moroccan wine money can buy, which was a challenge since this Muslim town is practically dry...so we had two bottles.
The next day was sunny, but not nearly as hot as I thought it would be here, it's about 60-65F. All three of us set out to find our friend Tyler and Aaron Reed's friend that sells carpets here. We found him and spent the day chatting, drinking tea, eating fresh fish and sardines, and looking at all kinds of rugs. Russ and I bought 2 rugs and Spench bought 2 kilim rugs. On the way to the carpets a beautiful lamp caught my eye, after seeing hundreds of lamps, I thought this one was special. I bargined hard for it and got it at a good price. Now with the realization that I have a massive lamp to deal with, which at the time was so worth it!
We spent most of day at the post office trying to find a box and wrapping for it, to no avail. We looked at having the lamp and the carpets sent DHL or FedEx, which was going to cost $400 to send home. Nope, not worth it. Luckly this morning my new best friend Spench sat with our packages to be sent home. (Thanks Spench, love you long time!)
Yesterday afternoon after the post office experience we saw some awesome sultan ruines. We found the best deals for eating to be in the main square, Djemma el-Fna where a dozen of the same stands are located side by side. Each stand has several multi-lingual employees who diligently try to bring you into their food stand.
The next day we were off for a one day trip to Essaouira...
Lee-Anne and Russ
We started our journey waiting for an extra 2 hours in the airport at 1am, yawn. We got into Marrakesh from Barcelona at 3am Morocco time(2 hours behind Spainsh time). The town was d-e-a-d. Which was in stark contrast to what we witnessed when we got up the next morning; the city was very much alive with people, donkey carts, mopeads, trucks and people going about their day. That afternoon as we made our way to the middle of the medina and souqs (shopping area) and suddenly experienced a massive down pour. Good thing we had some rain gear, thanks to my metrologist boyfriend.
Later that evening we met up with our good friend Spench and went to dinner in the ville nouvelle part of town, where we found a swanky place to dine and have wine. Russ was insistant on having the best Moroccan wine money can buy, which was a challenge since this Muslim town is practically dry...so we had two bottles.
The next day was sunny, but not nearly as hot as I thought it would be here, it's about 60-65F. All three of us set out to find our friend Tyler and Aaron Reed's friend that sells carpets here. We found him and spent the day chatting, drinking tea, eating fresh fish and sardines, and looking at all kinds of rugs. Russ and I bought 2 rugs and Spench bought 2 kilim rugs. On the way to the carpets a beautiful lamp caught my eye, after seeing hundreds of lamps, I thought this one was special. I bargined hard for it and got it at a good price. Now with the realization that I have a massive lamp to deal with, which at the time was so worth it!
We spent most of day at the post office trying to find a box and wrapping for it, to no avail. We looked at having the lamp and the carpets sent DHL or FedEx, which was going to cost $400 to send home. Nope, not worth it. Luckly this morning my new best friend Spench sat with our packages to be sent home. (Thanks Spench, love you long time!)
Yesterday afternoon after the post office experience we saw some awesome sultan ruines. We found the best deals for eating to be in the main square, Djemma el-Fna where a dozen of the same stands are located side by side. Each stand has several multi-lingual employees who diligently try to bring you into their food stand.
The next day we were off for a one day trip to Essaouira...
Lee-Anne and Russ
Monday, May 19, 2008
One day in Barcelona
Hello from Marrakech, Morocco! So far things are going well. Our flight out here went smoothly except we had one scare. We flew British Airways and didn't check in online. When we checked in we found out there weren't any seats next to each other. Fortunately when we boarded the plane our seats had changed so we were seated next to each other for the 10hr flight to London. Whew! If you fly BA always check-in online.
Since I've been to Barcelona before I was able to easily navigate the city and act as a tour guide for Lee-Anne. Hear main reason for coming to Barcelona was to see Gaudi's work first-hand. Our morning consisted of a stroll through Las Ramblas, the Barri Gotic, and an old cathedral (Esglesia de Santa Maria del Pi) during which she would softly say "Goudi, Goudi".
Knowing all along I'd take her to some of Goudi's work we strolled down the Pg de Gracia to see two of Goudi's buildings: Casa Batllo and La Pedrera. On my first trip to Spain I only saw the exterior of these buildings. This time with Lee-Anne we took a tour of both interiors. Doing so showed me the true genius of Goudi. His Casa Batllo was the most amazing house I've ever seen. The house is an organic, underwater themed masterpiece where everything swirls and there are no straight lines.
Of course we had to fuel ourselves with tapas, wine, and sangria during our short stay before leaving on a 2 hour red-eye to Marrakech. Sadly when we left both of had several itchy bumps from bed bugs and mosquitos. Last time I was in Barcelona I was bitten by bed bugs. Can't they keep the beds clean in that City!
Adios!
Russ and Lee-Anne
Since I've been to Barcelona before I was able to easily navigate the city and act as a tour guide for Lee-Anne. Hear main reason for coming to Barcelona was to see Gaudi's work first-hand. Our morning consisted of a stroll through Las Ramblas, the Barri Gotic, and an old cathedral (Esglesia de Santa Maria del Pi) during which she would softly say "Goudi, Goudi".
Knowing all along I'd take her to some of Goudi's work we strolled down the Pg de Gracia to see two of Goudi's buildings: Casa Batllo and La Pedrera. On my first trip to Spain I only saw the exterior of these buildings. This time with Lee-Anne we took a tour of both interiors. Doing so showed me the true genius of Goudi. His Casa Batllo was the most amazing house I've ever seen. The house is an organic, underwater themed masterpiece where everything swirls and there are no straight lines.
Of course we had to fuel ourselves with tapas, wine, and sangria during our short stay before leaving on a 2 hour red-eye to Marrakech. Sadly when we left both of had several itchy bumps from bed bugs and mosquitos. Last time I was in Barcelona I was bitten by bed bugs. Can't they keep the beds clean in that City!
Adios!
Russ and Lee-Anne
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Spain & Morocco - 1 days before departure
It's Monday May 13, 2008 which is one day after Russ' 34th birthday. Its also 1 days before Lee-Anne and I leave for our 26 day trip to Spain and Morocco. Why Spain and Morocco? There were several reasons:
1) Spain and Morocco have enchanting culture, architechure, and history which intrigues us.
2) Our friend's brother lives in Morocco and has given us many useful "insider" tips about the country.
3) Lee-Anne's fascination with flamenco dancing. Here's a clip of some flamenco dancing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xhits_HAeKM
4) In 2005, Russ went to Spain and loved it! I vowed one day to return to Barcelona and experience more of Spain's sights, food (yay Tapas!), wine, and culture.
Portugal was also one of our planned destinations when we booked our flights however we decided to skip Portugal on this trip to allow us more time in Morocco and Spain. Hopefully one day we'll add a Portugal, Basque Country, and Madrid adventure to this blog.
While in Spain and Morocco we'll be meeting up with our friend Spench. Spench is driving around Morocco in a 4x4 with his German friend Axel. We hope to meet up with Spench for a few days in Marrakech. We'll spend a few days together in Barcelona at the end of our trip. Here's a link to Spench's travel blog. http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-ljJpKYMia6PFT5TF0ijaaHJ41VX7
Here is a rough itinerary of when and where we'll be.
5/14 - Fly out of SFO ~7pm
5/15 - Arrive in Barcelona ~7:30pm (lay over in Heathrow. No wammies, no wammies, ...)
5/16(17) - Midnight flight to Marrakech.
5/17-5/19 - Marrakech, Morocco
5/19-5/20 - Essaouira, Morocco
5/20-5/22 - Fez, Morocco
5/23 - 5/24 - Chefchaouen, Morocco
5/25 - 5/26 - Traveling to Tangiers, Morocco taking a ferry to Southern Spain and Gibraltar.
5/27 - 6/2 - Seville, Granada, and Cordoba - Spain
6/2 - 6/8 - Barcelona, Spain
6/8 - Flying home. Arrive in SFO ~5pm
Lee-Anne and I would love hearing from our friends and family as we travel.
With Love,
Russ and Lee-Anne
1) Spain and Morocco have enchanting culture, architechure, and history which intrigues us.
2) Our friend's brother lives in Morocco and has given us many useful "insider" tips about the country.
3) Lee-Anne's fascination with flamenco dancing. Here's a clip of some flamenco dancing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xhits_HAeKM
4) In 2005, Russ went to Spain and loved it! I vowed one day to return to Barcelona and experience more of Spain's sights, food (yay Tapas!), wine, and culture.
Portugal was also one of our planned destinations when we booked our flights however we decided to skip Portugal on this trip to allow us more time in Morocco and Spain. Hopefully one day we'll add a Portugal, Basque Country, and Madrid adventure to this blog.
While in Spain and Morocco we'll be meeting up with our friend Spench. Spench is driving around Morocco in a 4x4 with his German friend Axel. We hope to meet up with Spench for a few days in Marrakech. We'll spend a few days together in Barcelona at the end of our trip. Here's a link to Spench's travel blog. http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-ljJpKYMia6PFT5TF0ijaaHJ41VX7
Here is a rough itinerary of when and where we'll be.
5/14 - Fly out of SFO ~7pm
5/15 - Arrive in Barcelona ~7:30pm (lay over in Heathrow. No wammies, no wammies, ...)
5/16(17) - Midnight flight to Marrakech.
5/17-5/19 - Marrakech, Morocco
5/19-5/20 - Essaouira, Morocco
5/20-5/22 - Fez, Morocco
5/23 - 5/24 - Chefchaouen, Morocco
5/25 - 5/26 - Traveling to Tangiers, Morocco taking a ferry to Southern Spain and Gibraltar.
5/27 - 6/2 - Seville, Granada, and Cordoba - Spain
6/2 - 6/8 - Barcelona, Spain
6/8 - Flying home. Arrive in SFO ~5pm
Lee-Anne and I would love hearing from our friends and family as we travel.
With Love,
Russ and Lee-Anne
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