Marrakesh: An Intro to Morocco

One of the highlights of summer vacation this year was a 10 day trip to Morocco. Yes it was hot (late July/ the beginning of August was the only possible time to go --- so we didn't go to the desert this time), but we sure packed a lot into those few days. We visited three cities: Marrakesh, Casablanca and Rabat.

We started the trip by flying into Marrakesh. After making our way through security and finding a taxi, we arrived at our riad. A riad is a traditional home. Many have been converted into hotels with only a small number of rooms (ours had 5). The rooms look onto a courtyard in the middle. Our riad, Riad Eldar, had a pool and relaxing areas in the courtyard and was located in the medina, which is the pedestrian zone with windy streets. We had a delicious, traditional breakfast of bread, a type of pancake, cake, and a fried egg there every morning.

We packed a lot into a few days, and it was tricky to figure out a schedule to beat the heat. It's best to stay inside during the hottest part of the day. One day we (or rather I) insisted on sightseeing during that time, and even my kneecaps were sweating. Won't do that again. Let's talk about some of the highlights of our days in Marrakesh.

1. The souks and Jemaa el Fna

The souks are the markets, and boy they can be overwhelming, but hey, that's part of the adventure. There are hundreds of little stalls mostly in covered areas with people selling all sorts of stuff: leather goods, traditional clothing or shoes, lamps, spices etc. I found it quite difficult to shop but did get a beautiful scarf. Basically as soon as you slow down in front of a stall to get a look at something, the shopkeeper is at the ready to talk to you about the item (and convince you to buy it of course). There are no prices and bargaining is a must. Supposedly you could get some pretty good deals, but it's hard to know! 

Jemaa el Fna is the main square in town. We passed by during the day and there were loads of fresh fruit juice vendors so we enjoyed a fresh squeezed orange juice. At night, the square turns into craziness. Smoke rises from the barbecue and food vendors. There are snake charmers and musicians, monkeys and street performers. I enjoyed my sweet mint tea on the edge of the square as the sun set.

2. Bahia Palace

Bahia Palace was probably my favorite site in Marrakesh. It's a 19th century palace complex with beautiful mosaics, carvings, fountains and colors.

 

 

3. El Badii Palace

An easy walk from the newer Bahia Palace is the El Badii Palace, completed in 1593. This feels somehow more "earthy" since the walls are a red dirt. However in fact, at the time of its construction, the palace was full of marble, gold and onyx which were later reused in other buildings after the fall of the Saadian kings. Today you can see the layout of the former palace and lots of storks sitting along the walls.

4. Saadian Tombs

The Saadian Dynasty ruled Morocco from 1549 to 1659 and they left behind a legacy with some beautiful buildings and architecture. One of the most beautiful things you can see today in Marrakesh is the tombs of the Saadians. It's a small area with some tombs inside and others outside. My favorite was the room of the kings that was covered in ornate mosaics, arches and ceiling carvings.

5. Majorelle Garden

Something a little more modern to visit in Marrakesh is the Majorelle Garden. This was a nice respite from the heat. There are many varieties of cacti and flowers. At the center sits a colorful house designed by Yves Saint Laurent.

6. Walking the streets and eating the food

Of course no trip to Morocco is complete without tasting the local cuisine. And taste I did. I tried three different kinds of tajine, pastilla, Moroccan mint tea and Moroccan pastries. We found some great recommendations on TripAdvisor and I can really say we ate well at Atay Cafe (a special rooftop restaurant in the medina - perfect for a sunset dinner) and La Cantine des Gazelles (a delicious restaurant by Jemaa el Fna with a French owner that makes a mean tajine).

In the medina - on the hunt for the Photography Museum

Chicken tajine with olives and pickled lemon

View from El Badii Palace

Marrakesh was colorful, confusing, busy, enlightening and special. It is a gateway into a new culture and my first time in a place like that. At times I definitely felt out of place, but it's such a touristy town that people there have seen everything. It's easy to spot the tourists from the locals. Most obviously, many Moroccan women (but not all!) wear headscarves and many men wear a type of long dress. Donkeys and carts are led through the streets and scooters can whizz past at any time in any little street. We mainly stuck to the historic, traditional center, but keep in mind that Marrakesh is quite a big city and has a modern business area of town too. I plan on getting back to Marrakesh sometime to keep exploring. There's so much to see and do!

Outdoor Mix Festival

In mid-May every year, I go to a sports and music festival located in a town called Embrun. Embrun is a pretty, 2.5 hour drive through the mountains from Grenoble. It's also right next to a lake, more precisely the Lac de Serre-Ponçon. 

It's a cute town and a nice spot to relax. My friends and I like camping there, and for this year's festival, we rented a couple little bungalows in a campsite. They were perfect with inside space devoted to beds and storage and a nice large terrace equipped with all the kitchen essentials. It still felt enough like camping since the toilets and showers were down the road, but it was a good alternative to tent camping since it rained a bit everyday.

The lake is a nice idyllic spot in a mountain setting. In May, it's still too cold for me to swim, but there's a few brave souls that try. Later in the year, it warms up nicely. In fact, two years ago we were camping there and there was an inflatable obstacle course on the water. That was fun!

Outdoor Mix is a sports and music festival that happens annually towards the end of the school year (I've finished my exams and am doing a summer internship at the moment) and is a time to relax and enjoy some fresh air. It also always happens on a holiday weekend, so it's nice to take advantage of three days off to travel a bit. During the day, there are extreme sports to watch, including rock climbing, kayaking, kite surfing, bmx and dirt bike competitions, longboard races, and my particular favorite, jumpline. Jumpline is a relatively new sport, where people use a slackline to do acrobatic tricks. Check it out :

The sports competitions last all weekend long, with the finals usually on Sunday or Monday, and competitors come from all over the world. This year there were BMX riders from France, the USA, Colombia, Brazil and more for example. At night, there are concerts to check out with live music starting at 8pm. My group likes to check out a concert one night, but stay and hang out at our campsite for the other nights we're there. 

I really enjoy this festival and I expect it won't be the last time I go. It's a great combination of friends, camping, mountains, interesting sports to watch, music to dance to and laughs to be had.

Fête du Citron

A couple years ago, I stumbled across a picture on the internet of some crazy sculptures created with lemons and oranges. It seemed weird but fun. I thought about this picture for a couple years, thinking it would be fun to check it out but never having the opportunity since it was a festival in a little town in the south of France on the French Riviera. Forward to this year, and I finally made it!

What I'm describing to you is the Fête du Citron (Citrus Festival) that is held in Menton, France each year around the time of Carnaval. The small city is known for its micro-climate in which citrus fruits grow at an alarming pace. What does the city do with the extra lemons and oranges? Well they put on a festival with enormous citrus sculptures and a parade.

Every year, the festival has a different theme. This year, for their 85th anniversary, the theme was Bollywood! Sculptures had themes related to Bollywood such as elephants, Indian dancers and a Buddha. The parade performers all had elaborate costumes and floats covered in citrus fruits as well.

Confetti galore!

While the event goes on for two weeks and the sculptures can been seen at any time, the parade only occurs on Sundays. Other special events also go on other days and times. The entire festival also coincides with Carnaval, which can be experienced in nearby Nice and other surrounding villages.

My advice for a nice visit to the Fête du Citron, arrive mid-morning on a Sunday to see the sculptures in the morning. Grab a bite to eat (like some lemon and ricotta ravioli - to die for!), and stay for the parade (called Corsos des Fruits d'Or) that starts at 2:30 pm. It goes on for about an hour and a half, so it'll be time for happy hour on the beach when it's done. Enjoy!

Menton has a beautiful beach on the French Riviera

Two Days in Turin

Turin (called Torino by the locals) is a city in the Piedmont region of Italy that sits near the French border and the Alps. Back in November when my dad was visiting me in Grenoble (France), we decided to take the short trip over the Italian border to visit this great city. We took a short three and a half hour bus ride early Tuesday morning. Since we left at 5:45 AM, we fell asleep while leaving France and woke up in Italy! We spent two whirlwind days in Turin before catching the bus back to Grenoble the next evening. Here are some of the highlights.

Torino Specialties

Turin celebrates a rich history with various delicious specialties. They are known especially for coffee and chocolate. Roll up to the local café to try an espresso, but beware that sitting down costs extra. If you don't want to pay extra, do like the locals and drink your coffee at the counter.

Their famous chocolate called Gianduiotto is smooth chocolate and hazelnut in the shape of a golden brick or possibly an upturned boat. It is said that at the time when cocoa was very expensive, local producers mixed it with roasted hazelnuts to make a more affordable product. Today, this is one of the favorite souvenirs that tourists can take home but also a treat that locals like to buy for themselves.

Turin also boasts some delicious alcoholic drinks and is credited with starting the aperitif (before dinner cocktail) trend. One of my favorite aperitifs that I tried in Turin was the Aperol Spritz. You should also try the local wine and why not some bubbly Prosecco? Just a word to the wise, look up your quantities in the metric system before going, or you may very well end up with an entire carafe of wine for what you'd imagine is the price of one glass. The prices of wine and food are very affordable.

Of course, pasta is another "must try" item when in Turin (or anywhere in Italy)! It comes in all shapes and sizes. You can have your pasta with tomato and meat sauce, clams and cream, or veggies. In any case, the pasta is always the highlight of the dish. My advice, ask your server what they recommend. My dad got the best pasta of the trip from our server's recommendation. 

City Exploring

Besides eating your way through the city, I also recommend taking a moment to look at your surroundings. There is a variety of plazas, streets and walkways. We lucked out and happened to arrive at the perfect moment for a free walking tour departing from the tourism office at 10:30 am. Our guide, Angelo, was incredibly knowledgeable of the history and uniqueness of Turin. Our walking tour lasted a few hours and covered good ground. I really feel like I learned a lot from our guide. 

Photo Opportunity

Our walking tour was all in the city center, but I wanted a view from the city from above. For this, we climbed up the hill to the Museo Nazionale della Montagna. At the museum, there was an area outside that was a great stop to take some pictures of the city from above. Even in November, the sun was shining bright! On the way down, we also visited a church that was established in 1831.

There are so many more spots to visit in Turin that what I have to tell you, but that'll give you a good idea of what to expect and a couple things to do. Just wandering around the streets and finding the old, winding alleys or the large avenues is an experience in itself. Don't worry about getting lost. We found our way easily around town, and if ever we were feeling a bit tired or needed a break, there was a café around almost every corner. Enjoy!

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Some extra advice:

To stay: Best Western Plus Hotel Genova (by the train station, the best Best Western you'll ever stay in, complete with fresco ceilings and faux Roman pillars)

To eat: Ristorante Marcello at Corso Stati Uniti, 4, 10128 Torino (so good we ate there twice!)

Free Walking Tour: http://www.freetourturin.com/

Year in Review: 2017

2017 was an interesting year, with lots of change but some newfound stability at the same time.  I decided to stay in Grenoble, where I've been living for the past couple years, and for the first time since high school, I kept the same apartment for more than a year. I felt really good not having to move during the summer. On the other hand, big change happened as well as I decided to start studying for a master's degree. I chose to pursue a master's degree in Communication and International Management (taught entirely in French!), and I'll be continuing my studies over the next year and a half. It feels really strange to be finished with teaching (for now) and back on the other side of the classroom. I have a different respect for teachers, but also more of a critical eye I suppose.

Thinking back over the past year, there were some highlights that make me smile. Let me share them with you:

• Hiking along canyons, to mountaintops, and through fields of wildflowers
• Spending a VIP summer with my mom
• Celebrating the holidays with friends in a wintery wonderland
• Seeing my first Grenoble hockey match 
• Traveling with Dad to Turin and eating a 6 course meal in Lyon
• Biking through the tulip fields of Holland with Mom in "turbo mode"
• Introducing my brother to the French Alps
• Celebrating the love of friends with weddings in Perpignan and Grenoble
• Watching the sunset over the Mediterranean from cliffs
• Rock climbing with my brother until my muscles gave out
• Buying a new bike to zip around
• Feeling confident and loved
• Ending the year watching a bald eagle fly overhead while sitting in some Colorado hot springs

 Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

Arles and the Camargue

Back in July before leaving for a month in the U.S., I went on a great camping trip with friends outside of a city in the south of France called Martigues.  Our camping spot was right along the Mediterranean in the path of the hot, summer sun and strong Mistral wind.  After the holiday weekend, everyone was planning to return to Grenoble, but since I was on summer break, I decided to continue travelling so I found myself in Arles for a few days on my way back. With 3 days/ nights in Arles, I discovered that there was really a lot to see and do.  I really enjoyed my time there...  Let me tell you about some of the highlights.

Ancient Roman Theatre in Arles

The Monuments and Museums

Arles is home to a plethora of Roman monuments including an arena, ancient theatre, forum and more.  Our tickets included a free tour of the arena, and this was my favorite stop.  I learned that the arena was home to gladiators and the such, but was also filled with houses at one point before being restored to the arena you see today.  The monuments and museums are really the big TO DO of Arles, as there is so much to see.  I'd suggest buying the tourist pass which lets you into a selection of historical places.

Le Cloître St Trophime

Bull Race/ Run (La Course Camarguaise)

It is tradition in Arles to show off the strength and intelligence of the local bulls.  Bulls are raised on farms and in the wild in the Camargue, a natural park.  On the evening that I arrived, there was a Course Camarguaise which the tourism office suggested I see since it is known as the local sport.  The race begins with the "runners" entering the arena dressed in all white.  Soon a bull is let in with them.  The goal is for the runners to take a trinket from between the bulls horns.  Sometimes they run towards the bull, and there is a lot of jumping out of the arena as the angry bull charges.  The bulls are not harmed physically in any way, though I was a bit uncomfortable to see how frustrated they became.  One bull kept jumping out of the center arena into the surrounding circle to escape the center area. Despite this, the spectators (a significant number of locals and what seemed to be family members of the runners) were enjoying themselves and kept ooh-ing and ah-ing as the performance went on.  An interesting fact is that for each bull race, one local farmer is selected to bring his bulls for the night's festivities.

City of the Camargue

Arles sits at the very northern tip of the Camargue, which is a park which is a UNESCO designated natural reserve.  It is famous for its wild white horses, bulls, and pink flamingoes.  With an hour bus ride, you can go to Saintes Marie de la Mer, a tourist village along the Med coast with nice beaches and opportunities for horse riding.  I spent a day here, and while it was very touristy, enjoyed myself and the beautiful scenery.

Van Gogh

After getting burnt out in Paris, Vincent Van Gogh came to the south of France to recover.  Although he ended up admitting himself to a psych hospital, he spent part of his southern journey in Arles where he painted many of his famous works.  It is considered one of his most productive periods.  One work called "Night Café" shows a café in Arles lit up in the evening. There is a small museum and walk you can do to discover more about Van Gogh's relationship with Arles, but I thought it was simply cool to have the understanding that I was walking in the footsteps of a great artist whose works inspire me.

----- ADVICE -----

Eat: Jardin des Arts - There were many delicious restaurants in Arles, but this was my favorite with it's homemade ravioli filled with two kinds of fish, wrapped in squid ink pasta dough, and covered in a salmon and tomato sauce.  They didn't have any starters, which was a bit odd, but there main dishes and desserts were all that much better.

Do: Go to the tourist office and buy a tourist pass to visit the monuments and museums.  You can visit up to 5 places and save lots of money compared to individual tickets. I ended up only visiting 4 places because I ran out of time, but it was still very worth it.

Tourist Trinkets: Salt from the Camargue, Lavender products, Soap from Marseille

One Night in Avignon

My friend Katie and I took a short, one-night getaway to explore a new city.  We chose to check out Avignon. Avignon is most famous for the Palais des Papes (Popes' Palace), the Pont d'Avignon (Avignon Bridge) and its location in the Provence region of France.

During our two days, we made a point to explore and learn about this unique and beautiful city.  The Palais des Papes was a highlight.  We learned about the phases of construction of the palace starting in 1335 as well as the 9 popes that took up residence there.  7 of these popes claimed allegiance to Italy, which is as we all know where the Vatican is located today.  Yet 2 of the popes residing in Avignon were involved in the Great Western Schism (1378 - 1417) where they claimed Avignon to be the center of the true papacy.  During this time, there were two popes, one in Italy and the other in France.  Today, the palace is no longer a formal residence of the pope and has turned into a museum as well as a large theatre venue for an annual festival.  It is the biggest Gothic palace in all of Europe and approximately the size of 4 Gothic cathedrals.  Quite the impressive building!

We were also excited to visit the Pont d'Avignon which we did on day two.  "Sur le Pont d'Avignon" is a famous song that talks about dancing on the bridge... we made sure to sing and dance our way along during our audio tour. 

Besides these huge landmarks, we also visited the city, walked little winding streets, treated ourselves to a delicious three course dinner with wine, and checked out a couple art museums.  I brought back some little lavender souvenirs, including lavender essential oil and a small pillow stuffed with dried lavender.  It was a special purchase made while exploring the streets.  We came upon a small shop owned by a kind man and he told us about where his lavender came from and that his wife hand-sewed all the little pillows.  It was nice to buy from a little local couple, rather than the big, touristy lavender stores.

A couple suggestions for a nice stay:

Stay on a budget: Pop' Hostel. This hostel was really convenient in town, cheap, clean and they let us leave our bags for the day after check out.

Eat: Le Coude a Coude. Inexpensive three course dinner along a small street in the pedestrian area.  Everything was made fresh! We found it via TripAdvisor and it did not disappoint. I would love to go again.

Visit: Le Palais des Papes, le Pont d'Avignon

Walk: Rue des Teinturiers.  A picturesque, cobblestone street along a small waterway once used for the textile industry.  We found a delicious homemade ice cream place here.

Getting there: We travelled to Avignon from Grenoble via Ouibus and back via train.  Both were convenient options.