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!

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/

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.

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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

Séjour in Sète

After the Perpignan wedding, I wasn't in any hurry to return to Grenoble as I don't have much work at this point in the year, so I decided to spend a couple nights somewhere new.  After consulting a map, I randomly chose the city of  Sète.  This turned out to be a wonderful choice. While I didn't know much about Sète before going, it's quite well known for a few things.  

Canals

Sète is sort of a Venice of France.  There are canals throughout this port city.  It's very pretty to walk along the canals and see the boats.  I spent both nights having dinner at restaurants along the canals.  Being along the coast, seafood was the perfect choice and during my two days in Sète, I ate fish soup, stuffed mussels (a specialty of the city), little fried fishes, seafood pasta, and moules-frites.  There were some very affordable restaurants with three course menus for about 16 euros.

Beaches

A short bus ride away from the port and town center are some really excellent beaches.  I tried two.  I think I had perfect timing before tourist season really picked up and I found the beaches to be not too crazy.  I also really liked that the sandy beaches had a gentle incline into the water.  I went quite far in, all the while being able to touch the bottom.

Oysters

Sète has an interesting location.  The city is a major port and is on the Mediterranean.  However, a short stretch of land separates the Mediterranean and a very large lagoon (L'etang de Thau).  It is in this lagoon where fishermen farm oysters, and it is very important for the economy of the region.

Those are the oyster beds you see in the distance.  This pic was taken from a hill overlooking Sète.

Jousting

Yep, I said jousting.  This is a local tradition that takes place during the weekends throughout the summer and culminates in a six day festival in August.  Participants are on two boats and wearing all white.  There are ten people rowing, two musicians, one guide, and about five jousters per boat.  The boats row toward each other and the jousters try to knock each other off into the water with their lance.  They also carry heavy wooden shields to protect themselves. Each festival day ends in a victor who hopes to later win the ultimate St Louis Festival in August.

The fishermen row the boats parallel to each other and the musicians play a type of flute and drums.

The jousters face off.

The loser  gets knocked into the water!

Mesa Verde and Canyons of the Ancients

Hello kind readers!

As you may have noticed, I'm catching up on a few blog posts.  I recently took almost a year's worth of pictures off my camera and found some gems hidden in the more than 1,000 unseen pictures.  There are a few events and places I'd like to share with you even though it was a while ago now, so let's continue! Next up is southwestern Colorado.

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During the winter, I took the long journey home, traveling more than 24 hours from Grenoble to Denver to go home for the holidays.  I've been realizing more and more how much I love being home with family during this time of year.  It is truly a special time.

After the festivities of Christmas, and before welcoming in the New Year, my family and I drove to southwestern Colorado for an adventurous getaway.  Our main destinations: Mesa Verde National Park, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, and Wolf Creek Ski Resort.

Mesa Verde is best-known for its cliff dwellings where the Ancestral Pueblo people built villages into the sides of steep cliffs.  These people called this area home between AD 600 to 1300, and then seemed to disappear, leaving little to no clue where an entire people could have gone.  The national park protects and continues to study these cliff dwellings and various archeological sites.

I found this area to be very interesting, marveling at the thought of climbing a cliff to go home.  With the help of the archeologists and the park, the cliff dwellings are kept in quite good conditions.  While not able to enter the cliff dwellings in winter, we saw them from afar and even had a hike along a snowy road where we saw wild horses and observed the aftermath of a forest fire.

Next up was Canyons of the Ancients National Monument where we went for a muddy day hike.  The area is protected by the Bureau of Land Management and includes hiking trails and one of the highest concentrations of archeological sites in the U.S.  We took a long hiking loop across red rocks, through muddy pits, and with incredible views of rock formations and reaching landscapes.

Coming to the end of our getaway, we brought in the New Year with some powder at Wolf Creek, a nice little ski resort that wasn't too crowded and quite affordable, and a few hours of hot springs on our way home.  

It was a fun adventure to an area I had never been.  I learned more about the history of my home state and continue to be fascinated by its beauty, history, and culture.  I would absolutely recommend this area to any visitors wanted to know more about southwestern Colorado.

Mesa Verde Cliff Palace

A view into the dwellings

Wild horses in Mesa Verde

Hiking in Canyons of the Ancients

Rock formations in Canyons of the Ancients

Yes it was winter, as you can see in this shot taken on the drive home.

Sunny Southern Getaway

On Friday, I had my last departmental meeting at the university.  We gathered to officially approve the final grades for a last test that some students took.  Afterwards, my coworkers and I shared a potluck meal and celebrated the send-off of our director who is moving to another department next year.  It was a fun time, made all that much better knowing that I'll be coming back to continue another year as an English teacher at Université Grenoble-Alpes.  That's right! I just picked up my contract today and am working on my visa renewal to stay another year in Grenoble and in the same job.  It's been a bit of a tough situation for paperwork with my renewal, but I think it's worth it.  I find the job very rewarding and interesting.  I quickly grew to love Grenoble, which I fondly say could be Denver's equivalent in France with interesting and fun places to go in the city, all the while with easy access to the mountains and nature.  I've also made great friends this year, many of whom are returning next school year too.

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With summer on the horizon and a standstill for contract/ visa paperwork (until today), I decided to take a quick getaway starting Saturday.  In 2012, I studied in Aix-en-Provence and I hadn't returned there since.  It seemed like a nice opportunity to revisit the place I had called home for four months.  So, I found a cheap bus ticket and soon found myself in Aix on Saturday afternoon.  I met up with a Grenoble friend for coffee/ tea and wandering the streets.  I quickly saw that some things had changed while much remained the same.  I visited Aix's fountains, the winding streets, and yellow and orange buildings.  I walked past the cathedral sitting directly across from where I went to class and took familiar routes as if I was having déja vu.  

La Rotonde - Aix-en-Provence

Since my getaway was a bit of a last minute decision, I couldn't find too many good available hotels, and decided to try Couchsurfing.  Couchsurfing, if you don't know, is an online community of travelers where like-minded people offer a place to stay, a partner in crime for adventure, and the opportunity to find new connections in different cities.  I was hosted by an American guy living in Aix who is doing an internship to complete his Masters program.  His roommate was away so there was a spare bedroom all for me.  He was very kind and we hung out my first night in town, had dinner on a restaurant terrace, and went for a drink with his friends.

Mont Saint Victoire from the apartment window.

On Sunday, I was in the mood for a hike, and the place to do that in Aix is Mont Saint Victoire, the famous muse of the painter Paul Cezanne.  After a quick stop at the shop (I forgot to pack socks!), I caught a bus to the trailhead.  I took a trail up the back side of St. Victoire that was quite steep and winding.  Every so often, I could see the cross at the top peek between the trees.  It took a bit of effort, but eventually I made it to the top for an incredible view over the Provence countryside and Aix-en-Provence.  Feeling adventurous, I took a different route back that was less steep but definitely hotter with more sun.  This route lead back to an incredible blue lake held back by a large dam.  

Once back in Aix, I was feeling a bit hot and tired, so I rewarded myself with an ice cream and a little meandering before calling it an early night.

Heading down the ridge from St. Victoire

Looking back from the dam.

The next morning, I was continuing my adventure.  Before leaving Aix, I stopped by a crepe shop I had discovered during my studies for a delicious spinach and goat cheese crepe for lunch.  Then, I hopped on a bus and headed to the small coastal village of Cassis. 

Port of Cassis

Cassis was a special destination where I was meeting a couple friends from Grenoble that were cycling there.  But it was early and I had some time to spend.  I checked into my cute hostel by the port and went to explore.  I walked through the little streets, but quickly headed for the boats and beach.  Seeing that the main beach was really busy, I decided to continue on for a nice view up the hill and go to another rockier but more empty beach.  I was sidetrack by a soap shop along the way that gave a free little tour of their production space.  It was interesting learning about the different kinds of soap for the area as well as what goes into them.  I bought myself a little lotion that was promised to help skin conditions for everything from sunburn to acne.  So far, I have to say that it's lived up to its promise!

Beautiful beach stop.

Eventually I made it to the beach where I lounged in the sun for a couple hours.  Unfortunately, the water was much too cold to swim, but I was enjoying my time in the sun a lot.  Around that time, my friend called to say that the two of them would be arriving in the next hour or two.  I lazily packed up my things and headed back to my hostel for a quick shower and then walk along the port at sunset before meeting them for dinner and a football (soccer) match.  English and Iceland were playing in the Eurocup and it was a big game! The tiny country of Iceland won.  

Cassis at sunset.

The next morning I enjoyed breakfast on the terrace of my hostel before packing up my things and joining my friends at a different hostel where we'd be staying the second night.  There wasn't room for us the first night, but one of the friends I was with had worked at this hostel years ago and maintained a good relationship with the owner so we wanted to spend some time there.  I do have to say that this was the best hostel I've ever stayed in hands down.  It's the Cassis Hostel if anyone is wondering... It has a lot of character with books, eclectic decorations and travel ideas as well as a big kitchen and great outdoor patio.  However, the best part was the infinity pool looking over the bay! 

My friends and I decided this was a perfect day for another hike and we headed to the Calanques.  Described to me as somewhat like a fjord, the calanques are a series of inlets with crystal blue and green water surrounded by towering cliffs.  We explored the first three calanques, before giving into the sun and returning to find some water.  It was an absolutely stunning hike and a beautiful part of the world.  

The Calanques

Getting back into town, we stopped for ice cream (a scoop of salted caramel and a scoop of Snickers for me), then went to the store and bought the fixings for a delicious Mexican themed dinner that we made at the hostel.  It ended up being a great night with lots of food, delicious drinks (mojitos!), and talking with other travelers staying in the small hostel.  It was a perfect four-night getaway in the sunshine.  I can't wait to go back.