Friday, May 27, 2011

Spain, Portugal & Morocco - Part 1

Friday, April 16
We are leaving for our trip to Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

Sat.  April 17  MADRID, SPAIN
We arrived in Madrid, Spain.
With a population of over 3 million, Madrid is the largest city in Spain.  It is situated in the centre of the Spanish meseta or high plain at 2,180 feet above sea level.  Madrid has an excellent metro system and it is easy to get around the city.
Currently the Euro is used as currency in Spain and Portugal.  One Euro equals 1.66 Canadian dollars.

Sunday, April 18
Buenos dias! - Good Morning!
A day to regroup after the long flight.

Monday, April 19
This morning we started out by taking a driving tour by way of the Avenida Mayor, Puerta del Sol, Parliament Square and the Royal Palace.


Geo and I took a tour to Toledo which was most rewarding.  The splendid setting of this old walled city above the Tagus was made famous in El Greco's painting and even now it's like a great open-air museum of Spanish history and art.





"The Burial of Count Orgaz"
El Greco's famous painting
in the Church of Santa Tome, Toledo, Spain

Santa Tome, Toledo, Spain




Filigree Hand Work

Tuesday, April 20
This morning, we travelled west to visit fortified Avila with its many towers.

Next to Salamanca, just six miles from the spot where Wellington routed Napoleon's Army in 1812. 
Salamanca, Spain




We will be returning to Spain after we are done in Portugal and Morocco. 
So we  travelled on to Portugal where we reached Guarda, the highest town in Portugal.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Spain, Portugal & Morocco - Part 2

PORTUGAL
Portugal has some very nice tile paintings and mosaics.



Tuesday, April 20  Coimbra, PORTUGAL
"Bom dia" - Good morning!
We descended to the valleys of the Serra Da Estrela to reach Coimbra to stay overnight in the Dom Luis Hotel.







This morning it is drizzling rain and the sidewalks are very slippery.  My running shoes seem to have absolutely no traction on these wet walks.
Coimbra in the sun shine

Wed. April 21 Coimbra to Fatima to Lisbon, Portugal
This morning we visited the Batalha and its beautiful monastery.

This morning we also toured Coimbra, which included going to the Sanctuary of Fatima.



Our guide David took us to taste some of Portugal's fine Port and wine.


Later we travel thru a more sterner and desolate landscape on the way to Lisbon, Portugal's capital.

Thursday, April 22  Lisbon, Portugal
We are staying at the Roma Hotel.

Henry the Navigator made Lisbon the 15th century mistress of the seas.  We stopped to see the monument commemorating the discovery of Portugal.

We also looked at the Belem Tower, the Jeronimos Monastery, the Moorish Citadel and the impressive Black Horse Square.

Jeronimos Monastery, Lisbon


Friday, April 23 Lisbon to Seville, Spain
This morning we travelled from the rolling hills of the Alentejo with its woodlands of cork and eucalyptus trees, southwards to the blinding light of the Andalusia, with its neat white painted villages ands its sun-drenched plantations of olives, figs and almonds.  We travelled by way of Beja into Seville, Spain.  Here were are staying at the Don Paco Hotel.
Seville has a definite metroplitan feel, but at the same time has a slow, peaceful atmosphere.

Saturday, April 24  Seville, Spain
Lucky for me we had free time here as I was still very sick and stayed put in the hotel room.
Geo took time and went to see the bull fights at the Plaza de Toros during the afternoon. 






Later that evening we did make it out to take in a traditional Flamenco Show with our group.  The art of flamenco is at it's best in Seville with guitars, castanets and whirling skirts.

Sunday, April 25 Seville to Rabat, Morocco
We travelled to the coast for embarkation on the ferry to Morocco.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Spain, Portugal & Morocco - Part 3


Memories of our trip to MOROCCO:
Morocco has a wealth of deep cultural history and architectural tradition.  There are medieval cities, Roman ruins, Berber fortresses and beautiful Islamic monuments to see.
Morocco provides the taste of Islamic culture, Africa, and the developing world.  It can be quite a cultural shock, but it offers a unique experience.  It is full of contrasting images, exotic sights, strange smells and experiences.  It is full of variety and life.  Full of colors and fragrances.

Every Moroccan city has a Medina, the old quarter where the past still echos and the flow is never ending.  Here are found the craftsmen, the traders, and the hammam (traditional steam bath). 

The souk or market, along with the mosque make up the main elements of a Muslim town.  "All roads lead to the Souk".  A treasury trove worthy of Ali Baba and guarded by massive gates, the souk is a succession of narrow alleyways, with back to back shops that are rarely bigger than a linen cupboard.  Tinsmiths, grocers, butchers, bakers, tailors, spice merchants, and cake vendors meet daily in mayhem.  In the souk, the merchant, perched atop of his colorful display of spices, calls to the passersby.  These are the spices that give their food a tough of color, taste and smell.
Currently, ten Moroccan dirham equals 1.51 Canadian dollars.

Sun. April 25
We reached the coast of Spain south of Seville at Algeciras were we boarded the ferry to go to Morocco.
Rock of Gibraltar
Then we were back on the bus travelling south along what was once Africa's infamous Barbary coast to Rabat, Morocco's capital.

Mon., April 26 to April 27th  RABAT, MOROCCO
We are staying at the Majliss Hotel in Rabat.
This morning in Rabat we visited the Royal Palace. 



There is an extravagant embellishment with the geometric mosaics which cover everything from the walls, floors, columns and fountains everywhere.






And the Mausoleum to Mohammad V.

Pictures from the Medina in Rabat:








Then we went further south to Casablanca, Morocco's largest and most cosmopolitan city, home of the extraordinary Hassan II Mosque.  Eternally immortalized by the classic film "Casablanca", the name of this city has a mysterious exotic ring to it.
The mosque in Casablanca is one of the  most beautiful ones I have ever seen with its amazing works of turquoise and blue mosaics, marble and granite.  It can hold up to 25,000 worshippers  inside and a further 80,000 in the outside courtyard.

Casablanca





April 26 to April 28  MARRAKECH, MOROCCO

Driving deeper into the heartland of Morocco by way of Settar,  we reached Marrakesh, the most enchanting city.  We are staying at the El Andalous Hotel.
Most of the buildings in Marrakech are done in a peach color plaster and everyone here is going somewhere fast.

Marrakesh




A tour of the Medina Palace in Marrakesh




Followed by the hustle and bustle of the old Medina in Marrakesh that takes you back to a long forgotten world. 



A lot of the alley ways are dark and closed in.
Here you will find the scent of exotic spices piled high for you to buy.


And pastries

Along with piles of babush slippers in all shapes, sizes and colors.  These are the common foot wear found here.  Men tend to wear yellow or white ones and women wear the bright colors and patterns.







And snake charmers,


...and a camel ride if you want...

We saw the water sellers wearing their colorful hats and ringing their bells.  They will sell you a cup of water or pose for your tourist pictures.


We decided to do an excursion from Marrakesh thru the Gorge of Oued Ourika to the Ourika Valley, in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains.  We travelled thru the quiet, peaceful green countryside.  In the background were the blue-grey mountains of the High Atlas.  We went along the river banks and meandered thru the mountain foothills, thru the villages built of baked clay and stone until eventually we stopped at a clay built Berber home. 

The average house in the village has a small kitchen and one room with small rugs on the floor, benches, and perhaps a small TV.  The whole family eats and sleeps here.  Most houses here don't have running water. 

We stopped to visit Omar and his family of eight.  The livestock lived in the ground level and their family lived in the upper rooms.  We were offered a glass of fresh hot mint tea poured from a silver pot into glasses and a couple of pieces of homemade Berber bread and olive oil.





Omar



Mint tea, the national Moroccan drink is so important in daily interactions that it is often jokingly referred to as Berber whiskey.  It is offered as a gesture of welcome and hospitality.

For supper this evening we were served a delicious traditional dish called "tajine" or "tangine".  A tajine is a dish from North Africa that is named after the special earthenware pot in which it is cooked.  The dish consists of a flat circular bottom base and a large cone shaped cover that rests inside the base during cooking over an open fire or a gas fire. 
Tajines in Morocco are slow cooked stews combining a meat such as lamb, chicken or beef, with different additions such as olives, lemons, apricots, raisins, dates, etc.  Traditional spices that are used to flavor tajines include cinnamon, saffron, ginger, turmeric, cumin, paprika and pepper.  This is a very aromatic dish while it is simmering because of the mixture of spices in it.  Many of the chicken dishes are enhanced with lemons which have been previously preserved in a salt-lemon juice brine.

Morrocan sweets are rich and made up of cinnamon, almond and fruit confections that are rolled in filo dough and then soaked in honey.
Wed., April 28 to April 29th  FEZ, MOROCCO
We enjoyed glimpses of North African village life while driving thru the Middle Atlas on our way to Fez this morning.  Population of Fez is 1,000,000.  We are staying at the Menzeh Palace Hotel.


Fez

Ancient Fez occupies a position of scenic beauty and is blessed with an ample supply of water.  Fez is the oldest of the Imperial cities and highly considered the heart of  Morocco.  Its Medina is one of the largest living medieval cities in the world.  Fes el-Bali is the area most interesting to tourists.  Its walls encircle and incredible 9400 twisting alleys, blind turns, and souks.  We are glad that we have a guide as finding our way around here by ourselves would be impossible. 
The Bab Bou Jeloud is the main entrance to the Medina in Fez.  It is found in the south west corner and the gate was built in 1913.

Going thru the gate in the thick wall to enter into the fairy tale magic of the Medina.
Its narrow winding alleys and covered bazaars are crammed with every conceivable sort of workshop, restaurant, meat shop, market, as well as mosques, and extensive dye pits and tanneries.
Donkeys loaded down with bricks and sacks are followed by their owners shouting at them to keep them moving.  They will also be shouting "barek"  meaning "look-out".   If you don't keep one eye over your shoulder you will be sure to get run over.


 Even though we have a guide, we search for orientation points in the pure chaos of the alleys - something that will allow us to find our way out - but there are no recognizable landmark or street signs that we can read.  So we go further and further into the labyrinth network hoping to eventually make our way back out.  People are pushing and shoving, yelling and talking, and there is commotion everywhere.  While trying to look at everything that surrounds us, we must keep a close eye on our guide.

Souks are also a daily destination where locals shop for fresh meat, vegetables, household goods and various other items.  Hundreds of small booths line the aisles offering everything from exotic spices, to snails, turkeys, chickens, to traditional fabrics, shoes and various pastries.










The Medina is divided up into areas occupied by various craftsmen such as copper and silversmith, horn carvers, tailors, potters, and leather workers. 












Wedding Chairs

The tanneries in Fez cling to practices developed in the medieval times.  At the tanneries little has changed in centuries.  Skins are carried by donkey to the tanners souk, tanning and dyeing vats are constructed from mud, brick and tile.  The tannery workers (strictly male) are still organized according to medieval guild principles, and their health and safety practices are also scarily old fashioned, too.
Along with being Morocco's oldest arts, with a history that stretches back at least 7000 years, leather-making is undoubtedly also one of the smelliest.  When you go to view the tanneries from the roof top you are offered a sprig of mint to hold under your nose to mask the rank odours.  The mint barely masks the stench, but does seem to help the nausea that tries to set in.  In this day and age it is unbelievable to see the way this job is still done!



Tannery
  All around you there is a jumble of voices and sounds and then you will hear the call to prayer "Allahu akbar" in the near distance. There are so many sounds, colors, smells and activities closing in on you that you will all of a sudden feel confined and over loaded.

After this hectic day of hustle and bustle, we are glad to get back to our hotel "Menzeh Hotel Palace" where we are served tea poured from high above the glass as a welcome.
Menzeh Hotel Palace

April 29 to April 30  TANGIER, MOROCCO
We are in Tangier, Morocco staying at the Mercure Almohades Hotel.