sajawata

Friday night the au-pair girls planned a night away to Interlaken to say good-bye to all the girls who were leaving. Went up late Friday night to hang out with Kat, Sammi Jo, and Susanna one last time. Also I met up with Dani, Jameel, and Kade, who I was flying to Marrakech with on Sunday morning. A fun night even though I got there super late. The next day I went for a bike ride with Jameel, Kade and Kyla to beautiful lake Thun. Then lots of lazing around Balmers with the au-pair girls and a crazy train ride back to Geneva.

Sunday the 4 of us took an early flight to Marrakech. Kade is Dani’s friend from home, he is an au-pair in southern France. Jameel is Dani’s friend from home who I met skiing in Verbier this spring. He is also my new boyfriend

Sunday we arrived in Balmy Marrakech and struggled to find our hotel. A guy standing in the street offered to help us find it (for a fee of course) and it’s a good thing he did because it was buried in a seemingly endless maze of corridors. A beautiful riad, or traditional style house with an open courtyard and beautiful tile work everywhere. The nicest place I’ve stayed anywhere this year.

That afternoon we starting perusing the souks (markets). The markets there must be the best in the world. They go on forever and are a real treat for the senses. Not to mention everything is super cheap after you bargain with the vendors down to a third of their asking price. We started at the spice shop. The vendor was a very fun guy who insisted we smell everything he sold. Saffron, Moroccan curry, loose-leaf teas, and herbal remedies were purchased. Particularly appreciated was the deodorant ‘rock’ considering how hot it was. We spent the rest of the afternoon and a little of each of the next 2 days perusing the stalls in the souks. Amazing stuff. Leather goods, metal lanterns, tea-sets, scarves, pastries and fruit. The most amazing thing was seeing the artisans crafting these things in the market stalls. There was an amazing, elaborately carved wooden bench that we saw 4 guys working on in a space the size of a small closet. There was a boy the age of maybe 12 working on it. The craftmanship of all of these items is fantastic. After our shopping we stopped for our first of many glasses of fresh squeezed orange juice. (45 American cents, fantastic)

Sunday night we went to the main square Djemma El Fna, which turns into a massive restaurant-by-cart after dark. Cous-cous, tagine chicken, olives, grilled meats, snails, tasty salads. mmmmmm. More food than anyone could hope to eat and for only a few dollars a person. In the same square there are musicians and dancers, snake charmers, monkeys. An unforgettable experience.

Tuesday El Bahia Palace which had some beautiful intricate wall and ceiling paintings. We then went to the Ben Youssef Medrassa, an old Islamic School. The building was built in 1565 and is where the classes were held and where the students lived. Fascinating courtyard with a fountain and beautiful tile and carved stucco. Stunning. That night we caught the overnight train to Tangier. We then took a ferry from Tangier to Algeciras in Spain and then a bus to Granada. Arrived Wednesday evening and spent that night tapas bar hopping. Fun.

Thursday we saw the Alhambra palace & Generalife (Alhambra gardens). It was started in the 9th century as a fortress, the palace was added in the 13-14th centuries. It is impossible to describe the beauty of this structure, the tile and stucco work are phenomenal. The gardens are stunningly framed by the Sierra Nevada mountains. The whole thing is so spectacular I couldn’t even talk while we were there.

That afternoon we sadly said good-bye to Dani and Kade. Dani was flying back to the U.S. as her time as an au-pair was finished Kade went to Barcelona for a few days. Jameel and I tried out some more tapas bars that night and had some really good sangria, cerveza and food.

Friday we walked around Granada a bit and then rode the bus to Cordoba. Our hotel in Cordoba was in the greatest location, right at the entrance to the spectacular Mezquita mosque-cathedral. We found out about a guitar festival that was going on and went to see Manuel Moreno, a Spanish singer with a fantastic voice who was accompanied by 2 amazing Spanish guitar players. We also saw a little flamenco dancing. A really great show.

Saturday morning we saw the Mezquita. A truly unique building. The Mosque was started in 785. Inside is an endless maze of red and white two-tier arches and a beautiful prayer niche. In the 16th century the mosque came under Christian rule, the center was ripped out and a Cathedral was installed. The changes made during this time are horrific. The mosque was so unique, peaceful, balanced, airy, elegant. The additions are the aesthetic opposite (not to mention religious opposite), which alone would be beautiful but inside the mosque just seem wrong. We walked around all morning and were simultaneously amazed by it’s beauty and baffled by it’s 2 juxtaposed styles. After the Mezquita we saw the Castle of the Christian Kings with some lovely gardens. I got the stomach bug after eating a dodgy sandwich and spent the rest of the afternoon in bed, but was able to go to another concert at the festival that night. A Japanese guy was playing Spanish guitar accompanied by the Cordoba symphony. The music was all written by the Cuban conductor. Completely different from the previous night but again very enjoyable.

Sunday we headed to Sevilla. Walked around a bit that afternoon. Saw the magnificent gothic cathedral, one of the largest in the world. Inside we saw Christopher Columus’ remains. We climbed to the top of the bell tower which was actually the minaret of the mosque that stood where the cathedral now stands. That night we ate more tapas (it sounds like it would get old but it never does.)

Monday we walked around a while, saw the Hospital de la Caridad: an old hospice with a chapel and really morbid art. A wealthy Sevillan started the hopice after he had a dream of his own funeral. Also saw the Iglesia de la Magdalena (beautiful). We took a picnic lunch to the park (Love gazpacho out of the carton! and sangria!) In the afternoon we walked to the parque de Maria Luisa and out of nowhere got caught in a sand storm. Saw Plaza de España. Went to the Archivo General de Indias which is the North-American museum. Saw some interesting artifacts dating from the era of conquistadors. That night we went for paella. Mmmm.

Tuesday we saw the magnificent Alcazar palace. One thing that struck me about many of the Moroccan and Moorish-Spain structures we saw (and particularly this one) is that they are often very humble on the outside but lavish on the inside. We hadn’t heard much about this palace and were pleasantly surprised by how beautiful it was. It was started in 913 and was added to over the years by centuries of kings living there. Stylistically, it was influenced by Muslim, Christian, and Jewish artisans. Again, the tile and plaster work are phenomenal. Walking into each room your eye automatically goes to the ornate ceiling and takes your breath away. Rooms after rooms after halls after courtyards, it goes on forever and each room is unique. Outside, the gardens are beautiful. There are fountains and sculptures made out of volcanic lava. Spectacular.

That afternoon we went to the Museum of art and popular costumes. Saw some really interesting old workshops set up: leather, metalsmithing, olive presses, bakeries, guitar making, woodworking, lace making. Then we headed to the Archaeological Museum. That night we took an overnight train to Barcelona.

Arrived in Barcelona early Wednesday morning. Stumbled around La Rambla street and the cathedral in a state of sleepiness. Found our very trendy (but very small) all white hotel and rested up. Went to the produce market and saw all the wonderful fish, tried some Calamari and Nevajas. Met up with Kade and his friend for some cerveza and dinner.

Barcelona is a fabulous crazy city. Quiet during the afternoon hours of 12-3 for siesta, loud until 5 am. Covered in mosaics, bright colors and crazy architecture. Outrageous hair and clothes everywhere, it seems no one can pick a single hairstyle so there are lots of mullet slash dreadlock slash mohawk creations. Probably the most collectively posh city I’ve seen for restaurants, night clubs and shops.

Thursday we went to the Sagrada Familia cathedral, designed by Antoni Gaudi. What an incredible structure. It’s not finished yet but what stands is a fascinating modern version of the Christian cathedral. We then saw Gaudi’s La Pedrera, an apartment building with a crazy rooftop terrace. We also went to the Gaudi park and saw the fantastic mosaic bench and forest-like corridors. That night we went for sushi mmmm.

Friday we saw the Picasso museum which chronologically traced the artist’s life (and seemingly the history of modern art as he seems to have at least dabbled in nearly every movement of his time) Also a very interesting exhibit on Picasso and other artist’s copies and interpretations of Velazquez’s Las Meninas. Picasso based hundreds of paintings and drawings on this 1 painting. Fascinating. Next we headed to the national museum of Catalan art. Saw an exhibit on Man Ray, Duchamp and Picabia which was a little disappointing. The collection of Romanesque art from Pyranees chapels more than made up for it however. The style of painting in the murals was fascinating.

Saturday we walked around awhile. We headed to the port for a picnic lunch and were sitting on a park bench when a guy stopped to ask for directions. In the 3 seconds I turned to look at him my bag was stolen by a guy on a bike. Passport, license, cash, credit card, cell phone, camera (luckily my cheaper one), ipod, journal all long gone. Embassy closed. Spent the rest of the afternoon with the police filling out a report. Thank God Jameel was there. I had no money, i.d., sanity. We tried to make the most of our last night together, went for a stroll on the beach, got take-out and sat on the steps of a nice plaza (even had some surprisingly good wine from a can), went for dessert and coffee at a nice bar.

Sunday I said farewell to Jameel at the airport. I was assured by the officials I would have no trouble flying to Switzerland with only my police report. Arrived in Geneva only to be told I had to fly back to Barcelona due to lack of i.d. Spent the next 4 hours begging with the Swiss officials to allow me to stay. Ughhhh. Luckily my host family had a photocopy of my passport and they came to get me out of the airport. I felt like hell.

Despite the dramatic end to the trip, and the hassle I’m going to have replacing all my stolen stuff, I would gladly go through it all again. I absolutely loved this trip. Fantastic architecture and art, scenery, music, food, company. Doesn’t get any better.

My American friend Kelly asked if I wanted to join her for a weekend trip to Naples. Her friend had already paid for the flight and was unable to go so I got a free ticket! Yipeeeee!

I take back anything I said about any other cities being dirty. Naples is known for not having regular trash pickup due to the garbage collectors constantly being on strike, also there is some story with local mob types controlling the city and not allowing the trash to be collected. Supposedly the worst of this is over, but there was still trash everywhere. In front of our hostel there was a pile as tall as I. We saw a car driving by get their tires stuck on a rotting mattress. In addition it rained nearly all weekend. This coupled with the crazy buzz of the city led to an unforgettable chaotic weekend.

Friday we arrived and made the most of a stand selling pizzas for 1 euro. Unbelievable. We then headed to the archaeological site of Pompeii. In the year 79 nearby Mt. Vesuvius blew up and covered Pompeii, killing many of the people living there. Many of the buildings have been uncovered and preserved. It was very interesting to see how advanced the city planning and architecture was for a 2,500 year old town, very well organized and efficient. I very much enjoyed seeing inside the houses, some of which had mosaic floors and frescoes which barely survived the eruption and years of burial. The house that was best preserved was the brothel which had some very ‘interesting’ frescoes. There were several temples and theaters and a collection of pottery.

Friday night we wandered out for some dinner and found a very modest local joint. The owner insisted we stay and even showed us the inside of the refrigerator to convince us to stay. Good thing we did. The food was mediocre but it was the most fun I’ve ever had people watching. We ended up staying for hours. Neapolitans are extremely spirited, the polar opposite of the conservative quiet Swiss. This restaurant was owned by several brothers, we didn’t understand them, they didn’t understand us. The cooks got in a good-spirited fight with the waiters, there were spoons and bowls being thrown all over the restaurant. The place was small but it was packed and sooo loud, everyone shouting and laughing with full force. The brothers brought us round after round of wine, limoncello, licorice spirits. They sat down and drank with us and then after we finished our food they took us over to their wine shop which had been closed for hours but they let us in to try the wine. One of the other diners spoke English, he took us to a nice bar and we ended up talking to him all night. Sooo much fun.

Saturday we took a ferry to the Isle of Capri. Beautiful. The sun came out for a few hours, just long enough for us to play on the beach and take a nice stroll through the town. More people watching. Capri is very ritzy and watching the men in their beautiful suits and the ladies in their stilettos and tiny dresses was good fun. We followed a small path through the beautiful villas down to the sea, then some boys driving a milk cart let us hop on the back and gave us a ride back to the top. We had a nice picnic with the best Mozzarella and prosciutto. The ferry back to Naples was crazy, we sat on the deck to get the views and the Italians turned it into a massive party. It seems as if everyone in Italy knows each other, by the end of the ride everyone was best buds, including us even though no one understood us.

That night we had some food then realized the trains weren’t running any more and we couldn’t find a taxi. Some really nice boys who spoke English stopped to offer us directions and then after talking a while they gave us a ride all the way across the city to our hotel. I don’t know when I’ve ever met people so friendly and helpful. Neapolitans as a whole are the most welcoming, most hospitable people I’ve encountered in Europe. They are so high spirited and genuine in their love of life and each other. Life is a party it seems.