Au Maroc! Photo blog!

At the bus stop headed on our journey. The whitest, bluest eyed people soon to be in Morocco.

The terrace above our riad in Fes. Was a nice view downhill looking into the ancient medina of Fes. The medina, Fes-el-Bali is considered one of the largest car free urban areas  and a UNESCO World Heritage sit with narrow alleys and winding streets that are extremely difficult to navigate. I suggest getting a guide if you ever visit. Nevertheless, the medina is an experience itself and what it lacks in comfort, it makes up for in the smells (horrible and amazing both), local Berbers with their donkeys and carts, artisans,  friendly (maybe too friendly?) natives, and all around sights and sounds that are unfamiliar to the western world.

Of course they want you to smile. It seemed like every smile or eye contact you make with a local, there were two or three trying to sell you something immediately following. So go ahead and smile, but be ready to tell someone that you're not interested. 

As mentioned before with the Berbers and their donkeys. They would be seen all throughout the day making their rounds. Yes, I think all the donkeys seemed this lonely and miserable. We would see them tied up in the countryside by themselves and no caretaker in sight. A definite sign that animals are not greatly respected all over the world still. 

A stand with figs and local nuts and berries. 

This is the blue pottery souq in Fes. Beautifully crafted pottery and a pretty cool location that we completely stubbled upon. You find yourself winding through the medina seeing the same shops over and over, then you take a turn and see this. Its pretty cool. 

After Fes, we took a taxi ride through the Middle Atlas mountains of Morocco. This a Berber city that we passed along the way. We experienced some major fog that hinder what would have been an even more incredible ride. Needless to say, traveling in the winter is an obstacle all over the world. We had great company on our ride from our chauffeur, Youssef, and the chauffeur-in-training, Zacharie. They are both Muslims and natives of Fes. Elodie has a gift of warmth and kindness with strangers that I dont have. We learned a lot about their personal lives and their families on our 7 and 1/2 hour drive and that really gave us something more to appreciate than just the sights and sounds of tourism. Overall, a great experience will the cab drivers and escorts that we hired. 

A photo from le Jardin Majorelle in Marrakesh.  The second city that we visited in Morocco was Marrakesh and it is likely the most touristy city in the country. Very cool experience again. This garden was bought by Yves Saint Laurent and, after his death, it became a memorial to him. It is beautiful with amazing plants from all over the world complimented by the design and the colors as seen here.

Elod with her chameau. We saw these cats on our way to Essaouira for the day. 

Mandarines, oranges, and grapefruit were everywhere and I liked this guys style with the orange peels hanging down the stand. 

Tons of stray cats and dogs around Morocco. The cats seemed well enough fed and groomed, but nevertheless its sad to see them on the streets in the rain. This guy was chillin back and forth from the sun to the shade. Not a bad view of Essaouira and the Atlantic Ocean either. Modern day Essaouira was designed by a hired French architect in the 18th century and closely resembles Saint Malo in Brittany, France. And its true that there is a great resemblence. Castles built alongside the sea, tough to beat.

Common sight in Marrakesh. Spices, crafts, sweets, tea, soap and other products for hygiene and make-up. I couldn't tell you how it all works, but its organic and its all Moroccan made and cheap.

Our chef showing Elodie how to make their famous mint tea. Its a process new to me and the result is something very delicious and very sweet. Lots of sugar and mint leaves. We had at least three stops for tea a day.

The famous Djema el-Fna in Marrakesh. If you make a trip to Morocco, its likely you'll go to Marrakesh and if so, its 100% that you'll go to this market. Its a huge open space that you need when you're suffocating in the narrow passages of the medina. Filled with people from all over the world doing whatever they want. Snake-handlers to monkey-handlers to the artisans to street performers to Henna artists to food stands to Berber carpet dealers to magic lamp dealers (which seems like a steal if you ask me). We spent our evenings watching Djema el-Fna grow and become a giant theater, filled with people trying to earn a few dirham (Moroccan currency).

Berber carpet shop. Once again, a steal if you ask me. I mean, you're getting a magic carpet. Just watch Aladdin if you need a recommendation. 

 

Elod and her two best friends, aka the beginner of her hatred for monkeys. "A real shame," says Abu.

Of course, Morocco being a francophone country, there has to be at least one Stade Rennais supporter. 

Just some local Berber ladies working their argans and turning what were nuts in a tree that a goat ate and pooped out and grinding them into an oil for women to put on their face and use to cook our meat with. The one showing all that hair is really pompous too.

My favorite place. Café des épices. Had some good tea there and from the window, you really get to watch it all unfold. Spent some good hours watching a couple old ladies wheel and deal their beanie hats.

An example of two of the tajines we had. Mine on the left was with fish and Elodie's with chicken. Highlight of the trip was the amazing meals we had. We tried just about everything and came away full and content. 

To sum the trip up. We experienced a culture that can be judged several different ways. I'd like to think that we did a good job learning as well as touring. The Islamic culture itself is something with which we were largely unfamiliar. From the 530am call to prayer by the muezzin and the subsequent 5 calls throughout the day to the ancient puzzles of medinas and to the way the people dress, it not hard to experience some culture shock. Its something we handled by trying to understand and also by trying to avoid situations that made us uncomfortable. We met some great strangers that helped us greatly along the way. We met some that creeped us out pretty good. We learned a little about a how a country, who's people have an avg income of 3,000 a year, gets through the days. And its no longer a surprise to me that they are well fed, content with their lives, and are very proud of who they are. I look forward to another adventure there as the country offers a lot to the outside world. From the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, to hiking and trail walking through the Atlas Mountains, and to overnight camel treks through the Sahara Desert, there's a cool world there to explore.

Mon Noël français

A little delayed, but I am here now to give some updates to the many adventures I have had over the past month or so. I will start with what was a french Christmas spent in a little town called L'Hermitage. At the Busnel family residence, I was welcomed like I was a Busnelian prince (kisses from the females, jabs in the rib from the males) and the hospitality would have ratings above five on yelp. Madame Martine (Titine d'amour ;) ) is Elodie's mom and Alain her father. In a continuing effort, I will try to show my appreciation for what they do and have done for me.

So before I arrived in France last August, I had already made the decision to bypass a Christmas and a Thanksgiving with my family back home. I have an amazing and a large family, filled with loving parents, grandparents, brothers, sister, nephew, cousins, boyfriends, girlfriends, aunts, uncles, etc. It goes with out saying, however I will, that I am thankful and cherishing of all our times together and the futures ones to be spent. However, I wanted to make a commitment and dedicate it to new experiences and ones with a special someone, a girl who makes me proud everyday.

Virginie, moi, Elodie, Kévin, Eva, Alain, Martine

This is all of us, excluding the bebe Alexis! When Vivi's boyfriend, JP had arrived, we became quite a handful of frenchies and one american at the dinner table. Much of the festivities are the same as what I have done before back home, but nevertheless I will regale you all with my Christmas tale.

Twas the night before Christmas, all through the house. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there. Yes, he even makes the journey to France ;) and the scholar in me must reference the previous lines to Clement Clarke Moore in his poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas."  

Evidence of said stockings and chimney (notice Jay :) )

Ok, ok. Back to business. So the night before Christmas we went to mass. They are Catholic so this was a new experience but one that was very similar to old ones. Once again, I didn't understand much of what the guy in front was saying, I sang poorly but proudly, and I was surrounded by the whole town dressed in their best. Afterwards we were to begin our very lovely dinner. The Busnels (I cant speak for all of France, as Im sure its different) have a tradition of having a large and lovely spread of seafood for special occasions like this. If I was a good boy, I would remember all the names in french but I might cheat and use a translator for them. It was all very new to me, but I dove in and found myself a little drunk from the wine and also surprised at how delicious it all was. 

We have oysters (huitres) on the bottom left, huge fan. Then prawns (idk translation, grosses crevettes?) and shrimp (crevettes), crab claws (crab), and lastly the bulot (whelk in english?). Bulot is like a snail that lives in the sea. They're semi big, like an inch or two in diameter. Mama Busnel made a vinaigrette for the oysters and we used mayo for the shrimp, crab, and bulot. It was a process to eat it all as you had to rip the heads off the shrimp and then I am no pro with the crab. But it was fun and we talked and ate our dinner and also had another dinner afterwards consisting of potatoes, veggies and steak. It was a lot of food, but so much fun to eat and to listen to the frenchies around the table. I've improved my french enough that I can understand and contribute, which of course is so much more enjoyable!

On Christmas day, the kids and I all had an exchange. I got lovely presents from everyone and was so happy to be taken care of like family. Of course, homesickness sank in a little over the holidays, although I cant say that it stayed very long because I was quickly given reasons to forget it. For lunch of Christmas, we had the leftovers from the seafood the night before. Still delish too.

That is a basic summary of my Christmas, it is important to me to show how important family is and how we can all find it wherever we may be. I am very lucky to have been so welcomed and to have a family here that looks after me and of course everyone back home whom I care for. The support I get from everywhere is what motivates me everyday to do my best and to take full advantage of seemingly small opportunities. From my beginning stages of deciding to move to France til the unknown end, I thank you all.

Future blog posts will be here shortly as I have had a busy 2014. I welcomed my mom and Lane to France as you've seen from the pictures on FB. We spent about 10 days together that we all wished could've dragged on forever and I was so proud to have them here. Shortly thereafter, I also spent a week in Morocco with Elodie. My week in Morocco will posted soon as we experienced a culture unlike any I have seen and it really makes an impression on you.

Apparently its not too late in France to people a Happy New Year, so I am doing it now. Have a great 2014!