Perhaps I won't move back to the States anytime soon :)
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-
Sunday, May 10, 2009
happiest people in the universe
Where in the world do people feel most content with their lives?
Perhaps I won't move back to the States anytime soon :)
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-27761674;_ylc=X3oDMTFzODRwOWZjBF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEX3MDMjcxOTQ4MQRzZWMDZnAtdG9kYXltb2QEc2xrA2hhcHB5cGxhY2VzLTUtOS0wOQ--
Perhaps I won't move back to the States anytime soon :)
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-
Friday, May 8, 2009
Djemaa el Fna
2 young women, who don't look the slightest bit of Moroccan, traveled to Marrakech, Morocco last weekend. They had no plan, no hostel reservations, yet managed to have a great trip, despite many people's advice telling them otherwise. Yo no iría they told us. But we did go and here I am, back in Madrid, living to tell about it.
It was a travel experience like no other. My first time in Northern Africa, a Muslim, male-dominating society where the harsh sounding sounds of Arabic and various Berber languages fill the streets. Though it was only a brief two day stay, I felt that this was enough to satisfy my previous curiosity of Morocco. We were able to experience the amazing tastes and flavors of Moroccan cuisine - the tajine, couscous, and kebabs. It was a vegetarian's dream with such a selection of tasty dishes all containing fresh vegetables, chickpeas, and legumes. My favorite gastronomical experience yet with the sweet curry flavors and saffron spiked stews.
What suprised me the most about our stay was the locked away French knowledge that seemed to easily escape me when bargaining for teteras (teapots) to make that wonderful Moroccan mint tea with the most freshly picked mint or negotiating our hostel down to 150 dirhams a night (less than 15 euros for the room ... about 7 euros per person).
I still wake up each morning craving their freshly squeezed orange juice that truly is the best OJ in the world. Be prepared to only pay .12 USD for a big, refreshing cup.
The only real regret I have about the trip, however, was witnessing the tragic end of a small companion that sneakily accompanied us until our last night. Our dear lizard friend that slept in the corner of our 150 dirham a night room saw its end to a Moroccan flip-flop. Poor thing. And we caused all of this to happen, fetching the owner to come to our room, simply to dispose of it by putting it out the window. Yet our little friend had to be difficult and scurried underneath our bed, in pure fright and confusion. After tearing the room apart searching for him, his curly tail was finally spotted by my eagle eyes under the bed frame. Our last instructions were to SORTEZ! the room and the last thing we heard was a heavy flip-flop hitting the floor, as this little guy (or girl) met his/her end.
Thankfully, after a few moments of sadness for the brutality against our poor lizard, we slept soundly that night, only to safely make it to the airport the next morning and return unharmed to Madrid. We can now tell the tales of the enchanting camel rides, desert legends, the Atlas mountain range, the Ourika valley and its waterfalls, and mysterious Marrakech.
It was a travel experience like no other. My first time in Northern Africa, a Muslim, male-dominating society where the harsh sounding sounds of Arabic and various Berber languages fill the streets. Though it was only a brief two day stay, I felt that this was enough to satisfy my previous curiosity of Morocco. We were able to experience the amazing tastes and flavors of Moroccan cuisine - the tajine, couscous, and kebabs. It was a vegetarian's dream with such a selection of tasty dishes all containing fresh vegetables, chickpeas, and legumes. My favorite gastronomical experience yet with the sweet curry flavors and saffron spiked stews.
What suprised me the most about our stay was the locked away French knowledge that seemed to easily escape me when bargaining for teteras (teapots) to make that wonderful Moroccan mint tea with the most freshly picked mint or negotiating our hostel down to 150 dirhams a night (less than 15 euros for the room ... about 7 euros per person).
I still wake up each morning craving their freshly squeezed orange juice that truly is the best OJ in the world. Be prepared to only pay .12 USD for a big, refreshing cup.
The only real regret I have about the trip, however, was witnessing the tragic end of a small companion that sneakily accompanied us until our last night. Our dear lizard friend that slept in the corner of our 150 dirham a night room saw its end to a Moroccan flip-flop. Poor thing. And we caused all of this to happen, fetching the owner to come to our room, simply to dispose of it by putting it out the window. Yet our little friend had to be difficult and scurried underneath our bed, in pure fright and confusion. After tearing the room apart searching for him, his curly tail was finally spotted by my eagle eyes under the bed frame. Our last instructions were to SORTEZ! the room and the last thing we heard was a heavy flip-flop hitting the floor, as this little guy (or girl) met his/her end.
Thankfully, after a few moments of sadness for the brutality against our poor lizard, we slept soundly that night, only to safely make it to the airport the next morning and return unharmed to Madrid. We can now tell the tales of the enchanting camel rides, desert legends, the Atlas mountain range, the Ourika valley and its waterfalls, and mysterious Marrakech.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
SAFE and SOUND
hi familia -
just wanted to let you know that i'm back in madrid after a weekend in marrakech, morocco. we had a fabulous trip! ate some delicious food, drank some fabulous mint tea, and rode a camel. i cannot wait to tell you all about it. i'll try calling sometime later today.
check out pictures on my blog. i'll write a longer blog update about the trip sometime this week.
lots of love,
kate
just wanted to let you know that i'm back in madrid after a weekend in marrakech, morocco. we had a fabulous trip! ate some delicious food, drank some fabulous mint tea, and rode a camel. i cannot wait to tell you all about it. i'll try calling sometime later today.
check out pictures on my blog. i'll write a longer blog update about the trip sometime this week.
lots of love,
kate
Friday, April 17, 2009
Truly Enchanted
"I need a vacation" were the words said about a dozen times in our piso the day after returning to Madrid after our Semana Santa/Easter vacation. Or maybe we should have been saying, "Let's go back." Coming home to the cold, rainy weather of April in Madrid was difficult considering our ten days of beautiful and warm Italian sunshine in Milan, Venice, Pisa, Cinque Terre, Siena, Florence, and Rome. As travel writer Paul Theroux writes, "although the journey is over, the experience isn't." Travel can be a cure ... but this trip had not cured me of Italy, and I know I will someday go back because Roma, non basta una vita (Rome, a lifetime is not enough).
You can check out pictures from my travels below. Enjoy!
You can check out pictures from my travels below. Enjoy!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
ITALIA
Off to ITALY!
Happy Semana Santa!
Will write an update and post pictures once I'm back in España.
CIAO!
Happy Semana Santa!
Will write an update and post pictures once I'm back in España.
CIAO!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
The Rough Guide to Spain Needs Some Smoothing Out Around its Edges
While living in Buenos Aires in 2006, I bought the cheapest guidebook of Argentina imaginable before leaving, not wanting to pay over $20 for those travel books like Fodor's, Rick Steeves, or Let's Go! Yet during my time in Argentina, I soon discovered that my frugality, inherited from my father, should have been a trait to have skipped me in the gene pool, as I was surrounded by peers who owned the latest edition of The Rough Guide to Argentina, a travel book series that truly is one of the best, despite its $24.99 pricetag.
The one thing I have learned since those moments of constant borrowing of my friends' copies of The Rough Guide, is to always invest in a good travel book before jumping on that plane, train, or automobile. So before last year's move to Madrid, I logically bought the latest copy of The Rough Guide to Spain, trusting in its recommendations and insight.
However, on a recent day-trip to Toledo with my family, I became a skeptic to guidebooks in general and opted to follow my own travel instincts throughout the day. The Rough Guide to Spain states that "despite its reputation as one of Spain's greatest cities, a visit to Toledo can, in some ways, be a bit of a disappointment." Au contraire. Not disappointing at all and the best day-trip I have yet to take in my time living here.
Dear Rough Guide,
Toledo is the city of Spanish artist El Greco, as well as the former Spanish capital that preceded Madrid. The city itself contains curvy streets, historic military walls, steep walkways and lots of stairs, the gorge of the Río Tajo, churches, synagogues, mosques, and houses. It's also the city in Spain known for its damascening of jewelry - you name it, they'll have it. Earrings, bracelets, necklaces, or rings made from iron or steel that have had gold or silver decorative threads applied to the objects fine, narrow grooves. Its desolate landscape brings to mind Cervantes and his Don Quijote and Sancho Panza, the land of windmills and the Visigothic, Moorish, Jewish and Christian cultures.
Certainly not disappointed.
Sincerely,
A very content visitor to Toledo
The one thing I have learned since those moments of constant borrowing of my friends' copies of The Rough Guide, is to always invest in a good travel book before jumping on that plane, train, or automobile. So before last year's move to Madrid, I logically bought the latest copy of The Rough Guide to Spain, trusting in its recommendations and insight.
However, on a recent day-trip to Toledo with my family, I became a skeptic to guidebooks in general and opted to follow my own travel instincts throughout the day. The Rough Guide to Spain states that "despite its reputation as one of Spain's greatest cities, a visit to Toledo can, in some ways, be a bit of a disappointment." Au contraire. Not disappointing at all and the best day-trip I have yet to take in my time living here.
Dear Rough Guide,
Toledo is the city of Spanish artist El Greco, as well as the former Spanish capital that preceded Madrid. The city itself contains curvy streets, historic military walls, steep walkways and lots of stairs, the gorge of the Río Tajo, churches, synagogues, mosques, and houses. It's also the city in Spain known for its damascening of jewelry - you name it, they'll have it. Earrings, bracelets, necklaces, or rings made from iron or steel that have had gold or silver decorative threads applied to the objects fine, narrow grooves. Its desolate landscape brings to mind Cervantes and his Don Quijote and Sancho Panza, the land of windmills and the Visigothic, Moorish, Jewish and Christian cultures.
Certainly not disappointed.
Sincerely,
A very content visitor to Toledo
The Gang's All Here
Grandpa, brother David, and cousin Emily are in Spain! How wonderful it is to have them here. Seriously, I could not be happier. To see them, spend time with them, and show them my life in Madrid is wonderful. David and Emily both said to me, "This is like a movie, Katie. Your apartment, your life here. It's so cool." Just feeling so incredibly fortunate to have them around.
Today is Father's Day here, which Spain has purposely made fall on St. Joseph’s day since the Catholic Church holds a significant influence on its culture. So today, I'd like to just thank my grandpa (gramps), almost eighty years old, who is here, walking from Retiro Park to the Puerta del Sol sin problema. And to think that in the past two years, we have traveled together through three continents - Europe, South America, and Africa. He truly shows his grandchildren how to live. How blessed are we to have him as a role model and friend.
Today is Father's Day here, which Spain has purposely made fall on St. Joseph’s day since the Catholic Church holds a significant influence on its culture. So today, I'd like to just thank my grandpa (gramps), almost eighty years old, who is here, walking from Retiro Park to the Puerta del Sol sin problema. And to think that in the past two years, we have traveled together through three continents - Europe, South America, and Africa. He truly shows his grandchildren how to live. How blessed are we to have him as a role model and friend.
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