Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Days 12 and 13 – Granada and Seville
All,
My apologies for not writing sooner but we are experiencing an internet deficit but I will explain later.
We booked a walking tour of Granada which occurred yesterday. Our guide was Carmen and her English skills were very good, however, the lisp dominated once again. We started our walk at the largest Cathedral in Granada. There were 3 main architects who contributed to the design and building of the church. The first was a Gothic specialist but Queen Ysabela (spelled with a "Y" until the 18th century) died and the next architect was one who favored the Renaissance style. Suffice it to say that it took 100 years to build the church. Do you see a theme here in Spain?
We walked around the Albiacin area of the city, which is where the Muslims lived before they were expelled. Once the Catholics defeated the Muslims, it was agreed that they would all convert within forty years. However, a very wicked Archbishop came into town and was pissed off that the Muslims were still carrying on with their traditions and ordered that everyone convert within two years. We found out that to be "Moorish" meant at one time that you did not want to convert to Catholicism, pay the applicable taxes to the church etc. Every Friday they had inspectors go the Muslim homes to ensure that they were not practicing Islam. Eventually, all Muslims were expelled from Granada.
We visited the remains of a Hammam, a bath house where Muslims used to meet to bathe. Of course women and men bathed separately. We learned that Christians were not keen on bathing and even today there is a saying in Spain, "you smell worse than a Christian." Legend has it that Queen Ysabela did not bathe until the Catholic Emperors had conquered all of Spain; that took 10 years. I don't even want to believe that because the thought is abhorrent.
We then went to a convent where we observed cloistered nuns praying. There is at least one nun praying at all times. We walked into the chapel and there were two nuns who were shrouded in white. We could not see any part of them except the white clothing. When I walked out, I said to Marcia, "there but for the Grace of God go I." She was hysterical. I have no idea why. It is after all a very simple life where you pray, eat and sleep. All other decisions are made for you. When I get back to the stress of the job, I will think about those nuns and their very uncomplicated lives.
The shopping area in Granada was identical to the Medina in Marrakech. There were lots of little shops on these narrow pathways, but thankfully, there were no motorcycles. After walking around the square, we went back to the hotel to have lunch at the Michelin rated restaurant. The name of it is La Fabula. Marcia and I ordered the veal and Shahna ordered lamb chops.
I have eaten in Michelin rated restaurants before yesterday but I have never seen such a production in the service of food as I observed yesterday. We had three servers and each time they would take up our cutlery or bring us a different course, it was an orchestrated event to perform the task at the same time. It was like eating with a ballet dance around us. We ordered the main course but they brought three appetizers, each more delicious than the next. The balance of textures and taste was amazing; salt, sweet, crunchy. When the veal finally arrived, just the task of splitting it between two plates took about five minutes between cutting it, plating it and adding the sauce. It was divine.
We ordered dessert which turned out to be a three course event. There was pre-dessert, dessert and post-dessert. Lunch lasted over two hours but it was absolutely excellent and we thought very reasonably priced for the quality of the food and the exceptional service.
By then it was time to take a taxi to the train station to catch our train to Seville. Needless to say I took a nap on the train, as I am unaccustomed to eating seven courses at lunch. The ride from Granada to Seville took a little over three hours and the train ride was very comfortable.
Once we got to Seville, we got a taxi to take us to the hotel. The music in the car was very loud and I thought I was in Arlene's car listening to those bad Spanish ballads. Thankfully, the ride was very short. The streets (calling them streets is really a stretch) are very, very narrow. In the old town, they are really alleys since Muslims built the city like a Medina so the "roads" were not built to take cars. At some points, I thought the taxi driver was going to drive into some walls. I kept pressing my imaginary brake and was a wreck by the time we got to the hotel. The hotel is very centrally located, right around the corner from the main Cathedral in the center of town. I thought entering the chapel in the cloistered convent may have been the last straw for my penance. Thankfully, I lived to see another day.
The name of the hotel is Husa Los Seises. We think it may have been a convent but we are not sure. The hotel is a bit dated and although they claim to have four stars, I do not know who awarded them same. At best, it is three stars, but the location is unbeatable. It needed a face lift but since we were only going to be here for two nights, we settled in for the evening.
I emailed a gentleman who was recommended to us by a colleague of Marcia to take us on a walking tour of Seville. His name is David Cox and he is from London and has lived in the city for about 8 years. How refreshing to hear a British accent and no lisp. It was like heaven to my ears. His website is www.reallydiscover.com and his email address is davidcox@reallydiscover.com. If you ever come to Seville, please do not hesitate to utilize his services. Coincidentally, his apartment was right next door to the hotel.
Our walking tour consisted of the old city and we toured the Humanities Department of the University of Seville, which used to be tobacco factory. The Broadway musical "Carmen" is based on the legend of a gypsy who worked at the factory, got into a fight with another worker, was jailed and seduces the jailer to get out of jail. The jail now houses the administrative offices for the university. We learned about the importance of Seville during the time when Christopher Columbus was "discovering" countries that already had people living there. Both yesterday and today we corrected our guides to use the verb "conquer" in the future instead of "discover" as you cannot discover a country if people are already living there. Be that as it may, we had a lovely tour of the old town and walk down by the river which was a very important part of the history of trading in Seville.
The Cathedral is the last church built in the Gothic style in Europe and is very beautiful. Tomorrow we plan to take a tour of the inside and we may take a cruise down the river. After our walking tour ended, we walked most of the little town, going into the various shops and we were directed to a religious store as Marcia had to purchase a Baby Jesus for one of her colleagues.
The internet at the hotel is ridiculous. Thankfully, both Marcia and I have our phones on international service. Free internet is provided in the lobby and first floor lounge for 30 minutes at a time. The cost of Internet service is 14 Euros and only applies to one device. That is absolutely ridiculous as people nowadays travel with 2 and 3 devices and hotels worldwide need to adjust their WIFI services accordingly.
My dear Sheryll, I am nearing the end of my vacation and regrettably, I have not even glimpsed Mr. Right for you. First, the men in Spain are very short (you would not be able to wear your wonderful high heeled shoes) and have big heads (like Tom Cruise). Additionally, I cannot with a clear conscience, commit you to a lifetime with a man who speaks with a lisp. Our friendship is much too important to me and I would surely have to desert you as he would get on my last nerve once the novelty wore off. Marcia and I have decided that Scandinavia may be a better option for you as the men are very tall and the languages are absent faux lisps. I remember all those Harlequin Romance novels we used to read which described those hot, Spanish men with taut thighs. Alas, they are no longer in Spain, so we will move our search elsewhere.
We had lunch at a great tapas restaurant located in one of the squares in Seville, named Albarama. It was the best tapas we had in all of Spain. We had a mini pork burger with the most delicious mini fries, mushroom risotto, chicken in puff pastry, grilled prawns with rice and a shrimp potato salad. Everything was absolutely delicious and I would definitely recommend this place if you ever pass through here.
While enjoying our lunch, who would pass by our table situated on the sidewalk? Mr. Bad Comb over from Granada!!! I could not believe my eyes and of course like observing a car wreck, I followed his comb over once he was in my sight until he finally recognized me and came over and shook my hand. He said "you're the people who were on the tour in Granada" and I wanted to say "you were the guy with the bad comb over" but I was gracious and joked that he had followed us from Granada to Seville. He wished us a great vacation and went on his merry way. He is such a nice man. Someone has to sit him down and tell him the truth at some point.
Seville is a charming, quaint town but I have to admit that I am underwhelmed. Perhaps tomorrow I will have a different opinion. If this is not on your bucket list, you can skip it. If it is, do not allow more than one day.
Our flight back to Barcelona tomorrow is not until about 6 p.m. so we have a whole other day here. I cannot believe that my two week vacation is almost over but all good things must come to an end. Hope you all are well and I will write again tomorrow once I am back in Barcelona. I cannot send pictures today because of the lousy internet service and I am not able to access the pictures on my iPad.
Carinos y besos,
Liz
Monday, January 28, 2013
Days 10 and 11 – Barcelona and Granada, including the Alhambra
All,
It has been an interesting couple of days since I last wrote. Yesterday was pretty frustrating and by the time I got to Granada, just wanted to relax, so I did not get a chance to write.
On Sunday, while we were still in Barcelona, we went to La Pedrera, another Gaudi house, but it was not open when we arrived. However, I got a nice gift for Steve and then we proceeded to a recommendation from Donnette for Vaho Trashion, which sells recycled bags made from street signs. I got a cute fanny pack and then we were off to Las Ramblas to spend our last afternoon walking around and taking in the sights and sounds of the city. The Picasso Museum, which was also a recommendation from Donnette, and had a long line, plus New York has some great museums with his works. After that we were off to the airport for our flight to Granada. Long story short, I left the bag with the gift and my bag in the taxi. I was so pissed at myself. I called the Taxi company when I reached Granada and will check if by chance the taxi guy took it back to the hotel. Aah yah yah!!!! The bag store will be open when we get back on Thursday evening but I am not sure about the gift shop. Anyway, I had to get over it real fast as Granada awaited.
Granada is a small city with about 235,000 inhabitants. Its airport is very small and we quickly got our luggage and proceeded outside to take a taxi to the hotel. It was a short ride from the airport to the hotel and once we reached the center of town, the taxi driver turned onto these cobble stoned streets and our hotel was a little more than half way down the street. When we entered the front door, we could not believe our eyes. It was modest on the outside but the inside was absolutely beautiful. When you walk in the front door, the reception desk is to the right, but if you proceed to the left or the right of the door and the hotel is set up like a riad, which is a traditional Moroccan house or place with an interior garden. It had a beautiful fountain and the furnishings were in a bronze color with the most beautiful curtains throughout in different shades of brown and bronze.
Our room was equally impressive, with very modern elements; great bathtub, separate shower and toilet and bidet. All the built-ins are made of light wood. The name of the hotel is Villa Oniria and it is conveniently located close to the City Center.
After checking in, we relaxed for a while and then proceeded to find some dinner. I have eaten some magnificent food over the last 10 days but I was dying for a salad and so we decided to eat at a place that had a wonderful array of salads. My salad was fantastic and it was topped with the best sundried tomato I have ever had. We had a leisurely dinner and then went back to the hotel to get some rest since we had an early morning tour to see the Alhambra. I had a wonderful bath in the tub and Marcia did her best to channel Steve's bath making abilities. However, Steve still has the number one spot for bath making abilities (lol).
After a wonderful night's sleep, we got up this morning and got ready quickly. Breakfast was a classy affair with loads of fresh fruit, eggs made to order and lots of other continental choices. At 9:30 a.m. our guide picked us up from the front of the lobby and took us to the bus that was waiting on one of the wider streets. We picked up some additional people and proceeded to the Alhambra, which was about 10 minutes away. Once we got to the parking lot of the Alhambra, we saw other groups with their guides waiting to get into the site as well. It appeared at first that we had arrived at a mecca for octogenarians. I felt like I was 5 years old with all these old people around us. You cannot wait until you are 70 and 80 to take this trip for heaven's sake. The tour is three hours long and it consists of lots of walking; uphill, downhill, up the steps, down the steps and there is a large area to cover. There were some people with canes in one of the groups. I did not hear any ambulance sirens and can safely assume that they made it in and around the site without incident.
The Alhambra is a Moorish citadel and palace in Granada. Granada is located at the foothill of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It is the most visited monument in Spain. In the 11th century the Castle of the Alhambra was developed as a walled town which subsequently became a military stronghold that dominated the whole city. By the 13th century, there was the arrival of the first monarch of the Nasrid dynasty, and that was when the royal residence was established in the Alhambra. The Alhambra became the palace and the residence of the Nasrid sultans and their senior officials, including the servants and elite soldiers. At that point about 2,000 people lived in the Medina.
The first palace we visited was the Charles V palace, only to find out the roof was not put on until 85 years ago. There seems to be a theme here in Spain for unfinished buildings which does not auger well for the Sagrada Familia.
The Palaces of the Nazaries were constructed in the 14th century and are considered to be the highlight of the any visit to the Alhambra. The theme is very Moorish and consists of the Hall of the Mexuar, the Patio del Mexuar and the Patio de los Leones. The palaces are very beautiful and the Sultan was allowed to have four wives, who were allowed to have their own homes. At the time, our guide advised that the concubines had to live together and Marcia and I exchanged smiles with each other, thinking that the concubines got a bad deal. However, we quickly changed our tune when we saw the luxurious quarters for the concubines and thought hmmm, not such a bad deal. Wife or Concubine? Win/Win. Just saying!!!
Please forgive me if the timeline of my facts are faulty. I have spent over one week in Spain and hearing the fake lisp "th sound" is starting to get to me. Speech therapists in the United States would make a fortune here. I wondered to myself today how one would identify someone with a speech impediment if they spoke Castilian Spanish? Hmmmm. Food for thought?
Additionally, there were some interesting characters in our group which caused my mind to wander. We had the Korean who kept falling behind whose husband had the largest camera and kept harassing her husband to take specific pictures. I figured they worked for National Geographic or were becoming "Japanese" or maybe she stopped to copy something. There was the old guy with the bad comb over under his hat. I found it extremely distracting and wondered where he came from. Has he not heard that it's okay to cut your hair and go bald or shave your head. Have you ever heard anyone say, "That's a great comb over. Where did you get it done?"
I also learned today that in spite of precautions taken, there are no guarantees in life. I specifically booked an "English speaking" tour because I knew that my nerves were frayed with the "fake lisp" Spanish. When we got to the parking lot, we were informed that this our guide was going to conduct the tour in both English and Spanish. Oy veh! He was very good but had a very thick accent, which Shahna could not understand for the most part. I told Shahna to come and spend some time with me in Miami. I did not even realize that even while tuning out the Spanish accent at home, that my listening skills have become keener. I guess this is what is called a win/win situation.
After the palaces, we proceeded to the Generalife, which is the garden attached to the Alhambra which became a place of recreation and rest for the Granadian Muslim kings, when they wanted a brief respite. There are 32 gardeners employed to keep the gardens in shape, however, as it is January, the gardens were not the most beautiful and the gardeners were digging and replanting as we walked around today. However, there is a phenomenal view from the top of the gardens and it was still very beautiful.
Our guide asked us to remember that the Alhambra represented a time when Muslims, Jews and Catholics collaborated and created something beautiful. We can now add Republicans and Tea Party members to the mix (lol).
We enjoyed our visit to the Alhambra and went back to the parking lot and met our guide. The bus dropped us off on the main street near to our hotel and we walked around and window shopped. After that we had some tapas, which was not memorable. We got to the tapas restaurant around 2 p.m. and it was packed with people drinking beer. Is that what the siesta means? I thought it was to take a nap. I am not surprised that the Spanish cannot complete the work on their historical sites. Too much alcohol in the middle of the day? Anyway, at the end of the day, I guess it's about enjoying life. Who cares if Sagrada Familia takes another 100 years in the scheme of things?
We went back to the hotel and I took a nap. When in Rome ……. so when in Spain, do like the Spanish do.
We just came back from having tapas on the main street in town. Granada reminds me a lot of the old town in Barcelona with little cobble stoned streets with the little shops lining either side. I am going to take a bath and get ready for bed. Tomorrow we have a walking tour of Granada and we found out that the restaurant at the hotel is a 1 star Michelin rated restaurant so we made reservations for lunch and then we are off to Seville on a 5 p.m. train.
We saw one black guy in Granada on our way back from dinner, so we did the "black people salute." (lol).
I miss MSNBC at night and Matt Lauer in the morning. Which team am I going to root for the in Super Bowl? I will root for one of the Harbaugh brothers. Another win/win (lol).
As I write this, DJ Next Level is channeling Top 40 songs. Last night is was Soca/Calypso.
OMG (featuring will.i.am) Usher
Million Dollar Girl Trina
Carry Out (featuring Justine Timberlake) Timbaland
Get the Party Started Pink
Raise Your Glass Pink
Moves Like Jagger Maroon Five
Down (featuring Lil Wayne) Jay Sean
Leavin' Jesse McCartney
Just Fine Mary J. Blige
Party in the U.S.A. Miley Cyrus
Super Bass Nicki Minaj
Carinos y besos,
Liz
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Days 8 and 9 - Dar Ahlam, Marrakech and Barcelona
All,
My last post left off after the camel ride. I can assure you I am still alive. Once we got back to Dar Ahlam, there were some guests that arrived during our absence from Brazil. They were a group of friends traveling together, so we sat and chatted and looked at each other's pictures until dinner was ready.
Dinner on Thursday was another spectacular display of Chef Mohammed's talents. I must once again emphasize his spectacular talents. Lunch on Thursday consisted of a tomato salad with vinaigrette with pistachio nuts. The pistachio added a totally different flavor to the tomatoes. At dinner, the appetizer was a gazpacho with a citrus flavor. The main course was chicken breast in this fantastic sauce which tasted slightly of dates. The chicken was served on a bed of golden raisins. I don't know where these carrots that they serve grow, but once again he outdid himself. We relaxed for the rest of the evening and went to bed at a reasonable time since we had an early pick up the next morning.
We had a light continental breakfast before we left and the General Manager woke up early so he could wish us a fond farewell. He works for Maison des Reves and they are building 3 smaller Kasbahs in Southern Morocco and give the guests the experience of all the elements that are found in the south of the country. In Skoura, the people are for the most part "Berber" and their culture is different from the Arabic one. It should take a couple of years to finish and they will structure a 7 day experience among the various properties to give the visitor a taste of everything that is representative of the culture in southern Morocco.
Mustafa was on time to pick us up and off we went on our journey back to Marrakech. The drive was uneventful, other than the fact that we stopped to get some Argan oil. Argan oil supposedly cures all ills just like white rum in Jamaica. You get the drift. Mustafa drove much more quickly this time and we got to the airport with plenty of time to spare before our flight. The airport was not very busy and we walked around and got some souvenirs and proceeded to the gate until our flight was called.
In spite of my one nightmare night, Morocco is a beautiful country. What would travel be without some hiccups? Every inconvenience was worth it to experience Dar Ahlam. The only thing I am sorry we did not get to experience were the bomb making schools. Got yah!!! I am kidding. The people in southern Morocco love Americans but since we identified ourselves as Jamaicans everywhere we went, I cannot tell you how deep that love may in fact be (lol). Everybody knows Bob Marley. I mean everyone. In fact in one place that we went, we were trying to bargain the price down and told the man that we were from Jamaica, not America, as he initially guessed, he said with a cheeky laugh, "yes, you poor coming from Jamaica." What bloody cheek? However, we got the things for a much reduced price so I was not going to let his impression insult me.
With heavy hearts, we boarded the flight to Barcelona and just like that, that particular dream ended. However, I am hopeful for all the dreams not yet fulfilled and even more interesting will be the dreams that are fulfilled that I did not even know that I had. Those are sometimes the best kind.
When we arrived in Barcelona, things ran smoothly and we picked up our luggage from the hotel we stayed at last week and proceeded to our hotel for two nights in the center of the city. When we arrived, I was so excited because of the premiere location, which is right of Passeig de Gracia and one block from Las Ramblas.
Last night we were tired so we had dinner in the hotel, only to find out later on when we went to get some money from the ATM, that our favorite tapas place was at the end of the block. Ay Yay Yay!!! The meal was uninspiring but I guess anything would have been, when compared to Mohammed's cooking.
We took our showers, in fact I had a bath, and we went to bed after midnight.
This morning, I woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed as today was a "Gaudi" day. We spent the morning walking around Park Guell, which is a beautiful park created by Gaudi in the hills of Barcelona and which has a wonderful view of the city. It was originally conceived as a "perfect community" but only a small handful of structures were completed. It is absolutely beautiful and definitely worth the time.
I have to get away from Marcia as she keeps making me buy things that I don't need. I casually mentioned that a bright colored wind chime, hanging in one of the shops, was in the colors of my home and the next thing I knew, I was buying a set of wind chimes for my backyard. I hate wind chimes but this shows you the power of suggestion.
We stayed for a couple of hours and then took the bus back to the hotel because we wanted Marcia to experience the fantastic tapas at Cuitat Contal. If you are ever in Barcelona, this has to be on your list of tapas restaurants. We had a wonderful lunch which included potato bravas which are fried potatoes with a garlic aioli and a red spicy sauce. Absolutely delicious. After our delightful meal it was on to the Sagrada Familia.
We had booked a "Skip the Line" tour to see this structure. This was Gaudi's most ambitious project and he spent 40 years of his life designing and overseeing the building of this structure. It is reminiscent of a massive sand castle and it is awesome to see up close. You know I hate the word WOW, but honestly, that was my first reaction. Unfortunately, Gaudi died after only completing one façade and two spires. The Basilica has been under construction since 1882 and it is expected to be completed around 2030. Yeah, right!!! These Spanish people are trifling. This is a national treasure for heaven's sake and should have been finished eons ago. Our guy said that the Spanish Civil War interrupted its progress. Come on, the war lasted for three years, over 70 years ago. Let's get this show on the road and get this structure finished.
As overwhelmed as I was by the outside, the interior was very underwhelming. There were some great architectural elements, but I could not believe my eyes when I saw folding chairs fill almost the whole seated section. I was just not ready for that emotionally and it totally threw me off guard. I felt like I was back at Meadowbrook Preparatory School in Kingston, Jamaica. However, the afternoon sun shining against the stained glass windows cast a beautiful glow on the interior. I felt a little let down. You finally get the date with this hot guy and then you go on the date with great promise and he is an airhead. Beautiful façade, but lacking depth. Anyway, that was crossed off my bucket list. I know for sure that it will not be finished prior to my demise (lol).
After leaving the Basilica, we proceeded to some shops right next door run by East Indians who were selling all kinds of souvenirs. There was some wicked reggae music playing like Sean Paul and other current artists. Another scene reminiscent of Jamaica, as the Indians control all the duty free shops. They were friendly, especially when they heard we were from Jamaica so we spent some time there bartering and bargaining and picked up a couple of souvenirs.
After a full day of sightseeing we took a cab back to the hotel, where I am currently writing this to you. We are off to explore Las Ramblas shortly and see if we can find some dinner and walk around and enjoy the sights and smells of the city.
Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. Will write again tomorrow. I think we are going to do one more Gaudi structure, Casa Mila aka La Pedrera. The man was a genius but also a raving lunatic to have all these designs running around in his head.
Besos,
Liz
Friday, January 25, 2013
Days 6 and 7 – Dar Ahlam – Night in the Desert and Camel Ride
All,
I have just experienced a miracle and wish you could all have been there with me. However, getting to the miracle was a long journey.
My previous post left off after our phenomenal lunch and afternoon on our first day here. Dinner that night was no less spectacular. Words fail me to describe the food served here. Of course, this is an earth to table restaurant. The olives for the olive oil is grown in the garden here and the various ingredients used by the chef, you pass in the herb gardens on the way to some of the rooms. I have tasted some combinations that are simple but mind blowing.
The place is simply elegant. There is no overt display of luxury. Every placement of a pillow or the placement of the soap in the bathroom is well thought out. Someone went to a lot of trouble to create this dream, in which we are living. Dinner on Tuesday night was fish and an array of vegetables. I went to bed pretty early because of the nightmare in Marrakech and I slept like a baby. Thankfully, the human mind is forgiving and we can quickly purge bad images from our minds.
We woke up yesterday morning and quickly packed a bag for the desert. We then went downstairs and breakfast was served by the pool. Everything is so fresh. The raspberry and apricot preserves are homemade. The egg tasted like no other egg I have had before, probably free range as these eggs tasted like the chickens that laid them had experienced no stress. The orange juice was freshly squeezed and tasted like heaven. So we filled our bellies and off we went into a Land Cruiser with Abdul.
Abdul explained that we had crossed the high Atlas Mountains to come from Marrakech to Skoura. In order to get to the desert, we needed to cross the low Atlas Mountains so we were heading in another direction. For those of you that are interested, there is desert all around us and you may be wondering why we had to drive five hours to get to where we wanted to go. The deserts surrounding Skoura and much of Morocco are called rocky deserts or "reg." In order to see the sand dunes, we needed to go to the sand desert called "erg." The place we drove to is called Lake Irki, which used to be a lake thousands of years ago.
Abdul was a fantastic driver, safe but quick, unlike my older gentleman driver who was as slow as molasses, but who got us here from Marrakech in one piece, so I should not be ungrateful. Half way into the journey, he pulled off the road into an oasis and said we should go for a walk and he would have lunch ready. We walked down to a dry river bed and took pictures and by the time we came back, lunch was served on a beautiful rug with a table covered with a gorgeous table cloth and our lunch was packed in four aluminum canisters, which contained one course in each canister. I even got my coca-cola in the oasis. I could not believe it. We ate and kept marveling about how delightful this experience was.
About that time, an elderly woman approached us; she was obviously a beggar. Marcia kept making eye contact and I scolded her for allowing this sad situation to interfere with my dream. I needed to finish my meal and then I could process the whole poverty and sadness that comes along with seeing someone that is aged, begging. Once I finished my meal, I decided that I would have to perform my mitzvah for the day at the oasis so I went and got my wallet and gave her some money. She spoke Arabic and Marcia spoke to her in French, however, Abdul let us know that she was thanking us profusely and blessing us. Marcia also gave her our left over dessert. Somewhere in an oasis there is an old woman whom we have sent into a diabetic coma, clutching 50 dirham. However, it is the thought that counts.
We left the oasis and proceeded on our journey to the desert. Somehow I thought that these sandy dunes would have been right off the highway, like Stonehenge in England. However, we proceeded off road for approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes. Before reaching the dunes, we stopped to see the fossil rocks. Fossils are the preserved remains of animals, plants and other organisms from the remote past. I must admit that Marcia did not do well with her physical geography lesson in the desert. French, she excels at, geography not so much. She did not pay attention in Mrs. Symes' class, obviously.
We left the fossils behind and about 30 minutes later, arrived at our destination. It was magnificent to see the sand dunes in the background. We were greeted by Ahmed, all dressed in black, who escorted us over the dune to our tent. However, before descending to the tent, the staff had set up tea and cookies on a red rug on top of one of the dunes. I felt like we were suspended in the air on the carpet. After having our tea and cookies, we went to observe our surroundings. The tent was absolutely beautiful; they even had pictures hanging above the beds. I will try and send some pictures. There was a beautiful gold sink and the toilet was a nice appointed portable potty but very draped and dressed. One must not interfere with the dream, thank you very much. This is all a fantasy that was created for us.
We proceeded to the top of another dune where we were to take our sunset pictures. Ahmed brought me coke with ice (yes, he did in the desert) and drinks for Marcia and Shahna as well as toasted bread with an olive tapenade and a cheese and olive spread. We took many pictures and chatted and laughed until it was time to descend to our tent.
Once the sun goes down, it starts to get cold my friends. No sun, no heat. We started to put on our various layers of clothing and sat outside while I played my jam box with Bob Marley tunes playing loudly in the desert. Ahmed came and got us and said (which have now become my favorite words) "please come this way, I have a surprise for you."
We followed him over two sand dunes, using the lighted lanterns as a guide, and there in the middle of one of the openings, they had set up a table for three with lanterns all around the table with a blazing fire. It was a sight to behold. I of course had carried my jam box and proceeded to play all kinds of reggae music and some current ones as well to accompany our dinner. The chef had outdone himself once again and we had a tagine (name of traditional Moroccan cooking pot) of vegetables with a beef curry, with coriander. It was spectacular. And yes, I had coke with ice for my drink. I can get coke with ice in the middle of the damn desert, but those Chinese put me through torture to get my drink. The service was magnificent. Ahmed would disappear in his black clothes and all of a sudden out of nowhere, would appear to cater to our needs. This was a scene from Sex and the City on crack.
I am putting Steve on notice. When I return to Pembroke Pines, every night I walk into the house, I want to hear the words, "I have a surprise for you." I want to see the place cleaned to perfection and lovely smells emanating from the kitchen with candles lighting the path to my surprise (lol). I am dying with laughter as I am writing this, of course. However, they are such lovely words to hear and even nicer, is that the surprise is always well thought out.
The temperature was falling rapidly so we proceeded down to our tents. I must tell you that the effort that goes into creating this dream is exceptional. The other tents which hold the staff and kitchen etc. are neatly tucked away behind other dunes because they do not want to spoil the surprise for the guests. They do not want us to think of what has to be done for them to create this dream. It was well appreciated.
I went to bed early because I figured I should jump into that bed while I was still warm, before it got too cold. Marcia and Shahna stayed up later than I did. I was not cold and slept through the night because there were so many blankets on the bed and it was wrapped very tight. However, the other two said although it was cold, it was not unbearable.
Have you ever heard the sound of silence? I mean absolutely nothing. I now understand the phrase, "the deafening sound of silence." It was sublime. Have you ever glanced at the sky, looking at the stars with no light around for as far as the eye can see? Total darkness, except the light from the stars in the sky? It was spiritual.
Ahmed woke us up at 7:15 a.m. so we could see the sunrise and take pictures. Breakfast was served on another dune complete with table cloth and full table settings. We had a wonderful continental breakfast but once again, the right simple combinations, were a winning formula.
Abdul came back to pick us up and we departed from the desert to go back to Dar Ahlam. What an experience. This was definitely an "experience" vacation. I think I could get used to this. Dear God, am I going to have to work like a dog forever to pay for these experiences? It appears so ……….
The drive back was much shorter as we did not stop this time as Abdul wanted to get us back to the property for lunch. We arrived and had long, hot showers before coming downstairs for lunch. I requested to meet the chef, whose name was Mohammed. His good looks are surpassed only by his cooking skills. No, I am not kidding, his name was Mohammed. We spoke to him for a long time about his recipes and his skill at marrying the most unusual ingredients and he gave us some tips, which I will incorporate into my repertoire. One small tip, a dash of coriander in everything (lol).
The day was capped off by our camel ride. We drove through a dry river bed on our way to the oasis in Skoura. Abdul advised that when it rained, the water rose and the road became impassable. I asked him, how the people managed when that happened. He said that they stopped at each other's houses and drank tea and waited for the water to recede. There is a saying in Morocco, "Insha'Allah," which loosely translated means "God willing." He said if God wanted you to get to the other side quickly, he would not have let it rain. I am going to try this with my boss when my reports are due. If God wanted me to finish the report on time, he would not put so many distractions in my path. I love this phrase and I will carry it back to south Florida for regular use.
The camel is a very unattractive animal, reminiscent of the men in China (lol). Once you get on and the camel rises, you have to hold on tightly as it rocks, not very gently as it straightens up. I was screaming my head off in the Scoura Oasis while Abdul snapped all the pictures with the various IProducts and cameras. It's pretty high off the ground and you have to literally go with the flow, with the sway of the camel. Dismounting was another experience and I can assure you the only way that I will ride a camel again is with a loaded Bushmaster held to my head. However, I lived the dream for about 1/3 of a mile. Another thing to cross of my bucket list.
I am sitting here writing this in the sitting room, of which I sent a picture, earlier today, if the WIFI was working.
I would like to close today's blog with a quote from the Maisons des Reves book, which accompanied my bill. So as not to invoke a heart attack, the bill is accompanied by a wonderful book which captures some of the magical moments they have created for you.
"Above all, the Maisons des Reves are houses with the atmosphere and character a house can have. They live to your rhythm and their only purpose is to evoke pleasure and to offer you unique and timeless moments in your life.
As the day goes by, our houses follow your desires . .. . a lunch on the grass, a picnic by the riverside, a mint tea at sunset and the magic works its charm. Time stops for a brief instant; an instant for a dream to be lived, re-lived and especially shared."
As another birthday looms, and the numbers on the age meter get larger, being here has made me realize how finite our lives are. We spend too much time postponing our dreams for the future. The future is now. As you can see from the above quote, some of the magic created here over the last couple of days is very simple and are moments which we can all stop for a moment during our busy lives and create the dream, if only for a short while. Please remember sometimes to take a breath and leave life's mundane moments by the wayside and live the dream.
I hope I will have the opportunity to return here with some of you to share the fulfillment of the best dream of my life for the next big milestone birthday (please note that I am not identifying any numbers here) (lol). Insha'Allah.
Besos,
Liz
P.S. Sheryll, I found one situation which might be a viable alternative for you. There is a village about half way between here and the desert and the only criteria for getting a man in that village is that you have to be pretty and have to be willing to work in the Cooperative to make berber carpets. Just saying, you may need a change from nutrition and dietetics . . . . . . . Think of all the rugs you could sell to your friends.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Dar Ahlam - Day 5
"Welcome to Dar Ahlam, the Maison des Reves
Our name reveals a wish, the wish to accompany you in your wildest and unexpected dreams to make your stay unforgettable.
We named your room Syrienne, an oriental room that mixes colors, furniture and accessories from over the world: Armchairs from Damascus, engravings from Istanbul, Aladdin's lanterns ...
A soft and warm light reigns in this room to make you dream like in a tale from 1001 nights .....
Dar Ahlam is your house, it now belongs to you to imagine the moments you wish to live in it ...
We hope that you will enjoy your stay as much as as we enjoyed designing and realising it.
You just have to
Live the dream"
I am in heaven. It took us five hours to get to Skoura from Marrakech. We crossed two mountains to get here, including one peak from which we could see nothing, because it was so foggy. The terrain from green to lush to arid and dry back to lush, to mountains and desert. It was absolutely fabulous. The hairpin bends in the mountain roads were very scary but I was busy typing the last blog I sent to you and tried to ignore it for the most part.
We passed through a lovely town on the way to Skoura, Ouarzazate, which is where Ridley Scott likes to film his movies. Gladiator was filmed here, also Body of Lies and a couple of others. Guess who we saw. A bus of Japanese tourists (lol).
Once we saw the sign of Skoura, I breathed a sigh of relief, however, that was short-lived. When we went from paved roads to dirt roads, my first thought was "WTF, not again." However, we had indeed arrived at heaven. Words cannot describe this place. It was blissful, celestial, heavenly. We were met by two people and the lady escorted us inside through many passage ways to a lovely living room or as we would say in Jamaica, drawing room. It was absolutely beautiful, comfortable and warm. We told them how hungry we were and about 5 people appeared in the garden and set up the most delightful setting for us to eat lunch.
Our llunch started with a wonderful carrot soup with cumin, fantastic bread toasted on one side drizzled with olive oil, followed by the most delicious salad which contained julienned vegetables of every short with goat cheese and pine nut in the middle. I was in bloody heaven. Our main meal had an asian twist with meatballs surrounded by sticky rice with a delightful flavored soy sauce with grilled aubergines. Have I made you hungry? I am not done yet. Our dessert which I took about one hour to eat was a lemon tart. It was out of this world.
The service is unobtrusive and discreet. Once they place the meal in front of you, it is as if they disappear into the atmosphere, only to appear at exactly the right time to clear away the plates to replace them with the next course. We had about four people waiting on us. We were the only people at the resort until just now when another couple arrived.
I just finished the best massage and facial I have ever had in my life and I feel like I have no bones left. We soaked in a whirlpool bath and went into the sauna. I had a shower with almond soap and I feel like I have died and gone to heaven. We have been informed that the quality of the service will not be any different when we go into the desert and that the sunset and sunrise are so beautiful, that it cannot be missed. We will have a team of people waiting on our every need.
This place is worth every penny that we paid and more and I am ecstatic to be able to experience this. Fortune has indeed smiled upon us and I am eternally grateful.
I will not write again for a couple of day as we leave at about 11 a.m. to go into the desert tomorrow and will not return until noon on Thursday. Please know that we are well, well cared for and we are indeed in a magical place. I am going to try to send some pictures now from my iPad. The wireless is spotty but who cares. Life is good. I am living the dream.
Besos,
Liz
Day Four - Marrakech
All,
As I write this, we safely ensconced in a SUV stealing away like battered wives to a shelter, which we sincerely hope will be better than we are coming from.
What a day we had yesterday. As I have said in many of my stories, travel is representative of life. Barcelona was magical and events that go on for some time of course lull one into a false sense of security. That security was shattered yesterday and once again demonstrated how one's fortunes can turn on a dime. However, I am getting ahead of myself here.
We left Barcelona under cold, clear skies. We flew on an airline called Vueling which is similar to Jet Blue. They had new planes and the flight was comfortable. I had one minor hiccup with an Arab gentleman who wanted to commandeer our overhead compartment. I reached to the seat first and Marcia and Shahna were behind me. He was seated in the row behind us but I guess he had brought on too much luggage and wanted to store his excess baggage in the bin above our seats. He tried to push me out of the way but I refused to budge and told him so in no uncertain terms. Sheryll and I happened to be on a call on Viber at the time of this minor altercation. I have become accustomed to the various odd people whose paths we cross in this journey of life and I was not going to let him bully me into doing what he wanted.
The flight was uneventful and was about 2 hours 15 minutes long. As we descended into Marrakech, I noticed that all the buildings were different shades of the dessert. There were no painted houses here, but it was beautiful from the sky. We got our bags without incident and proceeded to find "Mohammed." To our delight there was a gentleman standing with a large sign with Marcia's name and we approached him and off we were to the car. We decided that he would drop us off at the hotel and wait for us and then take us on a tour of Marrakech.
On the way to the hotel we passed the old city but I will come back to that part of the story later.
The name of our hotel was the Rose Garden Hotel and Spa. At first glance, it was attractively appointed and all seemed well on the outside. The old adage comes to mind, "all that glitters is not gold" but I was not yet aware of its shortcomings, like a first date where you put your best foot forward because you do not want your flaws to be apparent so early in the game. I later found out that two of the nouns in the name were completely wrong. It is neither a hotel nor spa.
I waited by the bags outside when we pulled up the hotel, while Marcia and Shahna went inside to check in. Of course I was expecting a bellman but up to this point, saw no one. A few minutes later I saw a plump woman come out of the front door dressed in a coat with bedroom slippers. Was this a harbinger of things to come? I will let you decide.
The check in seemed to be taking a very long time so I went inside to see Marcia and Shahna seated in the lobby. They were waiting on their welcome drink and snacks. By this time I was pacing the lobby because I had not seen a bellman and Marcia told me I had relax and bring it down a couple of notches. I sat and while I did not have any of the Moroccan tea that was provided to us, I did sample one of the cookies.
The driver brought our bags in because still no bellman appeared. Finally, when we were proceeding to our room with the bags, I saw a gentleman appear from nowhere, who said he would take the bags to the room. However, he seemed to be providing us with a favor, not a service.
We walked through the gardens past the swimming pool, which was absolutely gorgeous. They had done a great job with the gardens. We were escorted to a large suite, which was furnished very nicely and the colors were attractive. However, my dear friends, the devil is in the details. The room was deathly cold, there was no light in the area of the toilet, and there did not appear to be any plugs to charge our various electronic devices. The room was poorly lit but the tub looked inviting and I made a mental note at that time that I would be making the most of the tub. We did not want to tarry as we wanted to make the most of our afternoon in Marrakech, so we buried our heads in the sand (no pun intended) and went back to the car to commence sightseeing.
The first place to which we we were taken were the Yves St. Laurent gardens which is located in the central part of the city. The gardens are very pretty and there are plants there from all over the world. I emerged from the gardens before Marcia and Shahna and my dear people; China has made it to Marrakech. I was offered fake Gucci, fake Chanel and fake Rolex watches, belts and every imaginable thing that presumably is sold in Marrakech. However, I just smiled politely and declined each time.
From there, Mohammed took us to the Medina (market) in Old Town, which is located behind by a wall. We were met there by another gentleman, who introduced himself as James, but whose real name was Jamal. He was fast talking and very slick but he was to be our guide through the souk (shops). The Medina is reminiscent of the alley ways in Venice but much narrower. Literally, you enter into a maze with rows and rows of shops with alley ways leading in every direction. There are artisans making all kinds of goods like leather slippers, brass trinkets, and bread. There were butcher shops, rugs, clothing, and anything imaginable that you could think of.
It was very interesting to watch the people at work. The most disconcerting thing about the Medina is the fact that they allow motorcycles to ride through the alleys in addition to the pedestrians. I can still hear the sound of the bikes coming from every direction, behind us, beside us, in front of us. The men or women would rev the bikes at an unbearable level and the first hour walking around was torture for me. Because it was a Monday, business was pretty slow, and there seemed to be more bikes than people. For three hours, we walked around and I cannot convey to you the loud, jarring sound of the bikes whizzing past me in such narrow quarters. I remember watching a movie with Steve (was it Ronin with Robert DeNiro) where there were the loud sounds of the motorcycles throughout the movie. However, we found a couple of good buys and in hindsight it was actually quite enjoyable, if I can ever remove the sound of those bikes from my mind.
We then emerged from the Souk into a market square which was filled with people enjoying their evening out. I thought I wanted to see a snake charmer but when I actually saw the snake in real life, it was not as appealing to me. Shahna paid one Euro to take a picture of the snake charmer. We then proceeded to meet back up with Mohammed.
After debating what we wanted to eat for dinner, I directed Mohammed to take us to a restaurant serving traditional Moroccan fare. Shortly thereafter we pulled up to a group of houses. We were escorted into the house into a dining room which was about 50 degrees. We had left our coats in the car so it was very cold. I personally believe we were in someone's home for dinner but when I confronted Mohammed later, he said it was a house that had been converted into a restaurant. The first menu we looked at had a list of four course meals for between 43 and 52 euros each. We then asked him for an a la carte menu and were presented with much more reasonable alternatives. The waiter, who looked the son of the house, was dressed up like a matador and I wanted to urge him to go upstairs and finish his homework. I was so cold that my appetite had deserted me and even a portable heater brought by our young waiter to ease the cold did little to heat the cavernous dining room in which we were seated. We were the only people at the "restaurant" when we arrived and the only people when we left. At one point, I had to go outside and when I attempted to come back inside, I was locked out. I rang the top bell. There was no response. I rang the bottom bell and waited. There was no response. I finally used the knocker and someone came to open the door. Marcia ordered a lamb dish and a beef dish and after taking two bites, was too emotionally fragile after the terror invoked in me by the motorcycles, which I am still hearing revving in my head, as we journey to Skoura and our more luxurious accommodations.
At this point, the only thing I was looking forward to was a long, hot bath to calm my nerves. I definitely needed my Pharmacist, Charmaine, on this day, who would have provided some kind of medicine to calm my nerves.
We left the restaurant and proceeded back to the hotel, where my hot bath awaited or so I thought at the time. When we got back to the room, it was about 50 degrees inside. When we flicked the light switches, the room was dark. Ever the optimist, I proceeded to set my bath. I quickly found the stopper for the bath and turned on the hot water. Things were looking good. I was happy again. Once again I was lulled into a false sense of security. Ay Yah Yah!!!! This was not a George Bush moment. I had indeed been fooled twice. Shame on me!!!
I stepped out of the bathroom to let the water fill the tub and to get my pajamas. When I got back in and put my hand under the water, the hot water had run out and the water coming from the tap was ice cold. I quickly shut it off and felt the temperature in the tub which was tepid. I would not be deterred and proceeded to get in to make the best of the situation.
By this time Marcia found out that WIFI meant WIFI in the lobby, not the rooms; and the heater stopped working, the room was probably in the 6o's. They finally sent an "engineer" to fix the problem. He went outside and shut off the breaker, which is the equivalent of turning off and turning on back on your computer. At some point, we came to the stark realization that things were not going to get better and the only positive thought is that it was for one night only. I slept in my thermal underwear, a fleece jacket, and thick socks and once Marcia tucked me in, she put my coat on top of the bed coverings. I know some of you are laughing hysterically, but I can assure you that when trying to sleep in a bed like an Egyptian mummy, it was not funny in the moment.
The sweetest sound I heard today was the alarm clock which signaled that we would not have to ensure this nonsense much longer. I had warned Shahna Lee that her hopes for breakfast would not be realized but she is young and is not as cynical as her auntie. We bathed quickly, got our stuff together and took our own bags to the lobby. We were met there with a very apologetic Mustafa and Marcia informed him that the hotel was not up to World Hotels' standards. He apologized profusely but Marcia intends to write to the Director informing him of our abysmal experience. He offered us some orange juice like it I was a kind gesture on his part, instead of the breakfast that was provided in the rate. However, our long nightmare was over and we were just happy to have somewhere else to go.
So, as I am finishing this, Mustafa our driver has just told me that we are 1 ½ hours from Dar Ahlam. We have passed through varying landscapes on our way to Skoura. We have ascended and descended two mountains on our way and one of them had quite a bit of snow.
Besos,
Liz
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