Wednesday, April 20, 2011
here.i.am.
as the days pass me by more quickly than the one before i stumble upon the sudden realization that my italian adventure is nearing its end. with a mere 16 days before i begin my journey back to the us strange senses of excitement, fear, sadness and confusion rush in and out exchanging turns occupying my mind. i have a strong sensation i will miss the simple pleasures about the italian day to day life i have been living for the past three and a half months. my jumbled up emotions have placed me in a different mindset each day. i am excited to go home and see my friends and family, but i am sometimes afraid of how much i will actually miss not only the day to day challenges of living in a different country but the city and everything that this inciting experience has offered me. the language, the food, the people, the friends, traveling, and the memories. i am afraid because i do not know if i will ever have the chance to be back here. it sounds so strange but i feel like i am leaving home and going home at the same time. i have grown attached to florence for its character, beauty, history, and life. i am overcome with sadness at the thought of the sudden and abrupt abandonment i will cast on florence. i wonder if i should have had an impact on the lives of my favorite barista, how will it be once i leave? i am sure life will carry on just fine when i leave. then it will be time for the next group of study abroad students come along and leave their mark on this remarkable city. i will be parting ways from the people i have made outstanding friendships with, we will go from our beds being across the room to across the country. i would like to say i have had some small impact on florence in exchange for the immense impact it had on me.
buono sole.
i had a weekend to soak up every bit of florence that i could. a weekend full of relaxation, laughter, friends, fun, and beautiful sunshine. the weather in florence is nearly perfect!!! the whole weekend was kissed with golden light, warm weather accompanied by a gentle breeze. i could not have asked for more blissful weather. thursday after italian class, my weekend had officially begun with a lovely dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, il teatro. my good friends, sarah and julianna had family visiting. i was able to meet them and share a lovely dinner consisting of bruschetta, spaghetti pomodoro e basilico con un bichierra de vino bianco!! mmmmmm... molto buono. after dinner we decided to check out one of my favorite places in florence. we took volume by night and listened to live music. the atmosphere of the little cafe completely changed as the sun hid itself behind the horizon. packed on the inside and out we were able to snatch seats close to the small stage. the acoustic rock mix of the chords being played engulfed my mind. i was so grateful to be sitting in my favorite cafe in all of firenzie surrounded by wonderful friends consumed with the music that overflowed the air. the evening ended with a wonderful surprise!! we found the secret bakery!!! there are a few in florence and we finally located one of the many treasures of florence known by few. only open between the hours of 2 and 5 am it consists of a frosted glass door around the corner of an alley way-long story short it is off the beaten path. so unless you know where it is and what to look for it would be a rare occurrance to stumble upon such a magnificent finding.
the weekend continued with a greatly appreciated slow pace and we took advantage of the day and i met sarah for a cappuccino at where else, but volume! there was a massive market taking up all of piazza san spirito with different booths selling everything from antique keys to crochet earings. it was complete with a dried fruit stand and several vintage vendors. we walked around for about two hours inspecting what each vendor had to offer. with the beautiful sunshine beaming down upon us we decided to do something we have never done in florence. in the arno river just before one of the bridges there is a cement area that is exposed when the river runs low. this slanted area creates a perfect place for one to sunbathe. i brought the current book i am reading, a million miles in a thousand years by donald miller and got lost in his magnificent words while appreciating the florence sun
sunday night we went to the milano vs florentina soccer game. it was quite a treat with seats in the 5th row we were in the action and got to see first hand the yellow cards, player ejections, and the intensity that comes along with soccer, which i recently learned is not callled soccer in itlay it is called, calcio. we went to dinner and the game with a group of friends from school. i was so pleased to be able to experience such a culturally important and respected event. the fans were some of the most dedicated and spirited fans i think i've ever seen at a sporting event. with their influence it was impossible not to be consumed by the happenings on the field. even though milano was ranked number one i stayed true to my roots and cheered on the florentina players. it was a game filled with excitement, anticipation and suspense as it was tied for most of the game. but in my dissapointment milano scored a second goal to win the game.
the weekend continued with a greatly appreciated slow pace and we took advantage of the day and i met sarah for a cappuccino at where else, but volume! there was a massive market taking up all of piazza san spirito with different booths selling everything from antique keys to crochet earings. it was complete with a dried fruit stand and several vintage vendors. we walked around for about two hours inspecting what each vendor had to offer. with the beautiful sunshine beaming down upon us we decided to do something we have never done in florence. in the arno river just before one of the bridges there is a cement area that is exposed when the river runs low. this slanted area creates a perfect place for one to sunbathe. i brought the current book i am reading, a million miles in a thousand years by donald miller and got lost in his magnificent words while appreciating the florence sun
sunday night we went to the milano vs florentina soccer game. it was quite a treat with seats in the 5th row we were in the action and got to see first hand the yellow cards, player ejections, and the intensity that comes along with soccer, which i recently learned is not callled soccer in itlay it is called, calcio. we went to dinner and the game with a group of friends from school. i was so pleased to be able to experience such a culturally important and respected event. the fans were some of the most dedicated and spirited fans i think i've ever seen at a sporting event. with their influence it was impossible not to be consumed by the happenings on the field. even though milano was ranked number one i stayed true to my roots and cheered on the florentina players. it was a game filled with excitement, anticipation and suspense as it was tied for most of the game. but in my dissapointment milano scored a second goal to win the game.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
a weekend in venice.
famous for the streets made of water, carnavale celebrations, glass blowing, and gondola rides, it is the breathtaking city of love, venezia. the whorl wind weekend was quick but absolutely stunning and oh so hopelessly romantic. with a budget of a traveling college student and the expenses of venice one weekend was the perfect amount of time for a weekend getaway. we stayed in an old orphanage which transformed into a jesuit convent which was then restored into our hotel for the weekend.
i was captivated by the 127 small islands that made up the remarkable city of venice. st. mark's basilica contained a different kind of beauty all its own. real gold mosaics line the ceilings and walls of the basilica. the complexity of the mosaics were perplexing and left me studying them in awe. the patience and precision that went into each of these masterpieces in unimaginable. each individual gold tile is lined with a layer of glass to protect the gold. our time in venice was filled with visiting various churches, museums, and galleries while appreciating the vast collections of renaissance art. our afternoons were free from the organized scheduling of tours and sight seeing. wandering purposelessly through the narrow streets and over bounding bridges we figured what better way to spend a sunny day in venice than to embark on a gondola ride!! it was everything i had hoped for and maybe a little extra. tommaso, our gondolier took on us a ride through the grand canal and amongst the narrow streets of venice's water-which by the way is extremely contaminated and i would highly discourage the act of swimming. throughout our ride we switched up the roles on tommoso and serenaded him with some frank sinatra classics. needless to say, he probably should have tipped us. his skill of rowing and crafty maneuvering led is back to the gondola port where we let ourselves get lost withing the streets of venice.
our last day in venice we went to peggy guggenheim's gallery of modern art. her collection ranged form her own daughter's work to kandinsky and pollock. the collection remains in the house in which she used to reside before she passed away. along with these famous works the museum also acts as the burial site of peggy guggenheim herself along with her beloved dogs. my favorite work at this exhibit was the empire of light by rene magritte. after the extensive display of modern art we got gelato and sat by the water of the grand canal and soaked up the last few moments of the sunlight venice had to offer us before making the journey back to florence where the responsibilities of research papers were tugging on our minds.
ciao venezia!!
i was captivated by the 127 small islands that made up the remarkable city of venice. st. mark's basilica contained a different kind of beauty all its own. real gold mosaics line the ceilings and walls of the basilica. the complexity of the mosaics were perplexing and left me studying them in awe. the patience and precision that went into each of these masterpieces in unimaginable. each individual gold tile is lined with a layer of glass to protect the gold. our time in venice was filled with visiting various churches, museums, and galleries while appreciating the vast collections of renaissance art. our afternoons were free from the organized scheduling of tours and sight seeing. wandering purposelessly through the narrow streets and over bounding bridges we figured what better way to spend a sunny day in venice than to embark on a gondola ride!! it was everything i had hoped for and maybe a little extra. tommaso, our gondolier took on us a ride through the grand canal and amongst the narrow streets of venice's water-which by the way is extremely contaminated and i would highly discourage the act of swimming. throughout our ride we switched up the roles on tommoso and serenaded him with some frank sinatra classics. needless to say, he probably should have tipped us. his skill of rowing and crafty maneuvering led is back to the gondola port where we let ourselves get lost withing the streets of venice.
our last day in venice we went to peggy guggenheim's gallery of modern art. her collection ranged form her own daughter's work to kandinsky and pollock. the collection remains in the house in which she used to reside before she passed away. along with these famous works the museum also acts as the burial site of peggy guggenheim herself along with her beloved dogs. my favorite work at this exhibit was the empire of light by rene magritte. after the extensive display of modern art we got gelato and sat by the water of the grand canal and soaked up the last few moments of the sunlight venice had to offer us before making the journey back to florence where the responsibilities of research papers were tugging on our minds.
ciao venezia!!
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| the empire of light |
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| the wishing tree |
il notte trecolore.
translating into the night of the three colors. the 17th of march 2011 celebrates 150 years of the unification of italy. prior to this 150 years of 'peace' the regions of italy were nearly enemies. in italy's history 150 years is an extremely small segment of their life. i felt extremely privileged to be in florence during this critical celebration in italy's history. trecolore is a term translating to mean tri-colored or three colors, like the italian flag. this term parallels that of our term of stars and stripes for america's flag.
florence was decorated with flags around every street corner, hanging from windows and balconies, and these three crucial colors were represented in numerous ways. the whole city exposed their pride in different manners. from new gelato flavors consisting of pistachio, vanilla, and strawberry to green white and red window displays that caught the attention of people passing by. there was a buzz around the city of enthusiasm and anticipation for the evening's festivities. people filled the streets and piazzas, you could hardly walk from one side of a piazza to the other. beyond the point of movement we stood within the confines of piazza signoria where the firework show took place. we stood near the sculpture garden which was lit up along with the ponte vecchio, and the palazzo vecchio. music filled the air as vast amounts of people excitedly awaited the firework show to come.
florence was decorated with flags around every street corner, hanging from windows and balconies, and these three crucial colors were represented in numerous ways. the whole city exposed their pride in different manners. from new gelato flavors consisting of pistachio, vanilla, and strawberry to green white and red window displays that caught the attention of people passing by. there was a buzz around the city of enthusiasm and anticipation for the evening's festivities. people filled the streets and piazzas, you could hardly walk from one side of a piazza to the other. beyond the point of movement we stood within the confines of piazza signoria where the firework show took place. we stood near the sculpture garden which was lit up along with the ponte vecchio, and the palazzo vecchio. music filled the air as vast amounts of people excitedly awaited the firework show to come.
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| the streets of firenze |
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| ponte vecchio |
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| fire work show |
due to the unfortunate event of my camera dieing i used some of these pictures from julianna aldredge. check out her blog!!!!!
the love of a family makes life beautiful.
the anticipation that led up to my family's visit to firenze was almost overwhelming. after saying my goodbyes before i was off to the airport was the last time i had seen my family. my two cousins, braden and drew and my brother reed took advantage of their spring break to travel all the way to italia land to see me! and all of italy's beauty of course. along with the boys came my dad, kimberly, my aunt darcy, and uncle paul. it was such a special treat to see them, share with them new cultural practices i have learned and show them a small piece of my life here in florence.
i met my dad, kim, and reed in vernazza, one of the towns that make up the beautiful cinque terra. not really knowing much besides the name and address of the hotel we were staying at, i ventured out in seek of my family with excitement and anticipation as my guide. i took the train from Florence to la spezia and transferred trains to get to vernazza. after about three hours of traveling i had arrived. walking down a small street leading away from the train station i was filled to the brim with enthusiasm! the next scene from this adventure could have been taken from a movie, where you say something along the lines of "this never happens in real life," only it did!! i was slowing my pace down the cobblestone street looking down studying the address i held and repeating the street name and number in my head. i looked up to see the street i was approaching and as i glanced up the familiarity of my own fathers profile nearly startled me. i was not used to seeing people i recognized on the street is passing. without hesitation i ran up and hugged him. kim was not far to follow and i greeted them both with so many emotions. seeing their faces and tangible beings right in front of me- i was overwhelmed with joy.
as afternoon turned into evening we spent time in a little cafe, catching up, telling stories, laughing, and filling one another in on the events of the past three months. i had so much that i wanted to tell them all at once i dont think i gave my mouth a rest until i realized how much i was chatting their ears off. when reed came through the doors of the cafe i ran towards him and leaped for his welcoming arms. i dont think i have ever missed my little brother so much before. it was like christmas. was getting to have family here and share their love as well as experiencing a lovely part of the world. at that moment i just felt so blessed. i could not wipe the smile from my face. the next day, once the rest of my visitors got settled in and had slept off some of their jet lag, we wandered around the town of vernazza. we hiked about halfway to the town of montarosso. i had to turn back in order to catch my train back to firenze to prepare for the midterm exams that were soon to come with the next day. the fam met me in florence and we took the city by storm.
conquering the duomo, the academia to see the david, the boboli gardens, and exposing everyone to some basic italian traditions, i'd say we did pretty good for four days in florence. i took everyone to my favorite pizza place, gusta pizza and to my favorite cafe, volume. we indeed had our share of delicious italian food and gelato. the things i enjoyed most was just spending downtime with my family and conversing about past memories and future plans. i was so enthralled to just sit and be with them. i hope they enjoyed their time here as much as i truly enjoyed having them here. not only did i get to spend a once in a lifetime vacation with them, but we also got to experience a rare italian festival celebrating 150 years of italy's unification. it was an exceptional delight that they got to be here for this special time in italy's history. i said my goodbyes as they headed off to montapucciano then back to roma. it was a quick trip, but it was so wonderful to have them here. the immense love i have for my family was made more aware to me having them here and especially when they left. i was not necessarily homesick, but i was just wishing i could partake in more life adventures with them by my side. but the best part of me leaving to embark on this journey on my own is, that i know they will be there for me upon my return.
i met my dad, kim, and reed in vernazza, one of the towns that make up the beautiful cinque terra. not really knowing much besides the name and address of the hotel we were staying at, i ventured out in seek of my family with excitement and anticipation as my guide. i took the train from Florence to la spezia and transferred trains to get to vernazza. after about three hours of traveling i had arrived. walking down a small street leading away from the train station i was filled to the brim with enthusiasm! the next scene from this adventure could have been taken from a movie, where you say something along the lines of "this never happens in real life," only it did!! i was slowing my pace down the cobblestone street looking down studying the address i held and repeating the street name and number in my head. i looked up to see the street i was approaching and as i glanced up the familiarity of my own fathers profile nearly startled me. i was not used to seeing people i recognized on the street is passing. without hesitation i ran up and hugged him. kim was not far to follow and i greeted them both with so many emotions. seeing their faces and tangible beings right in front of me- i was overwhelmed with joy.
as afternoon turned into evening we spent time in a little cafe, catching up, telling stories, laughing, and filling one another in on the events of the past three months. i had so much that i wanted to tell them all at once i dont think i gave my mouth a rest until i realized how much i was chatting their ears off. when reed came through the doors of the cafe i ran towards him and leaped for his welcoming arms. i dont think i have ever missed my little brother so much before. it was like christmas. was getting to have family here and share their love as well as experiencing a lovely part of the world. at that moment i just felt so blessed. i could not wipe the smile from my face. the next day, once the rest of my visitors got settled in and had slept off some of their jet lag, we wandered around the town of vernazza. we hiked about halfway to the town of montarosso. i had to turn back in order to catch my train back to firenze to prepare for the midterm exams that were soon to come with the next day. the fam met me in florence and we took the city by storm.
conquering the duomo, the academia to see the david, the boboli gardens, and exposing everyone to some basic italian traditions, i'd say we did pretty good for four days in florence. i took everyone to my favorite pizza place, gusta pizza and to my favorite cafe, volume. we indeed had our share of delicious italian food and gelato. the things i enjoyed most was just spending downtime with my family and conversing about past memories and future plans. i was so enthralled to just sit and be with them. i hope they enjoyed their time here as much as i truly enjoyed having them here. not only did i get to spend a once in a lifetime vacation with them, but we also got to experience a rare italian festival celebrating 150 years of italy's unification. it was an exceptional delight that they got to be here for this special time in italy's history. i said my goodbyes as they headed off to montapucciano then back to roma. it was a quick trip, but it was so wonderful to have them here. the immense love i have for my family was made more aware to me having them here and especially when they left. i was not necessarily homesick, but i was just wishing i could partake in more life adventures with them by my side. but the best part of me leaving to embark on this journey on my own is, that i know they will be there for me upon my return.
a moroccan adventure.
to say the least. camel rides, surfing, and orange juice oh my.
my adventure started with a three am wake up call and off to the bus the bus station. the traveling day consisted of a one hour bus ride to pisa, a three hour flight to marrakesh, a short crazy taxi ride to the bus station followed by a three hour bus ride to agadir and about a twenty mintue van ride to tagazhout. BAM we were in africa. not quite knowing what to expect or how the weekend would be structured, i went into the weekend with an open mind and a mentality of being submerged into a culture very different from that of italy's. i was aware of the muslim religion that occupied the majority of the country and throughout the trip i did my best to respect its practices. a cultural difference i found fascinating was the five times a day calls to prayer. abruptly and loudly the singing voice would alert citizens to pray. during the call to prayer i observed individuals facing towards the east, toward mecca, while sitting on their knees in prayer. i mainly witnessed these prayer rituals while shopping in the market of agadir. there was a huge outdoor and indoor market selling everything from fresh fruit smoothies and food to jewelry and clothing. you can pretty much find and quintessential items you need there. being the tourist that i was i got a hena tatto or a tatwash as it was called in morocco. it extended from my index finger all the way up to my forearm. while in the town of agadir i was also fortunate enough to have been part of a very traditional hammam experience.
one of the reasons for my trip to morocco besides being able to check off, 'going to africa' from my bucket list was to learn to surf. and surf i did! going into the trip with zero surf experience whatsoever needless to say i was slightly intimidated. we rode from the surf riad where we were staying to the beach in a sweet old land rover discovery with our surf boards strapped on top. as our lessons began on the sand, little did we know we were being instructed by some of the best surfers in morocco. our instructor, zu has the title of the best surfer in morocco from the 2007 competition. zu and monir were very patient with us and excellent teachers. so great in fact that that jacqueline and i both stood up on our first day! granted this was after many many failed attempts, and considerable amount of salt water consumed, and a very sore body. but we did it nonetheless. through spurts of frustration and failure we did not give up considering we had only three days to conquer this art. we had to take full advantage of every good wave. we were even motivated enough to get up at six am to go sunrise surfing with our new friends from france, nicola and pierre. i have to say sunrise surfing was one of my favorite parts of the trip. it was just so peaceful. although hard to explain, i think i may understand a small piece of the true passion behind most surfer's dedication. the feeling of accomplishment after catching a wave was remarkable. i was high on life and fresh moroccan salt water.
after a hard day of surfing, we had a scheduled camel ride on the beach. this was a exciting experience, and what else would one do in morocco but ride camels? they are much higher up than they look and a lot harder to hold onto than it appears. after our camel riding experience one of our instructors monir took us up to the little town of tagazhout. we had our own private tour guide for the afternoon. he took us off the beaten path to see amazing views and quaint markets.
another one of my favorite pats about this adventure was all the different cultures i was exposed to. at the surf riad we stayed at our meals were all included. for breakfasts we sat in the courtyard before we headed off to surf for the day. i looked forward to the dinners each night we were there. everyone staying in the riad sat together in a room downstairs from the courtyard. there was no ordering involved, it was a wonderful surprise each night what we would be served and whether i would like it or not. come to realize, i loved everything that was served. we we privileged to have traditional moroccan food including, cos-cos, tabbouleh, tagime, lamb, and there was always dessert. the freshest fruit i have ever tasted occupied my mouth each night for dessert. we had sliced strawberries soaked in orange juice, orange slices sprinkled with cinnamon, and platters abundant with fresh fruit. i was also introduced to the well-known morrocan mint tea. it was served always after dessert. a sweet mixture of green tea and a honey taste although delicious, it was hard to drink more than a small glass. aside from the food, the company we were eating with nearly as entertaining and enjoyable as the food itself. we sat with our new french surfing partners. we exchanged laughter, stories, and cultural differences. nicola and pierre are both gym teachers from the south of france on holiday in morocco. out last night in tagazhout we sat at a large table with a couple from norway, nicola and pierre, and two young women and a man from spain. there was so many different traditions, practices, and languages represented at dinner than evening, luckily for us english was the common language used to communicate. looking around i observed that although we were all from different backgrounds and nationalities, we were all brought together over a the commonality of enjoying a lovely meal. it was beautiful in its essence and an experience i will never forget.
after three days in tagazhout we headed back to marrackech for two more days. we were dropped off by the taxi and pointed in the general of direction of where our next hostel was. we had the name and the address but we may as well have just closed our eyes and tried to find it. we walked slowly though the busy market streets with motorbikes zooming past us. as if we didnt stick out enough already, just being american, our confused and overwhelmed expressions along with our suitcases in tow did not help us any more. through alley ways, narrow streets, and sharp corners we finally found it with the immense assistance of a young man who led us right to the door of our hostel. once inside it was like a totally different atmosphere than the outside world which we had just come from. it was like a palace- maybe jasmin's in another life. staircases led up to rooftop terraces, hidden rooms, lounging areas with day beds, and stained glass and metal doors. this was by far the nicest hostel i have stayed in among my traveling experiences. our beds were covered by drapery forming a little tent above our heads. venturing out into the city of marrackech accompanied by some other americans we met staying in the hostel the night life was fascinating. the large plaza was filled with people listening to story tellers, cobras tamed by the music of a flute, monkeys wearing little jackets, open food markets, and most importantly orange juice stands! i do not hesitate to say that it may have been the best orange juice that has ever met my lips. they squeezed it right before you and gave you a glass for you to enjoy in front of the stand. and the best part was that it only cost four durham, which is converted to about five euro cents. this trip held so many new adventures, new friends, and memories to last a life time. leaving morocco i was missing it a little bit once i got back to italy. life is lived so simply there. pure beauties are all around you and adventure is at your fingertips.
my adventure started with a three am wake up call and off to the bus the bus station. the traveling day consisted of a one hour bus ride to pisa, a three hour flight to marrakesh, a short crazy taxi ride to the bus station followed by a three hour bus ride to agadir and about a twenty mintue van ride to tagazhout. BAM we were in africa. not quite knowing what to expect or how the weekend would be structured, i went into the weekend with an open mind and a mentality of being submerged into a culture very different from that of italy's. i was aware of the muslim religion that occupied the majority of the country and throughout the trip i did my best to respect its practices. a cultural difference i found fascinating was the five times a day calls to prayer. abruptly and loudly the singing voice would alert citizens to pray. during the call to prayer i observed individuals facing towards the east, toward mecca, while sitting on their knees in prayer. i mainly witnessed these prayer rituals while shopping in the market of agadir. there was a huge outdoor and indoor market selling everything from fresh fruit smoothies and food to jewelry and clothing. you can pretty much find and quintessential items you need there. being the tourist that i was i got a hena tatto or a tatwash as it was called in morocco. it extended from my index finger all the way up to my forearm. while in the town of agadir i was also fortunate enough to have been part of a very traditional hammam experience.
one of the reasons for my trip to morocco besides being able to check off, 'going to africa' from my bucket list was to learn to surf. and surf i did! going into the trip with zero surf experience whatsoever needless to say i was slightly intimidated. we rode from the surf riad where we were staying to the beach in a sweet old land rover discovery with our surf boards strapped on top. as our lessons began on the sand, little did we know we were being instructed by some of the best surfers in morocco. our instructor, zu has the title of the best surfer in morocco from the 2007 competition. zu and monir were very patient with us and excellent teachers. so great in fact that that jacqueline and i both stood up on our first day! granted this was after many many failed attempts, and considerable amount of salt water consumed, and a very sore body. but we did it nonetheless. through spurts of frustration and failure we did not give up considering we had only three days to conquer this art. we had to take full advantage of every good wave. we were even motivated enough to get up at six am to go sunrise surfing with our new friends from france, nicola and pierre. i have to say sunrise surfing was one of my favorite parts of the trip. it was just so peaceful. although hard to explain, i think i may understand a small piece of the true passion behind most surfer's dedication. the feeling of accomplishment after catching a wave was remarkable. i was high on life and fresh moroccan salt water.
after a hard day of surfing, we had a scheduled camel ride on the beach. this was a exciting experience, and what else would one do in morocco but ride camels? they are much higher up than they look and a lot harder to hold onto than it appears. after our camel riding experience one of our instructors monir took us up to the little town of tagazhout. we had our own private tour guide for the afternoon. he took us off the beaten path to see amazing views and quaint markets.
another one of my favorite pats about this adventure was all the different cultures i was exposed to. at the surf riad we stayed at our meals were all included. for breakfasts we sat in the courtyard before we headed off to surf for the day. i looked forward to the dinners each night we were there. everyone staying in the riad sat together in a room downstairs from the courtyard. there was no ordering involved, it was a wonderful surprise each night what we would be served and whether i would like it or not. come to realize, i loved everything that was served. we we privileged to have traditional moroccan food including, cos-cos, tabbouleh, tagime, lamb, and there was always dessert. the freshest fruit i have ever tasted occupied my mouth each night for dessert. we had sliced strawberries soaked in orange juice, orange slices sprinkled with cinnamon, and platters abundant with fresh fruit. i was also introduced to the well-known morrocan mint tea. it was served always after dessert. a sweet mixture of green tea and a honey taste although delicious, it was hard to drink more than a small glass. aside from the food, the company we were eating with nearly as entertaining and enjoyable as the food itself. we sat with our new french surfing partners. we exchanged laughter, stories, and cultural differences. nicola and pierre are both gym teachers from the south of france on holiday in morocco. out last night in tagazhout we sat at a large table with a couple from norway, nicola and pierre, and two young women and a man from spain. there was so many different traditions, practices, and languages represented at dinner than evening, luckily for us english was the common language used to communicate. looking around i observed that although we were all from different backgrounds and nationalities, we were all brought together over a the commonality of enjoying a lovely meal. it was beautiful in its essence and an experience i will never forget.
after three days in tagazhout we headed back to marrackech for two more days. we were dropped off by the taxi and pointed in the general of direction of where our next hostel was. we had the name and the address but we may as well have just closed our eyes and tried to find it. we walked slowly though the busy market streets with motorbikes zooming past us. as if we didnt stick out enough already, just being american, our confused and overwhelmed expressions along with our suitcases in tow did not help us any more. through alley ways, narrow streets, and sharp corners we finally found it with the immense assistance of a young man who led us right to the door of our hostel. once inside it was like a totally different atmosphere than the outside world which we had just come from. it was like a palace- maybe jasmin's in another life. staircases led up to rooftop terraces, hidden rooms, lounging areas with day beds, and stained glass and metal doors. this was by far the nicest hostel i have stayed in among my traveling experiences. our beds were covered by drapery forming a little tent above our heads. venturing out into the city of marrackech accompanied by some other americans we met staying in the hostel the night life was fascinating. the large plaza was filled with people listening to story tellers, cobras tamed by the music of a flute, monkeys wearing little jackets, open food markets, and most importantly orange juice stands! i do not hesitate to say that it may have been the best orange juice that has ever met my lips. they squeezed it right before you and gave you a glass for you to enjoy in front of the stand. and the best part was that it only cost four durham, which is converted to about five euro cents. this trip held so many new adventures, new friends, and memories to last a life time. leaving morocco i was missing it a little bit once i got back to italy. life is lived so simply there. pure beauties are all around you and adventure is at your fingertips.
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