Arrivederci Roma

5-26-2008

I am actually packing my things. So far today, I have stuffed a painting, a cheese grater, and prosciutto crudo in my suitcase along with all of my clothes. I still have so much stuff to pack and it seems like an impossible task.

Nick will fly to Rome tomorrow night and I will pick him up from he airport Thursday morning. I am sad to leave. It's a weird feeling. I feel torn. I want to go home, but I've just started to make friends and I am having a really good time. Hannah Louise has been such a good companion for me. I enjoy her company and am sad to part ways. I hope we stay in touch.

I can't wait to see Nick, though. I know the minute our eyes touch we will be inseparable. It's been hard for both of us to be on our own. I have planned a full trip for him and it seems like I am trying to show him everything I've seen in 4 months in just 4 days. Mamma mia!

So much has happened to me while I've been in Rome. There is no way on Earth I could ever attempt to describe or write all the experiences and events that have taken place. I recently came across a quote from Stephen Colbert that said, "But when you're moving, you can't wrap your dishes in a blog."

I know he was talking about something entirely different, but in some weird, comical way this statement wraps up how I feel at the moment.

Bernini's Ecstacy of St. Teresa

My father came to Rome when he was a young man and conducted a boys choir in Vatican City. When I was little, I was so proud of him for this. I would always pay attention when he would say something about Rome, and his stories from this place most likely influenced my decision to spend time in Rome. My father is a devout Catholic, and he named me after St. Teresa of Avila.

Bernini sculpted St. Teresa and his sculpture is located near Piazza della Republica on Via Orlando. It is inside a chapel called S. Maria della Vittoria. My Italian class is on Via Nazionale and the bus I take to school passes Via Orlando. I have gotten off at Via Oralando several times to peek inside this unassuming chapel at Bernin's adaptation of St. Teresa. The sculpture is truly beautiful and Barbara Grizzuti wrote, "If one is going to put one's love for the Baroque to the test, the place to go is Santa Maria della Vittoria."

I have been researching this sculpture and St. Teresa of Avila. I had thought that this sculpture was fairly unknown and that I had happened upon it because it had something to do with my namesake. However, last week I saw the film, Angels and Demons. Santa Maria della Vittoria and Bernini's sculpture of St. Teresa were focused on in the movie. AWESOME. I loved the film by the way. It's really imaginative, but to see this movie in Rome was amazing. I walked out of the theatre and was 20 steps from Piazza del Popolo.

After watching the film, Angels and Demons, I decided I needed to write a blog post about the sixteenth-century writer and mystic, Teresa of Avila. In her autobiography, Teresa speaks of a beautiful angel appearing at her side:

"In his hands I saw a great golden spear, and at the iron tip there appeared to be a point of fire. This he plunged into my heart several times so that it penetrated to my entrails. When he pulled it out, I felt that he took them with it, and left me utterly consumed by the great love of God. The pain was so severe that it made me utter several moans. The sweetness caused by this intense pain is so extreme that one cannot possibly wish it to cease, nor is one's soul then content with anything but God. This is not a physical, but a spiritual pain, though the body has some share in it - even a considerable share. So gentle is this wooing that takes place between God and the soul that if anyone thinks I am lying, I pray God in His goodness, to grant him some experience of it."

Bernini himself was an extremely devout Catholic. There is no reason to think that Bernini had anything other than good intentions in depicting Teresa's story, however, for many viewers, it was impossible to see St. Teresa's "ecstatic" transformation through spiritual eyes. A French cleric in the 18th century confessed, "I feel within myself, if I may say so, a kind of mental blush." The French painter (and I am a big fan) Vigee LeBrun met the sculpture with the harshest criticism. She found Teresa's expression to be so "scandalous that it cannot be described." President De Brosses has the most blunt interpretation as he spouted, "If this is Divine Love, I know all about it."

Post-Revolutionary French visitors were inclined to see the work in a more sympathetic light. Stendhal, the 19th century French writer, in his journals on Rome acknowledged the technical perfection exhibited by Bernini. He wrote, "Has the Greek chisel produced anything to equal the head of St. Teresa?" However, Stendhal added, "It's a great shame that these statues can so easily convey the idea of profane love."

Today, there is little scandal surrounding this sculpture. I, of course, love that this work can be viewed either as sacred or profane, and I feel it only ads to its mystique. While looking at some of St. Teresa's writings, it is quite obvious that she was engaged in a great love affair with God.

In Rome and a Villa, a novel of sketches of Roman life written between 1948 and 1951, Eleanor Clark says this about the Ecstasy of St. Teresa:

"There was a time when this piece was considered in a dreadful taste and there is certainly some amusement in one's liking it now, but it is hard not to, when its candor is so engaging, its rapture so true to the writings of the mystics, the talent so great and all Rome around to cushion the blow. The smile of the angel as he poises his golden arrow is one of the best smiles in sculpture."

Leaving Rome ...

5-14-2009

A few weeks ago, Camilla and I had the conversation that I had been dreading. We finally talked about my early departure. I am ready to go home and surprisingly Camilla agreed with my thoughts about leaving. The family will leave Rome in June when the girls finish the school year. They will spend their summer in Tuscany, at the beach, and probably go to Cortina as well. They will return to Rome in September. Camilla said that she knows I wouldn't be happy to be outside of Rome for that long. Also, she needs someone who can work "full time" (she really means over time). Elena won't travel with the family during the summer, so she needs to find someone who can work from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. all summer long. I am not that person. We both know that.

Yesterday, Camilla brought apricots home from the supermarket for the first time this season. We were all eating apricots after lunch, and she told me that it is tradition in Italy to make a wish, or to think about something you desire to happen when you eat something for the first time during the year. I immediately wished that I would be home and thought about playing with my dog in the yard, and sleeping in my own bed with Nick. This experience has been great. I've accomplished a lot of what I came here to do. I have learned A LOT of Italian, and I am definitely a stronger person for having traveled to Italy to live with a foreign family. However, being away from my home has made me realize how lucky I am to have such a wonderful life in Gainesville. I appreciate little things that I took for granted, and I am more than ready to go home. I appreciate my laundry room. I appreciate my air conditioner. I appreciate long strolls through my neighborhood. I appreciate being able to hop in my car and go for a ride ...

All my travel plans are arranged, and Nick will fly to Italy to help me get home. He arrives in just two weeks. I am sooooo excited that we will have a vacation in Italy together. Also, Camilla informed me that she will not be able to help me get to the airport, and so I really need his support. I was pretty angry about the whole airport thing with Camilla. She was aware of my travel plans, and it's in the contract that the host family is supposed to take the au pair to and from the airport. BULLCRAP on her part!! Anyway, I suppose it was a blessing because Nick is now coming to Rome. YAY!!!! I am busy planning our itinerary.

The last few days have been pretty rough here. I think it has something to do with my upcoming departure, but ... Yesterday night, Anna screamed in my face and almost hit me right in front of Camilla. I turned off the television at dinner time (because Camilla told me to do so) and she was really angry. She was watching "Il Mago di Oz" the DVD I bought her. They LOVE this movie by the way. Anyway, Camilla said nothing to her about treating me so terribly. I was more mad at Camilla than Anna. I think she should have said something to Anna about screaming in my face like a demon. It made me feel like dirt. I know she is just a child, and I'm taking it way too personally, but in a way it's like Camilla condoning such behavior not to say anything to her. I think it's strange. A lot of the time, I feel like the ugly step-sister here.

After dinner, I cleaned the kitchen and promptly went to my room and closed the door. My feelings were really hurt. Dinner was silent, and Camilla was giving me demands without saying "please and thank you." I really dislike that as well. It's amazing how much nicer an order is when it's followed by "please."

I really want the next two weeks to be full of good times and good memories. I care about these children and I hope they will look back with fond memories of our time together. I am working on a DVD slideshow of all the pictures I have taken of the children to give to Camilla. The language barrier has been difficult, and I know Camilla had hoped the children would learn more English.

I will have the entire weekend to myself in Rome. I need it. :o)

Artichokes

I found this recipe online --

-To clean them, set a big bowl of water with lemon in it, and start by breaking off the exterior leaves until they come off very easily. You’ll notice the difference as you get closer to the center, and they’ll be more yellow at the base than green.

-Lop off the toughest ends of the ‘flower’, and then take a sharp knife, specific trimming knives exist but I don’t have one, and trim the ends of the leaves all the way around to clean it up. (The woman from whom I buy my produce said to worry about the ‘hairy’ inside after cooking, which saves time, so I do.)

-Trim off the stems, just long enough so they’ll fit in your pot and use a knife or vegetable peeler to clean the tough outer part of the stem. As your clean each artichoke, place them in the bowl of water. IMPORTANT: Use the lemons to thoroughly and excessively clean your fingertips or else you will have stained cuticles and underneath your nails will stain for a week to follow. Not cute if you work in an environment where proper grooming is expected of you.

-Finely chop two or three cloves of garlic, a handful of parsley, and a handful of basil. Place these in the bottom of a pot that is high enough to hold your artichokes.

-Pour 1 / 2 (one half) cup of olive oil in, and then a cup of water, or enough so that the artichokes are covered by about two-fingers of liquid. Put the artichokes in face down, add salt and pepper, cover the pan with aluminum foil (or not) and then the lid.

- Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer until they are cooked, about 20 minutes. (A knife inserted through the center goes in with little resistance).

Prosciutto crudo

I seriously can't get enough of this stuff. I think prosciutto crudo is like Italian sushi. Here is the Wikipedia description of Prosciutto crudo --

"Prosciutto is the Italian word for ham. In English, prosciutto almost always used for an aged, dry-cured, spiced Italian ham that is usually sliced thin and served uncooked; this is called prosciutto crudo 'raw ham' in Italian and distinguished from prosciutto cotto 'cooked ham.' The most renowned and expensive legs of "prosciutto" come from central and northern Italy (Tuscany and Emilia in particular), such as Prosciutto di Parma, and those of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, such as Prosciutto di San Daniele."

I simply must find a way to get this type if meat in the USA. I am currently looking for an online salumeria that will ship prosciutto crudo to my house in Gainesville. CRAZY.

Porta Portese Market

I picked out glass lanterns just like this one for our porch in Gainesville. I found the lanterns at Anthropologie, and they came inside a box marked, "made in Italy." I love that I found an identical lantern at the Porta Portese market in Trastevere. I wish I could shop here for all my home goods. This market is hit or miss, and it can be frustrating to shove your way through the masses. However, it has become my favorite market in Rome because the prices are unbeatable. You can find AMAZING deals on AMAZING stuff here. If only I could pay to ship large pieces to the USA. :'(

For example, I would love to be able to find some furniture like this in Gainesville for our front porch. If I found something like this, it would most likely be very expensive.

I liked these frames as well. :)

Camilla and Federico

My mom asked me to post a picture of Camilla and Federico. I really just don't have anything of the two of them together, so I decided to take a photo of this picture. I think this photo of the two of them is really beautiful. This was taken a long time ago, I assume they were newlyweds or not yet married. To me this photo displays a budding romance. They look happy and in love. I also really appreciate Camilla's affinity for cameras and photography. It looks like she is changing the lens on her camera in this photo.  

Tuscan mural

This isn't the best photo, but Camilla's staircase in Tuscany is painted like this. A room in the nonna's house is also painted with this same design. It's adorable and you can find all sorts of creatures within the mural. There are birds, mice, butterflies, bumblebees, dragonflies, spiders, mosquito's .... I really like it.

Some photos I've taken of the children

Cito, this one is for you ...

5-8-2009

I spoke with my mother last night on the phone and she informed me that my grandmother, Cito, had told her that it seems like I never have to work. So, I have decided to outline a normal day's work for everyone who might get the feeling that it's all rainbows here in Italy. I know my blog posts highlight the good times, but I have actually been at work.

Yesterday, I woke early and helped Camilla get the kids to school. I helped put breakfast on the table and brushed the girl's hair. The morning rush is always hectic and Camilla mainly needs me to watch Peter while she walks the girls to school. She normally leaves around 8:15 a.m. and I stay with Peter. I dress him and play with him for an hour. He always cries when it's time to get dressed or change diapers. Any kind of change normally disturbs him especially if he was playing or interested in something.

When Camilla returned, I showered, dressed and left for my Italian class. I have been going to class for four hours in the morning on Mon, Wed and Thur. I like the class and am very happy to get away for a bit. My class ends at 1:30 and I have to rush to be home by 2 p.m. Sometimes I have a little bit of time to myself from 2 to 4:30 while Peter is napping, but most of the time Anna and Ludovica want me to play with them or help them with their homework ...

Yesterday, Peter did not sleep at all during nap time. Ludovica was out on a school field trip and I was home alone with Anna and Peter. Anna was supposed to finish her homework, but she doesn't listen to me. I've given up on trying to control her, so I organized some art project for us to do together during the afternoon. Peter played with his ball and dumped crayon shavings all over the carpet for me to clean up. When Camilla arrived home with Ludovica, she was upset with me that Anna did not finish the homework. I think she should be upset with Anna.

At 6:30 p.m. it's time for everyone to have a bath. I always give the children their bath and dress them in their pajamas. I don't mind this chore much. I have to find some time between the bath and dinner to clean up all the toys. The children never put away their own toys and they have a grand time dragging the toys all over the apartment. By 7:30 p.m. the children are sitting at the table eating dinner. I feed Peter and help set the table. After dinner I do the dishes and clean the kitchen.

Yesterday, Camilla went to the cinema with her friends, so I had to put all three children to bed. Peter is usually easy to put down. He is the only baby I have ever seen not cry when it is time for a nap, or to go to bed. The girls, however, always struggle to stay awake longer. Anna is especially difficult. Usually I have finished putting all the babies to bed by 9 p.m.

And there you have it. A day in the life of Tess in Rome. The day to day activities vary, as sometimes I take the children to the park in the afternoon, and we go to the swimming lesson on Monday and Wednesday. It's not that work is very difficult, and I enjoy the babies, but I am exhausted by the end of the day.

Bolgheri

5-1-2009

Today is Friday and it's a holiday in Italy. Of course, the Italians NEVER stay in the city on a holiday, so today Camilla, Federico and I packed the car and headed to Camilla's cousin's house in Bolgheri with the children. Bolgheri is a seaside town and is well-known for the wine produced in the surrounding countryside and also for the stables where famous horses are kept. Camilla's cousin's name is Katerina and her husband, Guido, purchased a huge horse farm in Bolgheri ten years ago and converted the farm into a winery.

There was a lot of traffic heading out of Rome, and we were stuck in the car for hours with no end in sight. Peter was crying and the girls were frustrated. Anna had to use the bathroom, but we were locked in, no restroom to be found in bumper to bumper traffic. Finally, she had to go so badly she was crying. I had to hold a plastic bag open for her to pee in. Looking back, it was extremely comical. Mamma mia! The things I do for these kids ...

We stopped for lunch and everyone was able to have a bathroom break at last. We all ate a panino and a gelato and I even drank a Coca Cola. I hardly ever drink soda here, so when I get to have one I really enjoy it. Did you know that the coke in Italy doesn't contain high fructose corn syrup? The soda in Italy (and probably all of Europe) is made from pure sugar cane. Hmm. Interesting.

Today in the car Camilla told me she watched a documentary about the economic crisis in the US on television. Apparently this documentary said that many people in the US have lost everything and now live in tents. I couldn't help but laugh. I told her that many people have lost their jobs, but that I don't know one single person who is now living in a tent. I dunno ... I think there is more poverty in Italy than in the US. I also think that there are fewer wealthy and upper middle class families in Italy. This doesn't mean that I don't think that the USA is facing hard times.

Anyway, we arrived in Bolgheri around 4 p.m. Katerina has four children and we spent time with this family in Cortina. The children's names are Virginia, Marie-Gulia, Alberto and Madeline. Ludovica and Marie-Guilia have a special bond and it's really cute to watch them together. The house here is amazing. I'm not even surprised anymore. I have a feeling that Katerina and Guido have a ton of money, and I think Guido owns and operates something like ten wineries around Italy. They primarily live in Milan. Guido's vineyards are a lot more modern and technical that Federico's vineyard, and because of this they lack a certain charm. The vineyards here are hooked up to hoses and they have machines that monitor how much sun and water the plants are getting. CRAZY. I think Guido suffers from OCD. Camilla told me he has to have everything in order and that he can't stand chaos.

I played with the children outside and helped Camilla make beds and unpack the car. The next day we went to the beach and had a picnic. It was a nice weekend away, but as usual, I was happy to get back to Rome!

My Morocco is better than your Morocco

4-25-2009 -- 4-27-2009

It is now the fourth day of our Moroccan vacation and today we rented a car to drive cross country. The plan was to drive from Marrakech to Fes, from Fes to Rabat and then from Rabat to Casablanca. Morocco is a relatively small country, so this was a doable journey in just three days. A representative from the car rental agency met us at our hostel in the morning to sort out the rental deal and to deliver the car. We were all nervous about driving in Morocco, but little did we know that our biggest problem would be the reality of renting the thing.

Romina was in charge of renting the car as she was its greatest advocate. The car was successfully reserved and the rental fee had been paid in full, however she failed to read the entire contract, and so she was ignorant of the fact that we had to leave a 1,000 euro deposit in case of damages. The deposit would be refunded once the car was successfully returned, but none of us felt comfortable leaving our credit card number with the possibility of being charged 1000 euro. This was a huge dilemma and we spent a good hour debating our limited options. The Moroccan man was right in the middle of our conversation. He sympathized with our concerns and like all good Moroccans, he made us a deal. He said we could purchase "extra insurance" for a small fee and in this case our credit card would only be charged 350 euro if we damaged the car in some way. I felt more comfortable with this and so I agreed to give the man my credit card. I really just wanted to be done with the entire fiasco and I desperately wanted to see Fes. The man (his name was Hussein) took us to the car and showed us the way to Fez.

Navigating through Morocco was surprisingly simple. Poor Romina had to drive the entire time because the car was manual and Caitlin and I can't use a manual car. Pathetic! Also, Romina was the only one with an international licence. It took roughly 7 hours to drive from Marrakech to Fes and we arrived in Fes around 7 p.m. We had planned to stay just outside Fez in the small town of Saffrou, but when we arrived at our hotel, the man informed us that he did not honor our reservation and there was no room for us to stay. This was a blessing because we ended up finding a nice hotel in Fez not too far from the medina. We unpacked the car, relaxed for a bit and headed to the medina for dinner. Driving in the city was pretty difficult and Romina had to deal with the two worst backseat drivers on Earth. Caitlin and I were yelling at her every 5 minutes to slow down or to turn right ...

Finally, we found the medina, parked the car and meandered to the nearest restaurant. We were starving. We ate kefta, soup and soda. I loved eating within the medinas because the food was better and cheaper. It was immediately apparent that the medina in Fez was spectacular and we couldn't wait to experience this place during the day. The next morning we ate breakfast at our hotel and drove back to the medina. I had heard wonderful things about Fez and the old city exceeded all of my expectations. There are 9,000 small streets within this medina. This was certainly the best part of our trip.

Fes el Bali is the name of the old city in Fes. The souk/marketplace here is believed to be the largest car-free urban area in the world. The intricate labyrinth of alleyways contains stalls and workshops full of artisans, merchants, fragrances, colors, and the most fantastic treasures to be bought. The souk in Fez is irresistibly vibrant and full of life. We made friends with some locals within the medina and they took us to the best carpet shops, restaurants and pharmacies. The pharmacies in the old cities are extraordinary. Most of the products found within these places are 100 % natural and certainly exotic. I found the following explanation of these pharmacies online ...

"Even if you're feeling perfectly healthy, don't miss the chance to visit a Moroccan pharmacy. Like a witch doctor's den, these mysterious shops tucked in the souk's alleys, offer local residents cures for everything from toothaches to arthritis to broken hearts. Powders and potions, concocted of local herbs, not to mention dried lizards seen hanging on the walls, provide a cure for whatever ails you.

Travelers will be especially interested in the spices and perfumes. Saffron can be purchased for about US$2 per gram (minimum of five grams). Moroccan curry, a different blend than Indian curry, and a heady mix of Moroccan spices called "Head of the Store" are popular choices.

In the natural pharmacies, you'll also find stencils for henna designs (US$1), kohl eyeliner (US$3), musk (US$3 per gram) and numerous oils."

I loved the pharmacy. I bought soaps, perfume, eyeliner and some lipstick made from henna. I could have spent all day testing the oils and perfumes here, and I can't help but feel like I should have purchased more. It was so cheap and so good.

We met a guy named Younes and he showed us all over Fes. He told us he was Berber and that he moved to Fes with his father when he was 13 years old. I bought a carpet from his family (this was carpet # 4) and I met his father as he was constructing a wool blanket on a large loom. He took us to the tannery, which is one of Africa's most photographed sites. Fes is home to the largest traditional tannery in Morocco, and I believe it is one of the last ones in existence. This tannery had been in operation since medieval times and little has changed. I was absolutely fascinated! The only bad thing about seeing the tannery was the smell. The leather is died in vats that contain everything from pigeon poo to chalk and the smell is absolutely horrific. We had to hold mint leaves to our nose to cover the odor.

After a full day of walking the streets of Fez, Younes invited us to drink tea with him in his home. We accepted his offer and entered his very humble abode. He invited his friend Mounir to join us. We loved Mounir. He entered the room speaking to us in Arabic. Then he spouted, "Oh! You don't speak Arabic!!!???" From then on, he spoke to us in perfect English and we talked with him about everything from popular American music to Dr. Phil. We spent a few hours at Younes' place and then Mounir invited us to see a spectacular view of Fes el Bali from his rooftop terrace. The view was magnificent and so was his home. Mounir lives in a traditional Moroccan house that was built in 1317. It was incredible. The ceilings were made from carved and painted cedar and the tile work was so beautiful. The house was huge, and he lives there alone with his brother. Seeing this house made me want to move to Morocco!

None of us wanted the night to end, so we invited Younes and Mounir for dinner. We figured it was the least we could do for our very hospitable hosts. They accepted our offer and suggested we drive to an outdoor restaurant ten minutes from the medina. We did exactly that and we all shared another huge Moroccan meal. After dinner it was very late and time to part ways. We drove our friends back to the medina and said our goodbyes. Then we drove to our hotel and fell asleep only to wake super early to drive to Casablanca. So much driving!

Desert Tour

4-23-2009 -- 4-24-2009

Today we left Marrakech to spend the night in the Zagora desert. Caitlin, Romina and I met our tour group at 7 a.m. and headed to Zagora via minibus to sleep in a traditional Berber village. We drove 7 hours before arriving in Zagora. It was fantastic scenery and Morocco is absolutely beautiful. We passed terrain where Babel and The Gladiator were filmed, visited small Moroccan towns and rocked a Casbah. I LOVE MOROCCO.

Finally, after a full day of travel, we arrived in Zagora and rode our camels into the desert. I have to say, the camel ride was not the best experience in the world. It was actually extremely uncomfortable and camels smell REALLY bad, but it was all worth it when we met our final destination. We parked our camels next to beautiful tents made of carpets and gathered to have tea with the Berber people.

A man dressed in purple robes sat us around a table inside the tent and served us tea. He went around the table and asked where everyone was from. Our group was small, but diverse. There was a man from Argentina, a man from England, and a family from Lisbon. The family had two small children who spoke French, Portuguese and English. I thought it was an amazing experience for a child and admired this family immensely. I just can't picture Camilla on a desert excursion sleeping in a tent. LOL. After we all shared where we were from, the man said, "Welcome. Tonight we are all Berber." After the tea we all chatted a bit and waited for dinner. Dinner was served soon after and we were all very hungry. What was for dinner? Tagine chicken of course.

After dinner everyone passed out from complete exhaustion. In the middle of the night strong gusts of wind woke us all up. It was a bit scary, but I loved the sensation. It was like being in the middle of a desert storm. The tent was flapping and you could hear the wind howl. Simply fantastic. I slept surprisingly well for being in a tent. Everyone says the desert is really cold at night, but it just wasn't that cold actually. There was a big change in temperature from day to night, but I was certainly comfortable in a light jacket.

The next morning we all ate bread and cream cheese. They even made us coffee. It's not exactly common to find coffee in Morocco, but the tea is ubiquitous. After breakfast we were all ready to return to civilization. It was a long journey back to Marrakech and I don't think any of us were looking forward to the camel ride.

Hours later we arrived in Marrakech. I immediately hit the souk. I had to find some clean clothes and I just wanted to walk around a bit. Then we headed to the hostel for nice hot shower. SO NICE! Caitlin and Romina ate dinner at the main square and I went carpet shopping. I met up with them after dinner and now the fun begins. Romina was tired and so she headed back to the hostel to sleep. Caitlin and I wanted to enjoy the medina and so we found a cafe with a terrace view and sat drinking orange juice.

I'm not sure how this happened exactly, but at the cafe Caitlin and I were approached by some local boys. The men in Morocco were extremely attracted to Caitlin. She was hounded by them the entire trip. These guys were nice and we struck up a conversation. I never felt threatened or afraid of any of the locals in Morocco. I found the Moroccan people to be very kind. I think the biggest danger in Morocco is getting ripped off in the souk. Anyway, we were sitting and chatting and these guys talked us into going for a ride on their motorbikes. Looking back I just don't see how on Earth we agreed to do such a thing, but I'm glad we did. We ended up riding through the labyrinth streets of Marrakech on the back of motorinos. It was a fantastic way to see the city. After a while, we returned to the main square and walked to our hostel. Mamma mia! What a couple of days?

The west is the best

4-21-2009 -- 4-22-2009

I waited months for this day to arrive and it finally was here. I was up all night long packing for my trip to Morocco and at 3:45 a.m. I met one of my travel companions, Caitlin. We shared a taxi to Termini where we met our other travel buddy, Romina. We took a bus from Termini to the airport and soon enough we were on our way to Marrakech. We spent one night in Madrid before flying to Morocco. We arrived in Madrid mid day, roamed the streets and ate dinner. The next morning, we hopped on a plane to Marrakech.

We landed in Marrakech at 9:30 a.m. and a taxi service met us at the airport to take us to our hostel. We stayed at The Heart of the Medina Youth Hostel and it was actually in the heart of the medina. A medina is a distinct city section found in may North African cities. Medinas are usually walled cities and often contain palaces, mosques and beautiful fountains where the local people still collect water today. "Medina" usually refers to the old part of the city and some medinas were founded as early as the 9th century, however, today the word medina simply means town in arabic. It is typical to here the locals say "new medina" and "old medina" to distinguish between the the old town and the new town.

After we settled in we were ready to hit the medina in Marrakech and our first stop was lunch. We ate tagine kefta at a charming little restaurant and it was safe to say we were already in love with everything that is Morocco, especially the prices. After lunch we had to organize some of our travel plans. The next morning we were taking a desert tour to Zagora and we needed to find the tour's meeting point and pay for our spot so we wouldn't be dropped. We had no idea where to go, so we asked some locals. The locals were more than helpful and they insisted on escorting us to the desert tour headquarters. I'm sure they were just after the tip. After we settled our tour business and found a map of Marrakech, we were ready to meander the souk. The souk is a market within the medina and it is where you can buy textiles, jewelery, spices, wooden sculptures and other valuable goods. In a souq, the final price of an item is reached by bargaining with the shopkeeper. The locals are master bargainers and you have to be very careful. We caught on quickly we were playing their game in no time.

We also spent a good amount of time in Djemaa el Fna, the main square in Marrakech. The square is full of snake charmers, acrobats, orange juice stalls (you can buy fresh squeezed orange juice for 30 cents). I have never seen anything like this place in my entire life. We sat for henna artists in this square and drank our fill of Moroccan orange juice.

When night falls, this square transforms into a kind of outdoor restaurant. It seems like all of Marrakech gathers at this square to eat dinner and there are dozens of food stalls to choose from. We dropped our things off at the hostel and headed back to Djemaa el Fna for a traditional Moroccan meal. We ate tagine chicken, rice and cous cous followed by Morocco's trademark mint tea (the locals call the tea whisky) and went back to our hotel. We had to wake up early for the desert tour after all.

The Moroccans love Barack Obama and they call him "brother." I had many conversations with Moroccan locals about Obama and American culture. They seem to like Americans very much and I had one conversation in particular at the Djemaa el Fna with a man who said the Americans and the French are the best people because they are happy and aren't afraid of anything. When we were walking away he yelled, "the west is the best," and I can't help but agree.