Month: July 2018

The last legs of our journey are upon us. Today we have a 130 flight on Iberia to London. Arriving at 3. The real problem with that timing is its difficult to do anything tourist worthy at either end of the trip. A true travel day. We will soldier on. The good thing, we can get up late and drag around. No rush required. Really an easy day for us. And my editor.

So a leisurely breakfast and a pack up. I had ordered an advance Uber for the late morning. Funny thing, when I checked on it I noted I had accidentally booked for 1050pm instead of am. Oops. Fortunately I still had time and ordered one. And we had no problems with it. And I told no one.

The Uber driver was a Slavic guy and he drove like the wind. Very fast. I was not worried but I heard later that both Emily and Marika thought he was going to crash. I thought he made a 30 minute drive in 15 mins. Cool.

Since we are flying Iberia and not Vueling, we were able to check in online. So all we had to do was drop our checked bags and go. That is after a small adventure. I had three postcards to mail. Last night, I asked the desk clerk where the nearest letter box could be found. She says three miles away, city center. How efficient of the Spanish to centralize collection. I went online and found out our departure terminal had one, I identified location and all is good. So, left the fam at security in airport and I went to the first floor prior to security and looked for the box. Nope. So I asked a security guard. He says one floor down. I go. No box. I ask at the information counter. She says the box is yellow. Go up a floor. I do. I go by the Iberia counter and ask a clerk. This was a real brain teaser for her. But, she helped me find it. Actually walked around with me. Where was it? About fifty feet behind where everyone was waiting for me. Haha. No. Cards posted.

So we went through security, no issues except the doofus unpacked michaels duffel because of liquids. Turns out, it was a towel. Then same to me. The liquid? A razor handle. Moron.

We exited into the usual shopping mall they like to have by the gates. Bought nothing. Had free shots at duty free. Did not bother with the free Iberian ham. Off to the gate. I think the walk to the gate was a mile. Minimum.

We should have eaten prior to getting on the plane. Spanish airlines don’t go out of their way to feed passengers even though they do charge for everything. I am used to US based airlines who skip no one and always leave pretzels, at the least.

The flight was delayed at least 15 minutes for god knows what. Again, Spanish tradition, tell the passengers nothing. Ever. We had a lot of turbulence on the flight, which I always find disconcerting. There was a rather scary full power landing too. I thought the plane might crash after it had landed. Nice.

I want to give a shout out to our customs officer. She gave us a question and answer on what we have done in London and planned to do on this trip. Tested our knowledge on the sites. Then told us all the things we need to see while here. I told her she should sell tickets. I was ready.

So, finally in Heathrow. We did some hard math and found that an Uber was cheaper than the express train into London. Uber wins. I did not have to wait the usual 18 min Spanish time of the last few days. Our driver was a native. An indian, born in London. He knew a lot of stuff. Recommended restaurants, sites, etc. Traffic was miserable. Took an hour for twenty miles. But we got there. Very well located.

The hostel is very nice. Nowhere near the last place in amenities and quality but clean and well tended. Room is only big enough for two bunks. Bathroom is insanely small. But still great.

We got settled. It was dinner time. We had the usual epic battle about where to eat. So we choose an indian place. Turns out to be the same place we ate in a month ago. Funny. Only not after an argument about where to eat. We walked, my idea Ed, about a mile to the restaurant. It is fun to see the neighborhoods and people. We got there,and unlike the previous time, there was no line. We got a table right away, next to the table we last had. The food has not changed, I did not think it special then or now.

We Ubered home. Enough walking for the day (Ed) even for us.

The hostel has a bar in the basement. So, surprise, the adult kids went downstairs for cocktails and kareoke. That’s what it said on the sign. Emily and I went up to bed. Signed off.

Today we have nothing planned. Which means we will be walking far to do very little followed by a nice meal. I am thinking of booking a nighttime (ghost) tour. We have done them before and they can be great fun. I found one and it’s cheap. I like cheap.

For now , I was up at 815 and ready by 845. Everyone else was in bed still. But I don’t pull up the rear of the party. By 1015 I left and bought breakfast tickets and headed up to the terrace for food. Everyone else joined one by one in various states of disarray. I ended up sitting there till 1115 or so. Hey, no plans, remember?

I have just returned to the room, well, actually the WC in the hallway. Morning ablutions, et al. Got to be ready for the day. I can hear, thru the wall, all my family getting ready. Walls are thin and the WC is next to our room. So I am thinking we will be going somewhere soon. Marika has homework to do.

So, our plan, go to Retiro Park in Central Madrid and check it out. A nice Sunday walk. I was thinking we could walk there. I thought wrong. Michael and Emily decided to Uber to the park. Marika is holding back to do homework. She has an online class to finish. So we press on as a group of three.

The Uber problem continues as does the taxi strike. We got an Uber and it took 20 mins. An aside, we have all had recent travelers problems. So we try to stay within striking distance of a bathroom at all times. But, sometimes you get it wrong. We uber’d to the main entrance of the park. A nice 20 min ride through Madrid, which is a beautiful city. Once we got there, I needed a bathroom right away. The only thing around was a cafe. So it wins. I have noted in my travels it it is required you be a customer to get services. Like use of their bathroom. So we all sat at a table in the cafe. I got up immediately and went inside tonuse the facilities. Down a steep flight of stairs, then another, down a hallway past two doors marked “privado” down another hallway pat two chest freezers and a door to the end of the hall through a doorway to the restrooms. Neither door marked, but on each a drawing, from behind of a heavy woman and a heavy man on the other. Very funny.

I gotta say, cause it’s what I do, that the entire trip to the john all was spotlessly clean. As was the restroom. Which also had a fan in it. First I have seen in a month. A pleasant experience.

I noted on my trip out that the restaurant and bar area were just as immaculate and neat as a pin. I rejoined my family the waitress was right there after I sat down. I ordered and Aperol spritz and it was very good. As was Michael’s Sangria. We had snacks which were perfect as well. Can you spot a trend here? I’m sorry I wasn’t really ready for a meal. One more thing, the staff was entirely women. I recommend this place. Sadly, I forgot the name. Corner of Calle Alfonso XII and Calle Antonio Maura.

So we finished our snack and headed into the park. We wandered around a little got our bearings. This park, at 350 acres, is one of the largest in Madrid. And after you walk around awhile you really feel the size. The park itself is very well tended. Almost to a point of disbelief. It’s very clean, orderly, and well groomed. And there is so much turf to cover I felt I could walk for days. There are lawn areas with lots of shade, formal moorish style gardens with fountains, a large rose garden, a lake with boats for rent, another lake full of turtles and ducks and black swans. Lots to see. The lakes are noticeably absent the smell of ponds which I find pleasant. Next to the turtle pond is the Palacio de Cristal which is a huge all glass building that house no more than the art installation you find inside. Very cool and no admission fee.

The craziest thing is in another part of the park. The statue of Satan or the fallen angel. When Lucifer fell from grace he became Satan. So there is a statue here. Strange. I did some scholarly research on this and there is nothing too specific. Some such Spanish Duke late in the 19th century commissioned the statue. It was placed on a pedestal in the park. And no one cared. Or cares now. The Vatican, no less, does not care. Officially. That would never go down in the god fearing U S of A. No sir. We ain’t there.

There was a cafe next to the statue, strangely, we camped there. Marika had called and was on the way. So it seemed a good spot to wait. And, it was nowhere near the quality of the previous cafe. We had some snacks and waited. The Plaza area around the statue seemed to attract a lot of people which is nice as a form of entertainment. Marika showed about 30 mins later. She had a few more snacks with us. Then we wandered out to the park and showed her all we had seen.

So about 530 or 6 we headed out of the park on a trajectory to hit Plaza Mayor. We are going to have bocadillos de calamare for dinner. On last nights tour we saw this place. Sposed to be best in town. I did not know boxadillos de calamare was a thing. But it is. Anyhow, we wandered in that direction and managed to hit it. Half a mile I think. Then we wandered till we found it on one of the offshoots of the Plaza. The place serves a huge volume of here sandwiches. They, have few tables and no table service. And a rather limited menu besides. No matter, we got a table a four sandwich’s. Served on one plate. Hey, best in town, they can cut corners.

The sandwiches were pretty good and I can strike them from my list. But I see no need to go back anytime soon. There are some really excellent restaurants and cafes on the Plaza. Including the oldest in Madrid. All great. Go to one of those first.

Marika needed churros and chocolat. Again. Madrid’s most famous purveyor is right there so we went for churros. I am not a fan. I had a piece of cake. She got her fill, which is important. I held out a little for ice cream. Again, a very well thought of ice cream shop is right there. We just win at every turn. So off for more dessert. I got to tell you, I had an excellent chocolate sorbet, of all things. Hard to believe. It was awesome. Everybody else had the usual mundane flavors.

It was an early end to the evening. Marika still has homework and I gotta do laundry. So we ordered an Uber 19 min wait. He got there a little faster and we were off to home. I did all the laundry. Marika went up to the terrace to do her work, though not before helping with laundry, Michael went out in search of a bottle of wine and Emily went to bed. She is suffering again.

Michael finally showed about 1015 with a nice bottle of Tempranillo. Very nice bottle. He joined Marika upstairs. I finished drying the clothes by 1115 and now I’m finishing this post. All I have left is a cleanup, pack up and go to bed. I already advance ordered and Uber to the airport. We are doing well.

Going to the Prado today. We were going to get going early. Right. I have been lying around for 20 minutes waiting on Michael and Emily. I guess we will just join the long line when we get there.

Finally ready. Eat first upstairs on terrace here at the hostel. €4 each for usual continental breakfast. That’s cheap. Finally we go downstairs. Uber is called. 23 mins out. 15 mins later he is 5 out. 15 mins later he is 5 out. Driver cancels. We call for taxi. They are on strike. Another Uber. We are still 15 mins out. I am ready to walk. Only 3.4 miles. Almost same as last night.

This is painful. Puts everyone, son and wife being everyone, on edge. No fun. We have been sitting at the front desk close to an hour now. I am really getting perturbed.

4th Uber called shows up. Turns out, we hear from Uber driver, today the taxi cabs are on strike. In other cities Uber drivers have been attacked. Not here in Madrid. Good thing. But our driver gets us to the Prado reasonably quickly. He drove the wrong way on two streets in the process but did get us there.

The Prado is a very old building. King Chuck had it designed in 1785. The build is over 200 years old. It now houses all things art in Spain. There are a few retrospectives going as of now. A lot of renaissance art. We spent about four hours going thru the halls. Then out. Emily is wanted to do some shopping after and Marika wanted to go to McDonald’s so we walked back toward the hostel. Emily managed a pair of shoes and some clothes. We all got eat Mcs. We managed to get about 1.5 miles toward the hostel before we called Uber. While waiting for Uber, 3 Cabify cars went by. I downloaded their app. They are cheaper than Uber but only operate in some Spanish cities and all over South America. I hear cheaper. I am doing it.

As usual this new method of travel, Cabify, will accept neither of my credit cards. Losers. I have contacted help, email only, and they continue to respond in espanol no matter how many times I request en Ingles. I hate them. Did I mention all Madrid taxis are on strike? Ya, it’s fun.

We hit the hostel at about 530. Everyone hit the head. It’s what you do. We all relaxed for an hour or so. Till the next event. We are going on a food and wine tour of old Madrid. We have to meet our guide at 730 in Plaza Santa Ana. At the statue of Lorca. And our guide is very proud of him. She is proud of Cervantes too but I think Lorca is her number one. Turns out she is a kindle junkie like me.

We met up with Paola at 730. Nice gal from Madrid. Knows way too much about Spanish wine and knows where to go for food. Our tour takes us to four different bars and restaurants for food and wine. Well, this tour was a winner. Just great food and wine and fabulous company. Paola was a adventurous and intelligent guide who forced us to display our knowledge (lack) of Madrid and it’s sites and people. She gave no quarter. It was just fun. She knows where to go for everything – Tapas, Sangria, food of all types. You want her for a friend. It was a long evening but we really enjoyed it. Last stop we had dessert even. Which was very good as dessert goes. And it did.

We are sitting in the Plaza de Santa Ana, post tour. We are waiting on another Uber to get home. It’s a bad day for Uber’s. I hate waiting. The Plaza is hopping right now. The cafes are packed and people are wandering around. Just another Saturday night. I would like to get home. I am wasted and tired. Michael ordered our first Uber. He was worthless. If u know Uber, he started out at 18 mins away and a half hour later he was 22 mins away. We had already ordered another. Michael and the first driver got into it via text. The driver finally cut off contact after refusing to drop the trip. Michael flames him with Uber and driver got back charged and he got a refund. Love Uber. Love Taxis. Love? Cabify.

So a good Uber did show up and we got back late, as usual. I noted all of us dropped off to sleep rather quickly. Surprise.

As usual, the next day after travel day, we slept in. All too exhausted to get moving. It’s 935am and I am awake.

Good news! Michael has stopped puking and squirting. Yay. He won’t have to stay in the room while we go to Gibraltar. Next test, let’s see if he can eat.

Emily has gone down to the front desk to straighten out our reservation. The initial stay was one day and we extended it to two once we had arrived yesterday. But, our desk clerk, managed to get us an extra day but told us to reconfirm in the morning. The Spaniards are slow so I don’t expect her back for a half hour. Gives me time to collect laundry.

I have to process laundry every few days. In hostels there is usually a washer. We can wash and dry relatively cheaply. But we have had a long string of hotel days and have to use the laundry service. I paid $265 for laundry in Barcelona. Ouch. Same amount of laundry in Fes, only 30$. Today in La Linea, 58$. Might be cheaper to toss the clothes and get new.

Today’s plan: go to Gibraltar. That’s it. We are figuring it out as we go. Works well for Em and I but the other two like written plans. What fun is that?

We left our hotel this morning before noon. Not by much. We walked in the direction of the Rock. The flow of people on the sidewalk grew as we got closer. I saw a sign, Gibraltar with an arrow pointing the direction we were walking. A good sign. We finally came upon passport control, which was not very controlling. All I had to do was show my passport and I was in.

There was a tour desk right outside customs. We stopped and inquired within. Only €25 each for a taxi tour of all things Gibraltar. We decided to go to lunch first because no one had breakfast yet. This started the usual food argument about where to go. Had to walk a mile further but managed to find something. It was nothing special but far better than last nights dinner. Prices on the Rock are high. Very high.

After lunch, back to the tour desk to sign up for a three hour tour. All I really want to do is go up the Rock and see the monkeys. We were on our way within 10 minutes. We got a quick tour of the town, it’s small, but had a few historical items. Then up the hill on very thin roads to see the sights and meet the monkeys.

Our first spot was just a place with a good view. Nothing good. Next can the caves. Turns out there are several caves with stalagmites and tites that are large and spectacular. The one we went in is used as a music hall for the symphony. As caves go it was still kinda sterile. Next stop we saw monkeys. Lots of em. The rule is you can’t touch them of feed them. They can touch you. We got lots of pictures and the view from this far up is very good. We were so far up we could see both sides of the Rock. We drove up to the last stop which is access to the tunnel dug into the Rock in the 1800s. We were able to have all the full length of the tunnel and see where the Brits had put cannon to shoot at the Spaniards. Interesting history lesson. And, there were more monkeys there too. We like monkeys.

We drove back down an alternate route since there are so many taxis coming during the day and the road is not wide enough for two. Nothing much to see on the way down, we had seen the whole of Gibraltar from the top already. Sadly, the drop off is in the town square which is over a mile from the border. Oh well, more walking. That’s ok, right, Ed? We asked our way outta Gib town. Plus the other mile to the hotel.

We had planned on a relaxing day, that’s a no go, but when we returned we headed to the pool and hotel bar to do just that: relax. Couple drinks, sit around, we relaxed. It was nice. Later in the evening we went out to dinner.

We kinda lowered our dinner sights front he usual. We walked to the local Supermercado and bought some wine. 2€ a bottle then walked back to a street vendor we had seen last night and bought patatas and asadas. Which really are just baked potatoes with lots of cool toppings. More like twice baked potatoes. We took all back to the hotel room and had dinner. Cheapest dinner so far.

We are not going out tonight. We got a plane in the am to Madrid. So up kinda early and off. Good nights sleep ahead.

Well not such a good night sleep. I woke at 620 and did not fall back asleep. I should have just got up but I was living in the fantasy I was going back to sleep. I got us at 815.

Usual start to the day. Make coffee in the room. Take a shower. Get packed. I was done before everyone else.

Last night we stoped at the Supermercado and picked up food for breakfast. Save some time and get everyone fed to keep their moods in line. Very important.

We were all packed up and downstairs by 10am. I went out to the ATM for some taxi money. There are two within walking distance. Hey, great, both ATMs were out of order. I guess the tax driver will have to take us to one. If he wants to get paid. And I think he does.

So here we sit and wait. Taxi just arrived. He takes credit cards. No ATM needed. A fine use of technology. We are on our way to Jerez de Frontera airport. The taxi to the airport was €150. Jesus Christ. No Uber in La Linea so I gotta pay.

We waited around for a little while, not long. Enough time to buy some snacks and then stand in line. The Jerez airport is old and has very few services. Not very attractive and a noticeably lax security screening. I don’t mind, I think the whole TSA thing is complete crap.

Well we managed to get onto our plane. Again, no gangways here. Walk across the tarmac and load from the rear. We were in the back row. This being Iberia airlines, we were not offered food or beverage. Though they did announce new food items on their menu. Thanks. Iberia has only slightly better service than Vueling.

The flight was lousy. Lots of turbulence which went unexplained. I guess passengers don’t need to know. At least we arrived on time.

Emily’s bag did not arrive on time. Hers was fifteen minutes late. Yay Iberia.

My children, both adults I think, needed to be fed right away so we ate at the airport. They go psycho when not fed regularly. Can’t have that, it could affect my loose grip on reality.

We had a 30 min drive to the hostel. It’s part of my daily effort to keep all Spanish taxi drivers in clover. Today a success now at $200 in taxis. We walk to dinner tonight.

Everyone collapsed in a bed when we arrived at the hostel. And btw it is by far the nicest one we have stayed at. By far. Did have the desk clerk fix our AC. Took her fifteen minutes but no matter. It works.

We are gonna head out soon for a walkabout and dinner. Michael has a phone interview and wants us gone. And we all want to be gone. So in a few we be jammin.

So the restaurant I chose for dinner is 2.8 miles away from the hostel. So the three of us left Michael for his call and walked off into Madrid. I must say one thing, this city is clean. Not filthy like Barcelona. Noticeably cleaner. Plus, the stores are nicer too. Since Michael was not with us the girls got to shop on the walk. Michael throws a hissy fit when anyone wants to shop. He is an asshole.

The walk took over an hour, not a surprise. We use our phones to navigate which is somewhat problematic as anyone who has used the navigation can tell you. I would rather use paper but that is so last century. The phone navigation is difficult to follow direction and there can be a lot of back and forth walking. Though it is easier than folding a map.

We managed to get to the restaurant about the time Michael finished and got his Uber. So we all almost sat down in the restaurant at the same time. Funny.

The place was great. Recommended online, one thing the internet is good for. The recommended Sangria was very tasty and worth the two pitchers we had. Best so far on the trip. We all ordered something different and shared. All was very good except for Marika’s gambas. Can’t win em all. We did not order dessert. Owner brought us a piece of cheesecake to share. Then he brought out limoncello, 2 glasses each of Italian and Spanish. I recommend the Spanish heartily.

We decided to Uber back to the hostel. I could have walked but the other three weenies could not handle it.

We all hit the hay directly upon return, amazing how a long walk and a big liquored up meal can exhaust you.

Travel day. Again.

One hell of a travel day, I might add. We got up at 7. Did our morning thing. Ate breakfast at 8. Marika came down and informed us that Michael had diarrhea all night long. Not good news when we are spending the day in a car or boat. And being sick is no fun on vacation.

We were in the van on our way to The Port of Tangiers by 845. Cool. Fast boat to Tarifa at 3. An hour on the boat then a bus to Algeciras. Taxi to La Linea, 30 mins and we are there.

The drive to Tanger was uneventful. Except for the stop every 30 minutes or so for Michael to throw up. Made it out of the van every time. We had a couple rest stops for him to do a sit down. Not much fun to be sick on the road in a 3rd world country.

When we finally got to Tanger I had to meet up with Hassan. He is a friend of our guide Youssef. I needed to pay for his serevived. I wanted to use my credit card and the only way to do that was to use his friends credit card machine. Hassan met me to take me there to use the CC machine. Crazy. Hassan and I booked it up the hill into the Tangier medina to Amranis shop. I got the payment done. Then we quick stepped back the van. Grabbed our baggage and went to the boat. Well, we went through the process and got into line for the boat. And waited.

This time we are taking the fast boat to Tarifa from here. Only one hour and cost is same as slow ferry. The fast boat is far less crowded and much easier transit than the ferry as well. We had a table to sit at and plenty of room. Of course, we had to free shuttle to Algeciras port when we got there. Then taxi from there to La Linea, whichnis next to Gibraltar. Our hotel is in La Linea only one mile from the border.

Upon arrival Michael camped in the bathroom for awhile. A long while. Then he went to bed.

The other three of us went out looking for dinner. We asked at the hotel and were directed to an area of town with lots of choice. We ended up at a Tapas place a mile or so from the hotel. Food was not great, sadly. The Sangria was awesome. We had 2 pitchers. Best part of the meal. And, I forgot, during dinner Marika ran off to a super Mercado to get ginger ale and soda crackers for her brother. What a nice sister.

On our way back to the room we stopped and got ibuprofen at the pharmacy. Always needed.

We were planning on going to the hotel pool and bar when we got back. They did not happen. Once everyone sat or lied down we were done. Bedtime

Slept in till 7am which is better than 415. At least I feel rested. The shower was less than refreshing. The plumbing is not perfect. The shower drain backs up so it’s like a pool. Which is gross. I have shower shoes but water is to my ankles. The pressure is ok but also lacking. I am clean, at least. Although I have to listen to Emily complain, though I don’t blame her.

Once we are all dressed and ready we head down for our breakfast. We get a private breakfast for the most part because the Riad manager asks when we want to eat and sets that up. Their is only six rooms here and I have yet to see any of the other guests. So, breakfast. We get coffee with hot milk, fresh squeezed OJ, croissants, rolls, two kinds of jelly, honey, cheese, Moroccan fried bread (my fave!), cocoa for the coffee, and I thinks that’s it. It’s a continental breakfast plus more, really. And it’s a ten out of ten. I roll away from the table stuffed. Marika loves croissants so this style suits her.

Mochtar, our driver, picked us up at 830. Our guide Azin was with him. Today’s event is a tour of the Fès Médina. I had toured the Fès Médina back in 1974 so this is a trip down memory lane. I have sharp and vivid memories form then. Mostly the smells are in my brain. The spice vendors were all bunched together and walking down the medina between them was intoxicating. The scent of all these spices was crazy. There is the smell of thousands of dirty people and the burros walking through. Hard to forget that.

Maybe a little background might help here. The Medina is the marketplace. Each town has a medina some have the Casbah above too. The Casbah is the fortress, usu above the Medina, and is a walled fort. Fès Médina is the biggest in Morocco. The old medina was built in the 9th century and the expansion, the “new” medina was built in the 1400s. See, new. Also some building from the 1700s.

Inside the walled medina are hundreds if not thousands of buildings, most 3 to 5 stories in height. The streets between them are narrow. 9th century narrow. Wide enough for burro and human foot traffic. Or small wagons. And the occasional vendor stall in the street. Though most stalls are in the first floor street fronts. What else could you need. So, no car traffic. And the buildings are not laid out in a grid so the streets twist and turn and end like a rabbit warren. No street names, so directions, no maps. If you don’t speak Arabic you can be lost.

In terms of streets, the worlds thinest street is here. Not wide enough to pass someone shoulder to shoulder. You have to turn a 180 and become very close friends with a Moroccan. Thin. I walked it in 1974 and again this visit. No one in my party was too impressed. I think it’s really cool. One of the oldest streets in the world at 1300 years, and I walked it.

My overall impression of the Medina? Well, a lot has changed in the last 40 years vs the last 1300. The medina is much cleaner. I can see the hand of government involved. It’s not bad, but it’s not the same. For instance, I saw waste cans, and people use them. I saw people cleaning the streets. There were no more ground level food vendors. Forever vendors in the streets versus first floor stalls. All vendors are far more welcoming of tourists, but no worries, they stil try to cheat you. Nicely. Oh yeah, all burros wear diapers now. No shit. Pun intended. So there is a smell memory taken away. Ok, it’s an improvement. In short, the Medina has lost all the dirty and disgusting parts. I am sure it increases foot traffic from tourists and makes more money. But, I do feel a loss.

There are some new parts too. All fresh, clean and nice. In those parts they have put up a roof between the buildings. Keeps all dry and clean smelling. But, it feels like a mall. I don’t travel 6000 to go to the mall.

We did wander through the Medina almost all day. But we had a few specific stops.

Our first detour went to a pottery manufacturer. The make the usual clay pots and cookware and dishes. The make mosaic tiles also mosaic furniture and fountains. We were able to see the manufacturing process. Almost all is as done for thousands of years. And all made by hand. The potter still uses his foot to spin the wheel. Pottery painted with a brush by an artist. No mechanics. Even the kiln until recently was fueled by burning olive pits. The Moroccan epa put an end to that. Now the kiln is electric.

Fès is famous for leather and leather products. They tan all kinds. The favorite for them is Camel and Goat kid leather. There is tannery in the Medina which has existed for a thousand years. Here they dye and tan without chemicals. No superfind cleanup site. The tanning bays are full of pigeon shit and water. Lots of ammonia in it. People bring bags of collected poop to market every Friday to sell. All due colors are natural – indigo for blue, saffron for orange, etc. Dyes found in nature. In the US all is chemical based. The outcome, the products they produce are inexpensive so we win.

The tannery has a store but it is not theirs. It’s a cooperative of all the different artisans making leather products. Of course that gives the vendors less incentive to make a deal.

We had the usual lunch. Average in value and taste. Our guide took us there. These guides get a kick back from every place they take you so they have little incentive to go anywhere else. I don’t mind but with food I like to find the new and different. Of course, Moroccan restaurants serve cou cous, tagine and kebabs. Different meats for variety. So, always the same.

Our guide, like all others, takes us places to get good pictures. Lots of mosques and gates and doors. Which are all embellished and make good photos. But after the tenth mosque or gate you get tired. We have begun to fake taking pictures to make guide Azin happy and get him to move on.

The first school in Morocco was founded around 900 by Fatima herself here in Fes. It’s in the Medina and is still standing and in use. Also her is the first university in the known world, before Oxford, Bologna, any in Europe. Sadly, current Moroccans seem to not be any better off for having been first.

I know it may seem wrong but I stopped and bought some chewy peanut candy from a street vendor. It’s good and I was hungry and after passing the candy vendors 10 times, I had to buy some. Large container was about 50 cents.

All the things you need for life are for sale here. The butcher shops always fascinate me. The meats all fresh, there are some flys but no stink. And they have no refrigerators. But they carry all that you need. It comes in fresh every day so I guess it’s ok. I’m not a buyer in their stalls. Emily got to see a live chicken meeting it’s end. Now that’s fresh. She was no pleased.

About 530 we went back to the hotel to relax. Said goodbye to our guide Azin. We stopped at the laundry to pick up. Something good, only $30 for the load of our clothes. I paid 200$ for laundry in Spain. Ouch. I like the prices here.

So we relaxed. Was nice. Tonight, our head guide, Youssef, is taking us out to dinner. Our last night in Morocco. He and I need to settle up on the charges too. That’s the primary reason he is taking us out, I think. Though he is a nice guy but he does coordinate all these things for a living.

Our driver Muchtar came to pick us up around 730. The restaurant was close by and everyone met there. There was entertainment tonight. Traditional Moroccan music, two different groups. The place was packed. I personally feel I could do without the overload music. Not my style. They were both entertaining and really tried to include the audience too. But I did not really enjoy the music. The two belly dancers and the magician were fun. Though the magician is not ready for prime time.

Sadly the food was only average at best. After a week of Moroccan food, I know good tagine when I get it. Not it.

We said our goodbyes at about 1030 and went back to the hotel to pack. Long day again with lots of walking. Ed? Ready for sleep.

Today was fine. At first. We were supposed to meet our driver at 8am. Didn’t happen. I got up at 710 after one snooze on the alarm. Went to shower. After ten minutes waiting for hot water, I gave up. Not going for cold. Took a French bath instead. Not a good start. Emily followed suit. She likes hot water too.

We were fully dressed and packed by 8. When I say is I mean Emily and I. The adult kids were still in bed. Em and I went downstairs for breakfast. She decided to not eat due to the number of small roaches running around. I ate some. And had a couple cups of coffee.

We went back up and Emily told the adults to skip eating because it was nasty. That was a mistake, we found out, later.

We got down to the van by 9am and were off to view the only thing worth seeing in Casablanca according to our guide. It’s a really huge mosque next to the ocean. More on that in a moment.

Both kids turned on us when we got there. Remember when your kids were toddlers? You had to feed them to keep them from becoming monsters? We got the adult version of a tantrum. Fun. Well, when they are adults the same thing applies. They became monsters and, of course, blame us. I think adults of any age should be able to get food or tell their fellow travellers they need to stop and get food. Also, I think they revert to their childhood when they are around us. As I told them, take care of yourselves. You’re old enough.

We toured the mosque. Tallest minaret in the world. Inside holds 25,000 parishioners on the floor in prayer. It’s insanely large. Even their wash room underneath could easily hold a thousand people. It is mostly beautiful. But, it’s only 20 years old and all the rehab work they do, and there is a lot next to the ocean, is done with a lower standard and leaves a “scar” in a sense. Really ruins the look.

After the mosque tour we went to eat. And miraculously the young adults became human again. Well, as human as they can get.

Off to Meknes. Long drive. Boring drive. Through the countryside with the usual views from the interstate. Nothing. Just olive trees. We all fell asleep. At Meknes we looked at another Mosque. This one very old. I think they believe we want to see all mosques. We don’t.

We walked across the street to a market. Appearances would tell me that it was there for tourists. God thing in a tourist. I patronized a couple snake charmers, one with a cobra. Way fun. It would appear the owner of the snake yanked out its fangs. Still exciting. I got to get into the act and play with the snake while Emily stood 20 feet away and was creeped out. She does not like snakes. At all. The snake guy wanted her to film a video of me and the cobra and she had a hard time filming it. It’s a wonder.

Back in the van to Volubilis. The Roman ruins on the way from Meknes to Fes. They seem kinda in the middle of nowhere but back in the day Volubilis was a very important city in North Africa. They manufactured lots of olive oil and grew much wheat. The lands around the town were very fertile. The ruins themselves are about one third excavated. But what is there is very impressive. I was here 44 years ago and the ruins have become less ruinous since then. They have added a small museum and very nice restroom facilities. And parking. When I was here prior, none of that. Just ruins in a field.

I can say now, having been to Rome, that Volubilis is unique. If you are in Morocco, it’s worth a stop here. Although I would not come just for the ruins.
We wandered through with the guide for over an hour. One nice change, Morocco has professional guides now. College educated, multi lingual, knowledgeable. And honest. Years ago the guides just spoke English and would make up half the things they said. And it seemed their job to help separate you from your money. Now, I am not surrounded by “guides” at every stop. Nice change.

I should mention, the roads to Volubilis were windy and bumpy and up and down. All four of us got car sick. A walk around for an hour after arriving helped.

The trip to Fes from the ruins took about an hour and a half. But we got there.

Riad Sheryne is our destination in Fes. The word Riad means house. So we are staying in a Moroccan style house which has been converted to a hotel. Most have been rehabbed into luxury apartments. First impressions don’t look good. Hess houses are behind walls. The access is a door in an alleyway or he side of a building. Ours is on he Médina. It has no address. When the Fes Medina was built in the 9th century no one thought of addresses. So all I know is, the Riad is in the medina. I have to call when I get here and ask them to come out. Lovely.

My guide Youssef fixed that. He call is friend Azin and asked him to come show us the door. It was actually quite close to where we parked. Down an unmarked narrow alleyway with a couple of sharp turns in the 9th century Medina of Fes. I should mention, you need a guide to go through the Medina or you could be hopelessly lost. It’s recommended you not go into the medina after dark. I am sure you are getting the idea.

So Amazon did show up. We grabbed our bags and followed him down the alleyways to the Riad. Again, hard to find. Turns out Azin lives in the medina. But we got there. They have a bell which we rang. Door answered, no one speaks English, so on left. We went in, with some trepidation. Well, the Riad is beautiful. It was remodeled last year and they did a great job.

A Riad is a house. It’s behind the wall of the Medina with one door access. So on the outside you can’t tell anything about it. There is a central courtyard on the main floor, all done in traditional mosaic. Very clean. The employees speak zero English. But, they are really friendly and quite helpful. We got all the usual paperwork done and headed up to the rooms. All rooms are on the 2nd floor and up. So down is common area and up private rooms.

Turns out the rooms were fantastic too. Comfy, cozy, clean and well appointed. And the place is cheap. Just a fine place to stay.

We wanted to go get dinner. But, we are in the Medina, it’s geting dark, and you would prob get lost if you wander out. The manager decided to walk us to dinner. Halfway there I realized I had left my wallet. The hotel manager said no prob. He would tell the restaurant we would pay them tomorrow. Ya, no prob. Turned out that worked. We ate and left without paying. Gotta love the honor system.

We went back after dinner, in the dark, through the alleys and to the Riad, no problem. And off to bed.

Atw #36

Travel day. Though it seems every day is a travel day. Yesterday we were in the car four hours to and from the blue city.

Up at 730, meeting our guide at 9. Off to Casablanca or at least in that direction. We are making some stops to see the sights. Youssef says Casablanca has nothing to see except a cool new mosque. Though the movie Casablanca makes you want to go. The beach there is beautiful too. We are almost all ready to go. Just everyone to the bathroom and done.

Breakfast at Katerina’s cafe close to the port. An awesome place, out of the way, not patronized by tourists. We had four full breakfasts, cafe au lait x3, americano, cappuccino, fresh squeezed OJ, the works. Cost $12 with tip. Retire here folks. It’s beautiful and cheap as hell. But keep ur money in US dollars.

We are off on the road to Morocco. Which is the name of a Bob Hope and Bing Crosby road movie from long ago. Actually we are stopping in Rabat on the way to Casablanca. More to see in

The drive for the last hour has been quiet and calm. The Moroccan interstate looks exactly like California. So does the scenery. Half way around the world to come to a place like home. Strange.

I fell asleep for about 70k. We have reached Rabat. A reasonably modern city on the Atlantic. Great news, being on the ocean gives it a temperate climate. Today about 75 dog with a cooling breeze. Very comfortable.

There is a tremendous amount of new construction here, much like in Tangiers. The King is modernizing the whole country.

We visited the mausoleum of Hassan II which is on the grounds of a 12th century mosque. His son Mohammad V and his brother are buried there as well. Guarded by the Roayal Guard. Off point , just driving by the beach and there are people surfing!! So, the Royal Guard is all in white with voluminous white pantaloons, on horseback, with pointed staffs topped by battle flags. Impressive. We were there for the changing of the guard. Informal compared to England.

The mosque tower was closed. Too many people went up and jumped. Really.

We toured the grounds of the royal palace after the mausoleum. The King is not in residence at the moment. The palace grounds are gigantic. Covered by beautiful landscape and trees that are obvs trimmed very regularly. It’s good to be King. Always

Time for lunch. Rather than find a fine lunch place we opted to guides choice. Bad idea. Over priced and not very good and bad service. Just to slap us in the face, they added a service charge. Next time we choose for ourselves.

After lunch we had an incredibly long drive to Casablanca and the Hotel Rio. Not a 4 star hotel. Hell, not a three star. Actually, Casablanca, I noted on the drive in, is thoroughly unimpressive. It’s dismal, dirty, and ugly. Probably why our guide said there is not much to see here. He is probably right. It’s the largest city in Morocco and I am amazed by that tidbit.

So after sitting around the hotel here for awhile I came to the conclusion we should never have bothered coming to Casablanca. Oh well. So what’s to do? Well, I called the hotel in Fes and got tomorrow night added to our reservation and dropped the last night. Then I added a night in Gibralter on the 25th. Problem solved. And it cost no extra $$. And we can exit this dismal damn place. Largest city? WTH?

We spent the next 30 minutes figuring out where to go for dinner. I picked 4 spots and shared them with the gang. We picked one and got a cab. Turns out, made a fine choice. The dinner was well above usual Moroccan standards of service and food quality. Which ain’t saying a lot. But, excellent food and service. We even had dessert. The restaurant was in a courtyard on the edge of Medina. There were cats roaming through the dining room getting food from the diners. Go figure. It was fun. Food was traditional Moroccan and really good.

We headed home after dinner. We called a cab because this town is damn scary in the daylight not just at night. I can’t wait to get the hell outta here.

I am meeting with Youssef this am at 8 to discuss our trip. And how much more “guide work” he can provide. So I was up early and showered. Out before anyone else was out of bed.

We met in the patio, one of many private patios on the hotel property. Youssef is leading a group around Morocco starting today. But, even though he is, he is still able to arrange the rest of our trip here. I was going to rent a car and take care of ourselves. But, Youssef charges about the price of a rental car and has. So, we have a guided tour. He arranges all, we just show up.

So we discussed all, decided on plans, and done. Very nice. This part of the trip might be the best. I am certainly more familiar with Tangiers than any other place we have been.

At 9 am we loaded up the van. We skipped hotel breakfast in lieu of going to Youssefs favorite patisserie. Which is, mind you, an excellent place for pastries. You see the French influence in the language and food. The French ruled here till independence in 1956.

So we loaded up on pastries. Next stop, coffee. Here they do not serve them in the same place. I don’t know why. Though they did not mind at the cafe that we brought our own food. That’s nice. Youssef brought more pastries from another patisserie too. So I had another. We sat and enjoyed our coffee for a few minutes.

After our break, our versatile guide took us to a few of the “landmarks” I wanted to find. The ones still standing. The Russian tea room is gone. Sad. But, the ice cream shop and sandwich shop I wanted to find are still there!! Tonight.

We got going without Youssef. We have a driver and van. No guide except for what Youssef has arranged at various sites.

We drove about two hours toward Casablanca. We are at a roadside cafe which is built above a lake here in the lower Rif mountains. Very pretty and this patio we are sitting in is really comfy. Light breeze, about 80 degrees. Very sweet set up. Sipping my little tiny cup of bitter coffee. Life is good.

We will be off soon. Going to the blue city. Chefchaouen. It’s a city in the mountains a couple hours from Tangiers. Built by the Spaniards in or around the 1500s. All the buildings are painted in a different shade of blue/indigo and look great in pictures. If only that functioned in my blog.

We wandered the streets of the blue city and Medina for a couple hours. Did a little shopping, bought nothing. Took a tremendous amount of pictures.

After the short walk, we went to lunch. Which is where I sit now. Finally in a cooler place. No AC, just cooler than where we were. I ordered meat kebabs. What kind of meat, I do not know. Prob chicken or goat. Lamb possible. Service is slow as hell.

Well slow service be damned, the food is tremendous. They brought us appetizers- olives, bread, and pickled sardines. Main course of tagine with plums, kebabs and cous cous. Too full for dessert.

The guide felt the need to show us the waterfall above the city. About a 15 min walk. Not very interesting except for the crowd. Lots of food vendors for that crowd. And everyone was in the water either recreating or doing dishes or washing clothes. That was fun to watch.

Back to the van. No, wait let’s walk thru the Medina for a few more. If we buy something the guide gets a cut. No wonder he keeps dragging us through.

Now back at the van. I look forward to two hours of air conditioned bliss. So nice.

Our guide today works for Youssef. He is the head guide. He pays all other guides. That fact did not stop him from doing the Moroccan thing where they stand close and continually clear their throat. It means tip me. I didn’t. Youssef pays. I pay Youssef. I like the system.

We have been on the road about an hour. Traffic is much lighter than in the am. I know his because our driver is not passing every other car. I feel better about that. Though the drive is a little more boring.

We freshened up upon arrival. And then went in search of another memory. My favorite sandwich shop. We actually saw it earlier in the day which makes it easier to find now. Maybe a fifteen minute walk from the hotel. As Ed knows, a 15 minute walk is nothing.

We did find it. I was the only one who ordered a sandwich. Kids went to McDonalds. No shit. Em did not eat. My tuna on a hoagie with everything including sliced egg, was a delicious slice of nostalgia. Hard to believe I got back here and had one. Took forever but worth the wait. I should mention, this place was a sleepy little sandwich counter in 1974. Now 5 employees, and the customers are three deep at the counter. It’s been remodeled since I last came in. It has been improved.

After our dinner we went for a walk on the new promenade. It is really beautiful. It’s eight miles long I have learned. The new marina is very unoccupied by. Oats, it is new. But whoever designed this place is a genius. It draws people in and there are no activities. It’s just a great park and people place

Back to hotel. Tomorrow to Casablanca. Big day again.