Vacances de Paques! Aix-en-Provence, Arles and Marseilles, France and Frez, Morocco

Spring break this year was pretty incredible.  I traveled with two good friends and we went through Southern France and then traveled to Fez, Morocco for a completely different experience.  The itinerary is as follows: Aix-en-Provence (Day 1), Arles (Day 2), Marseilles (Day 3), Fez (Days 5-8), Marseilles (Days 9-10).  The weather wasn't awesome, but the company and experiences were fantastic.  Because I'm behind, it'll be mostly photos with just a little commentary....

First, we started in Aix-en-Provence.  The home city of Cézanne, we visited is Atelier (studio) and walked around.  The weather wasn't awesome, but the town was really cute.

A fountain in the main roundabout 

Some trees in a park

The same beautiful trees lining a road

Then we went to Arles.  Arles served as inspiration for Van Gogh and Picasso, among other great painters.  Again, small and quaint and better weather.  And the best ice cream I've had ever. 

The Amphitheater in Arles

The plaza by l'Hotel de Ville

A view of the Rhone

And then after Arles, we visited Marseilles, where we decided to explore Les Calanques.  They are gorgeous rock formations a 30min bus ride outside of Marseilles.  After the fog cleared, it was gorgeous.

A view of blue skies

The clear Mediterannean

After Marseilles, we went to a completely different place: Fez, Morocco. It reminded me of my travels in Malaysia and Thailand, in some ways.  But it was also a completely different experience.  I had an amazing time, though it took some adjusting, and would love to go back in the future.

This is a photo of the tannery.  On the far left are the white wells filled with ammonia and pigeon droppings. These are where the hides go first. Then they are put into the colored wells, dyeing the leather.  Then they are laid out to dry (right of the picture).  The leather drying in the sun in this photo was dyed with saffron. Generally, good quality Moroccan leather bags are made with camel, and then jackets/clothing is made from goat leather.

This is Seffarine Square, where all the copper workers craft pots, pans, and decorations out of metal. 

A shop of mirrors

The inside of a Medersa (theological school)

Beautiful tile work, carved wood, and carved plaster

A cat lounging in the tranquil medersa

Sooooo many cats everywhere

A closer look at some plaster carvings

Well-presented mint tea. (Moroccan mint tea is amazing. Everywhere.)

The Medina by night, as seen from the fancy hotel where we drank tea.  The medina is the center of the city, where all the shops are.  It's a completely disorienting and overwhelming maze of shops.

This is a view of the ceramics cooperative that we saw on our third day in Fez.  First they prepare the clay, and get it ready to sit in the sun in rudimentary tiles.

After the tiles sit in the sun, workers pound our any air bubbles and cut them into a regulation size before they sun again.

After the sun, the clay objects sit to be put in the oven, where they will be baked twice.  Once before the glaze, and once after.

Then they are turned into beautiful things.  Like these fountains.  The "guide" that showed us around insisted on taking a photo of me with these fountains.  I was not such a fan, but you can see my new bag.  The shoulder bag i brought with me to France was on its last legs.

Beautiful things in the ceramics exposition hall.

Fez is also known for it's fountains. Starting with this one, and going down, this is what a walk down the main boulevard near our hotel looks like by night.  First, this fountain in one of the large roundabouts.

Then a long fountain that runs along the boulevard

That breaks so people can sit and watch, or run through this area.

Then another large fountain

And the lights continue all the way to the next fountain

Which is the big one at the next big roundabout.  It changes colors and different elements turn on and off.  It was beautiful and calming.

And now we're back in Marseilles.  I walked with my good friend from high school along the beach for about 3 hours, in which time it was damp, then it rained, then the sun came out.

Water before the rain

Monument in the rain

The sun!

The trip was amazing.  I loved (near) every second of it. More later, I promise, but I just wanted to make sure I got you all somewhat up-to-date on my travels! A bientôt!

Better late than never: PARIS en PRINTEMPS

OK, a little different format, just some photos of my travels with limited commentary, because I'm lazy, and pressed for time, and all you really want are the photos, right?

Day 1: Versailles

The golden gates

Sooooo many tourists

The largest canvas painted ceiling in Europe.... (perhaps the world)

The Hall of Mirrors

Views of the Gardens, the fountains were not on.

Day 2: Giverny, Monet's House and Garden (BEST DAY EVER, SOOOO PICTURESQUE)

Vibrant flowers abounded, and I will spare you almost all my macro photos.

One of my favorite places in France. Period.

The water-lilies were not in bloom.... But I didn't care

Look, Mom, I was really there!

His amazing house, no photos of the interior, but I want a house decorated in a similar fashion someday...

Where we ate lunch, continuing in the vein of the picturesque, quaint and beautiful.

How we got to and from the train station.  Yes, it was gorgeous, and totally worth the ensuing pain.  Soooooo picturesque and amazing.  I loved it.

After Giverny, KA and I went to the Louvre (she had never been, just to the outside) to geek out on some art history.  It was amazing.  And they were rearranging an exhibit, and I gasped, stopped, watched and took photos. I was the only one doing such, and everyone (other tourists) thought I was insane.

After the Louvre, we had a nap, had dinner, and then went to the Trocadero to watch the eiffel tower "sparkle."

What it looks like normally at night

When it "sparkles" on the hour every hour from 9-11pm

Day 3: Cimetière Père-Lachaise et le Panthéon (aka day of honoring famous French dead)

One of the walkways in the cemetery.  It was huge and hard to find EVERYTHING.  But I got what I was looking for...

Art historical life, complete. 

Cute kittens.  Really, I can't even tell you when taking pictures of cats became an OK thing for me to do.  But this cat came over, saw that we had cameras out, and then proceeded to role in the sun.  We almost died.

In between the cemetery and the Pantheon, we stopped in at Sainte-Chapelle.  This is the lower chapel.

The upper chapel is filled with this beautiful stained glass. All of the walls, it was gorgeous.  I gasped upon entry.

Next stop, the Pantheon

Look, Mom! I was really here too!

It was gigantic.  And cold.  And gave me a huge wave of French patriotism. And then we went into the tomb-y part and saw some really famous dead people, no big deal.

 

Hugo, Zola, Dumas. AWESOME.

Yes, I was brought up by a scientist.  This was awesome.  Also, the only other family there when I took this photo was an Indian family with 2 sons.  The boys were posing next to these tombs, and you could see their parents, eyes hopeful, thinking "This is your future: Nobel Laureates!"

Alright, this is all the photos I'm going to post.  Enjoy.  Spring break coming soon. There were so many stories and good times, but I think you'll actually have to talk to me to get those. All for now!

planning travel....

So I officially finished my semester today! Yay! Go me! And now I can look to my European summer tour.  I will be going many places that I can outline for you later, but the one that's really got me at the moment is Greece.

Basically everything I've read, including my trusty guidebook and well regarded online resources say that Greece is hard to navigate.  It's difficult because the internet is filled with fake sites that give wrong information, or, that the information on well intentioned websites is out of date or just wrong.  Many employees of places with websites do not know what is on their websites, apparently, and often times things you order online can only be sent to you if you live in Greece.  Also, mail takes several days, as they deliver it to you on a blind donkey. (That last sentence is false).

Thus far, I have had a few problems, one of them is looking at the route from the airport to the port where I will be ferrying (God willing) to the Greek Isles:

You can also dip below and go around the large region in between the airport and the water where there are NO ROADS.  But, this is 4 minutes faster, apparently.  Also, were you OK with traveling in this inefficient fashion, the googlemap directions might scare you off:

Seriously?!?!?!

Good.  My knowledge of greek comes from math, fraternities and sororities.... good.

BRING IT. 

More on this as it develops, and I promise, photos from various trips coming soon.

not dead!

I made to and from Africa in one piece. And it was amazing. And I have a final on Wednesday, and I promise to keep you all more informed about my life after that point.  Hope all is well with you, expect updates soon! Paris photos still on the way!