Abroad Book 2

Ok peoples, we took 911 pictures….this is just really killing me to have to sort thru these pictures and choose just a few…but here goes the rest of the trip…

MORROCO

Today we got a rich cultural experience going from Spain to Tangier.  We went with a Rick Steve’s recommended guide who met us at the ferry on the Africa side.   He drove us around the country side where we saw the beautiful coast line, new parts with beautiful homes, new towns and a cool cave, a few camels there just for the tourists and our favorite, old town where the crazy market was.    It was a world all in itself!  Construction workers hauling supplies thru the crowded market streets.    The Kasbah is within the Old Town and is an old fortress which is now a residential area with alley’s and interesting things to see everywhere we looked.  A view from the top of the Kasbah looking out over Tangier and Morocco. Camels were along the roadside just for tourists to ride, we didn’t have time…and that was fine with us!    Below is a picture from the old market which had tons of shoe places.  The people wear these beautiful shoes some with ornate pointy toes! 

Pretty sure that we don’t need to see any more hanging chickens….our chickens would be really offended if they knew about these. Trent and his ride. Olives and more olives of all kinds were sold at the market, we tasted several kinds they were super good.  They make a flat disk shaped bread every day and they eat it for dinner, ummm wanting some right now!    These women in the park are waiting for their bread to bake in a community oven.  They are never seen with the men.  There are never any women in any of the places to eat.  Their lives are very separate. 

ARCOS – SPAIN

Our tour in Morocco was 8 hours.  Our ferry across to Spain was supposed to leave at 7:30 pm BUT as the guide said “It goes whenever…nobody really knows when it leaves…” so it really left  12:30 am SO we got back to Spain at 2:30 am it was a long night (oh wait it’s morning now) to our hotel in a white village inland called Arcos.  We arrived at 4 am and couldn’t find our hotel which took another hour to find as we got lost in the narrow winding streets of Arcos.  The streets got so narrow Craig had to get out and measure to see if the car would fit, and it did and we found the hotel and we fell into bed at 5:15 am.  We woke up to discover an amazing hillside village which was a blast to explore!

Yup these are the tiny narrow streets.     

SEVILLA

Our family visited Sevilla 10 years ago 2001 when Allison was studying Spanish here.  We have fond memories of Sevilla as this is where she met Jay!  We were so excited to be back! Entrance to the huge cathedral, third largest in the world.  Beautiful inside! 

   It took us an hour or so to find our hotel in the old town part of Sevilla.  The roads are narrow and you can’t tell where you are (unless Jay or Allison were with us..) but we finally found this Hotel which was in a cool part pretty close to the Cathedral and within walking distance of everything.  Below is inside this church and below is the front of the Cathedral.  A visit to the Alcazar in the afternoon and we met a big group of school girls.   The below is in a room of the Royal Palace inside the Alcazar the walls and ceilings were covered with beautiful tile-work.  I took tons of pictures that look like quilt patterns.     The orange trees were heavy with oranges and had blossoms on them that smelled like heaven everywhere you went you could smell the orange trees.  Sevilla is known for it’s oranges.  We picked one and it wasn’t ripe and was bitter bitter bitter.    The girls, myself, LuAnn and Connie….we had so much fun together, it was wonderful sharing it with friends/family.     We climbed to the top of the bell tower over looking Sevilla.  The bells rang at 4:00 they rang right over our heads, it was pretty loud but so cool!!    Below is the Plaza de Espana.   Not us in the boat…next time.   Spanish Roses It is hard to see from this picture but all the lamp posts, railings on all the fences, etc. were all  decorated with Spanish tiles and ceramics, it was really beautiful.  Spanish Fans are a serious business in Sevilla.  We rented this four person bike to ride around a beautiful park adjacent to the Plaza de Espana.  This was such a fun day!  SEGOVIA

One of the coolest things we discovered in Spain is their AVA trains.  They travel 130 mph, smooth as glass, leave on time, have great seating and you get a beautiful view!  We traveled from Sevilla to Madrid then the next day was our last day in Spain.  We took a day trip by train again, to Segovia.   This town was pretty amazing to explore.  The date on a plaque on this door was 1412.  This is a Roman aqueduct which was built 2,000 years ago without any mortar and still works.  It carries water from the rio frio to the alcazar castle.     This is the Alcazar!  It was a royal palace in the middle ages then became a prison for 200years.  King PhilipII and Queen Isabel lived here.  This queen  we learned changed her name to Queen Mercedes of Spain, after she was baptized as an adult.  View from the top of the Tower.   There were little towns as far as you could see and a famous convent where the Nuns make good almond cookies for tourists!  We loved being in Spain.   We are home safe and sound and will look forward to another trip back……someday!  Now we need to stay home and plant the garden and….and…and