“Come with me to the Casbah” is the famous pickup line that we all think came from a movue. It was in fact never spoken in a movie– it was in the trailer of the 1937 movie Algiers (Heddie Lamar and Charles Boyer). A casbah is a high walled fortification without windows, and it is here we began our explorations of Morocco. The entire area behind the walls is called the Medina, which is the oldest part of Marrakesh, while the market areas within are called souks.
The Almoravids, a Berber tribe, built the city in the 11th century and ever since there’s been a whirlwind everywhere. Narrow alleys lead to more, not even those born here escape without at least the occasional bout of befuddlement. Small motorcycles and scooters, not to mention the bikes and the principal delivery transport, donkeys pulling carts, wiggle through somehow yet no one is run down nor even has their toes smashed while we were there. The only incident we encounter involves two boys wrestling, one having a choke hold on the other who apparently knocked his load of bread to the ground. A kaftan wearing older male was breaking up the fight with remarkable patience. What a kind soul he seemed.
Delightful aromas abound, coming mostly from the vast mounds of spices and if not from them then the vast quantity of fruit. An exception is the area where they slaughter the chickens. The foul fowl odor stuck to my nose for much too long.
Street scene Morocco, water color 13.5x 21 cm, 5 x 8″Spice aromas fill the air Bright colors in the narrow alleys
Along the way we came to the university, which claims to be the world’s first (so do universities in Fez and Timbuktu). It had 900 students at one point but is no longer in use. There is exquisite decoration thanks to Unesco although the rising damp from underground waters continues to cause problems. These extensive waters are what gave rise to the city- they giveth, they taketh away.
Peg shoots the University in Marrakeesh
Calligraphy from the Koran
The souks (market) of the Medina make any Walmart tiny by comparison, as its surrounding walls measure 12 kilometers in length. There are shops by the thousands, most run by 1 or two people, and manufacturing zones as well, leather production among them, where workers still use plant dies and pigeon poop in the process.
Souk Semmarine sells everything from brightly colored bejewelled sandals, slippers and leather pouffes, to jewellery and kaftans. Souk Ableuh has lemons, capers, pickles, chili peppers, and olives, as well as mint, which they use in cooking and the sweet tea you find everywhere. Souk Kchacha specializes in dates and other dried fruit and nuts. Rahba Qedima has perfumes, hand-woven baskets, scarves, knitted hats, scarves, and the skins of alligators and iguana. Famous for jewelry is Souk Siyyaghin, while Smata it’s belts and babouches, a slipper with no heel. Cherratine has leather while Belaarif has modern consumer goods. The Haddadine has ironware and lanterns.
The intense activity and I suppose all its newness tired me out and I was glad for the quiet of the lushly appointmented restaurant where we enjoyed the fabulous Moroccan “salads.” More of this anon.
Modernity and tradition coexist in Marrakeesh albeit not without a least the occasional clash. Modern cars and buses abound. On the other hand deliveries in the Souk are sometimes done by mule, sometimes trotting rather swiftly through the narrow streets as scooters weave through even the most narrow of alleys, brushing you at times with whatever hangs out from their carts. Women covered from head to toe, a small percentage here, walk side by side chatting with those in jeans.
Contrasts in Culture in the zouk
Past shops offering cheap Chinese imports you find traditional craft shops by the thousands, dwarfing any shopping zone I’ve ever seen by astronomical amounts (until we went to Fws). Leather. Who’s going to buy those thousands of leather purses? You pass by large piles of skins, prepared in the nearby tanneries, men standing in the dyes as they turn the hides, so you know there are more purses jackets, belts and shoes in the pipeline.
We passed a medical clinic on the way, all shiny and modern like the solar panel monitor displaying the roof panel outputs. Our guide -you need one or you’ll be forever lost in those nameless narrow alleys- took us to what he called a pharmacy. These, he claimed, they had clean pure products, unlike the open air stands he pooh poohed. A woman in a white coat offered a jillion natural products to us, an unsubstantiated health claim for each one.
Men kiss upon greeting but men and women don’t, although swear, I do m that I saw two couples doing just that on a park bench we passed on the way from the airport. In Rivat, the capital, two girls kissed in public and one -why just one or better yet why anyone – was arrested. Lesbian, let alone gay, is just too far into modernity I suppose.
The majority of women are dressed as you see here. Many men where plain full length kaftans though most wear modern dress.
It’s a fascinating beginning to our time in this modern Muslim nation.
Palma de Mallorca is a major tourist destination for beach goers in the millions. Germans, Russians, even the Spanish come here to luxuriate in the the beach resorts that line vast sections of the island’s coast. But for a more serious tourist there is art, architecture and history, plus a neat one hour train to Sóller, a small, charming and tourist-overrun village in the mountains, in vintage wooden cars. There are galleries for the upscale buyer and for Miró fans there’s his museum and studio on high with fine views of the coast.
After the the Iberians came the Phoenicians and Greeks. The island was ruled from Rome no later than 123 BCE. Then the Arabs arrived, whose fleet moored in the harbor and convinced the islanders to submit to Islamic rule while allowing residents to maintain their religious preferences. Piracy was a significant source of wealth in the Islamic era, most likely largely due to the strategic location of the island. The city was reconquered in 1229 by Jaume (James) I of Aragon. His son built Bellver Castle and started the Cathedral. In 1391 anti-Jewish killings were widespread. Those who did not leave the island and survived were forced to convert. Two gangs ruled the island in the 17th century, when piracy was again widespread, while the Jews suffered tremendously thanks to that lovely chapter of Spanish history, the Inquisition.
Bellver Castle in the foreground, the Cathedral in the backgroundCathedral
The city became a tourist destination in the 1950’s. In 1960 there were 500,000 visitors, in 1997 more than 6,739,700, in 2001 more than 19,200,000 came by air and 1.5 million more by sea. This is an amazing number given how tiny the island is, and the small permanent population: Palma is the largest city with a population of a mere 400,000.
The Cathedral, called La Seu, was started in the 13th but not finished until the early 17th century. It is a Gothic structure and by no means is its exterior among the most attractive of that style. From the sea it features plain bulky buttresses, just small ‘flying’ ones reaching out to support it’s magnificent height. Inside is another matter, is sprinkled with light from the magnificent stained glass windows. The rose window is the largest of the Gothic world. The graceful interior lines make for an amazing visit.
There are some Modernismo buildings in Palma. Modernism is the term given to the version of Art Nouveau in Spain exemplified by Gaudi.
Fundacion Caixa,originally El Gran HotelPastry shop in Fundacion Caixa
For a change from the narrow streets of the old town and the Gaudi architecture, a common destination is the town of Sóller. It is just 30 or so kilometers from Palma by car. We took the train. The hour long journey takes you through some lovely mountain scenery, passes above and around the town then descends practically to the center.
SóllerSóllerThe train to SollerThe tram to SollerTrain to Soller, pen and ink
But what’s there to eat and drink?
Bar Scene in Sóller
This was a rather tasty dish, which we had at La Botana, Career de Can Brodo (see photo below). That’s an alioli (garlic mayo) sauce on top. It covers layers of thin pork and potatoes. We had some excellent local wine, Tentacion Tempranillo 2015, a reasonable 12.50 euros a bottle. It’s a strong wine, at 14.5% (the max you can get in wine is 15%, after which the alcohol kills the yeast). Strong cherry notes after 4 months in the oak.
Alioli (garlic mao) sauce over slices of pork and potato
Want a quick bite? There’s always these empanadas, beef, chicken, veggies, sometimes with peas. They seem to like peas on the island. I’m so glad!
Empanadas are a favorite
Then there’s “arros brut,’ their rice dish, which we did not try. And tumbet, which we really liked
Tumbet
Here’s a link to a much longer list, and far more than we could try in a few days.
Mallorca is much more rainy than Valencia. Winter is a good time to visit unless you want to swim. Summer is often hot and humid, depending on the direction of the wind. If from the east it is cooler.
I would not put this island on the top of places to visit. If you are down to second or third tier locations, however, it has enough charms to make it worthwhile. It is a short 45 minutes by air from Valencia, and a 20 minute ride to town from the large airport.
Fallas is an annual festival famous for it’s wonderful statues, called “fallas,” magnificent mascletas (daytime thunderworks) and fireworks (at night), marching bands by the hundreds and the women who march with them in traditional silk dresses, as well as sound and light shows.
Here is my slide show of photos from Fallas 2017, set to Himno de Fallero, Hymm of the Fallero (member of the local organizations that make Fallas happen).
This slide show is from photos I took at the Science Museum exhibit in Valencia. There are thousands of these small sculptures (usually about a meter in height but sometimes higher). There are two that skewer Trump. Next year I expect many more, as most of these were begun well before the election. These amazing sculptures employ hundreds and hundreds of artists here. The large sculptures range up to 25 meters/80′ in height. They all display great imagination and ability! Enjoy!
Here are two videos of the amazing opening act of Fallas 2017. Fallas is Valencia’s annual festival, an Unesco heritage event. There are hundreds of sculptures 25 meters in height and thousands of smaller ones. There is a mascleta – fireworks without much light- every day at 2pm, and fireworks at night that are not just literally over the top. This one featured a first- 50 meter/ 165′ vertical firework trees. Amazing! The first of those below is mine and is just two minutes, the second is professionally done and is about 10 minutes.
While in Philadelphia for my wife’s swearing in as an Italian citizen we visited the Philadelphia History Museum. They show a good video about the city’s founding. See link at bottom, first in a series.
Penn was not born a Quaker. In fact the earliest image we have of him is this painting, done during his service fighting a rebellion in Ireland. He is dressed in armor. He became a Quaker during his college years, a period of intense religious conflict.
His father was a close associate of King Charles II. When his father died, Charles still owed substantial sums to Penn’s father, which he settled by granting huge areas of land which Penn wanted to call Sylvania, the latin for ‘forest.’ The King insisted on adding “Penn” and thus came into being the name of the present day state. The grant included the area today known as Delaware.
The new proprietor, then probably the world’s largest individual landowner, first landed in America in 1682, afterwards traveling up the Delaware river to found Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. To attract Quakers he wrote a prospectus that brought in some 250 well to do Quakers. He eventually distributed it in Europe, attracting Hugenots, Mennonites, Amish, Lutherans, and Jews. He limited his own power as leader, a notable innovation, as was open discourse, akin to a Quaker meeting. Prisons were workshops designed to teach rather than punish. Swearing, lying, and drunkenness were forbidden as well as “idle amusements” such as stage plays, gambling, revels, masques, cock fighting and bear baiting.
He began advocating for a union of the colonies and his Frame for a Government contained many of the principles later to inspire the US Constitution. However, his attempts to establish a true City of Brotherly Love failed within two years. He had returned to England, never to return, and soon city leaders had reneged on the agreement Penn had forged with the Lagniappe.
George Washington’s watch at Philadelphia History Museum
Aranjuez is just south of Madrid and home to the summer palace. It was built in the second half of the 16th century under Phillip II. The town was originally inhabited only by the court but now is a small but vibrant town dominated by the tourists who visit the palace.
The main entrance is through a gate that leads onto a large courtyard.
Palacio de Aranjuez pen and ink, (5 x7″, 12.7 x 17.8 cm- to purchase see bottom)
Palcio de Sivela, Aranjuez
Visitors would have entered through the doors to be confronted with a magnificent marble staircase and a ceiling high above. Nowadays visitors enter through a much smaller entrance in the Renaissance style wing. This style features a rather flat presentation, with pediments of various sorts adoring the windows. Here you can also see the Romanesque arches, rounded versus the sharper edges of the Gothic style.
The interior visitors access is limited to two floors. Once you climb the main staircase there perhaps a dozen rooms. Some are more what you might expect in terms of high and painted ceilings, luxurious furnishings, and rich colors. Others are intensely decorated with ceramics:
Aranjuez Ceramics
Aranjuez interior
The palace sits on the conjunction of two rivers, the Tagus and Jarama. The rivers feed numerous fountains and maintain the extensive gardens.
Fountains AranjuezFountains AranjuezAranjuez River Tajo
Nearby is the Palcio de Sivela, built in 1860 and completely restored in 1988. Here is my impression of it
Palcio de Sivela, Aranjuez (watercolor, 5 x7″, 12.7 x 17.8 cm) sold
