Very sorry everyone. I know you have been sitting on pins and needles for my next post.
What a month! Crazy stuff has happened; namely, I went to Morocco and to Spain! I was only gone for a week, but it was wonderful! So wonderful that I almost completely forgot to take pictures! I took (what might be considered) enough.
Morocco: what can I say about Morocco. It's very extreme here! A wonderful place with a wonderful culture, but everything here kind of keeps you on your toes. I stayed in Marrakech from Friday through Tuesday morning, and spent the days doing day trips (to Essaouira) and going into the central square (or medina) called Djemaa el Fna. Camels sightings ensue...
The cous cous was amazing, and practicing some French/learning some Arabic was a nice departure from the non-stop Italian that I'm used to. The local goods like Argane oil (Argane trees only grow in Morocco supposedly.. goats will climb the trees to eat the nuts on them!) were really interesting to try. The only downside that I really encountered was that you needed to tip everyone. It was considered poor manners to receive ANY kind of service and not leave a tip. That being said, 'unskilled workers' in Morocco make (supposedly) 80 dirham a day, that's less than 8 Euro. So I tried to tip as much as possible.
Even when people got pushy with their tips, I had the feeling that Moroccans were very lighthearted people. They are always joking around with each other --it seems as if they all know each other on a first name basis-- but hey, that's only the way that it seemed to me.
Alicante, Spain: the easiest comparison that I can draw between my stay in Alicante with other places that I've been was that it was like going to Las Vegas after spending three nights in Bryce Canyon, Utah. We went from an arid climate where no one in our group spoke the language to a modern city where we could all function somewhat normally if we were addressed by people! We had cable! That's something that's luxurious to me even in Florence (and until recently, even at home in New York! Hardy har har har har)! The only English channel was the Disney Channel, and I watched more of that than I probably should have, but it was refreshing to rot my brain! Hannah Montana-- mildly entertaining. And also discovering new favorites like the Spanish version of Ugly Betty called Patito Feo. Such a bizarre and melodramatic show; I had a blast looking at it. Or... maybe not a blast... but I had a good time.
Then, I went up to Madrid for the day, had a mini Ed Theatre reunion (just what I needed!), and had a very smooth return trip to Florence. Now with only 6 weeks left in the semester, I keep asking myself, "What am I going to do with that week from May 7 to May 14??" Any ideas?
