Reason 513 Why I Love Morocco, especially after being abroad: There is a camaraderie, a genuine friendliness among people, even toward strangers. Just asking a question at the airport in broken Arabic gets a warm smile and friendly touch on the shoulder.
Culture, Europe, History, Life, Odd, Travel
People Are Weird
by Thomas Stanley • • 0 Comments
While in Prague, we visited Prague Castle. It is a massive complex perched atop a hill across the river and overlooks most of the city. Though not as elaborate or as well-organized as Wawel Castle in Krakow, Poland, it was still impressive. The buildings were beautiful, especially the Saint Vitus Cathedral with its incredible Gothic architecture…
Culture, Europe, History, Travel
Beyoncé Has Nothing On These Girls
by Thomas Stanley • • 0 Comments
There was some sort of celebration today that involved military displays with cannon fire. These girls danced wonderfully, for whatever the purpose, and shook their shoulders like nobody’s business!
Aside
A fairly standard water jug wrapped in burlap to keep it cool. Atop sits the communal cup.
Reason 735 Why I Love Morocco: Nearly every shop, and many households, have water jugs outside for any passersby who may need a drink.
(Compare this to the privatization of water supplies in much of the West.)
Aside
My first tajine, which I made to mark the start of Ramadan 2015. It had potatoes, zucchini, onions, tomatoes and olives.
Reason 1,049 Why Love Morocco: The tajine. Not the meal, but the cookware. I’m so integrated at this point that I don’t know how I’ve live my adult years without one. I use it every day. It’s a pressure cooker, a crock-pot, a deep-fryer, popcorn maker, and “microwave” all in one. It’s truly a wonder.
Awareness, Culture, History, Life, Peace Corps, Photography, Travel
Tangier, Tanger, Tanja, طنجة
by Thomas Stanley • • 2 Comments
Tangier, Tanger, Tanja (طنجة), whatever you call it, is a city full of intrigue and secret histories, or at least that’s what I’ve been told. Yet, despite our investigation and openness to experience, it was much like every other large city. To be fair, the mystique was surely exaggerated in the first place. As a…
Culture, Europe, History, Travel
Peleș Castle
by Thomas Stanley • • 0 Comments
Since the larger photo album can be intimidating due to the volume of images, this is an experimental post to see if we can break down our travels a bit better. If this is suitable, look for additional updates that backtrack a bit through our voyage. Below are the photos we took during a quick…
Culture, Europe, History, Nature, Odd, Photography, Travel
Gibraltar Is an Odd Place
by Thomas Stanley • • 1 Comment
Gibraltar is an odd place. It’s tiny and most of the space is taken up by a massive rock in the middle of the peninsula, namely the Rock of Gibraltar. “The name Gibraltar is the Spanish derivation of the Arabic name Jabal Ṭāriq (جبل طارق), meaning “Mountain of Tariq” (Wikipedia). It’s a British Overseas Territory,…
Aside
Reason 404 Why I Love Morocco: I can sit in a crowded taxi with my arm around a strange man and his hand on my knee without all the Western fears of male/male intimacy.
