This past Friday was Moroccan Independence Day. While this is obviously an important day for Moroccans, I took this day of national pride as an opportunity to jump ship and head off to Spain!
My flight left Fes-Saiss International Airport at 11:55 AM. Naturally, I planned everything out so that I would be well ahead of time (in case the taxi didn’t show/weather was bad/we hit a sheep/etc). So of course I arrive there at 8:30 AM no troubles whatsoever (only the beginning of my near-miraculous timing this weekend). First object of note about this airport: it was the smallest airport I have ever seen. 4 gates, one runway. Security and customs and passport checks were all in the same small room. Second object of note: when I went to check in at 8:45 AM, I was told by the staff at the desk “we are Arab here! You’re checking in too early. Come back in an hour and twenty minutes.” Choking back laughter, I went to watch last night’s soccer in the café for an hour and 15 minutes. Of course, when I go back down…there is no one at the counter. In fact, no one even bothers to begin checking people in until 10:10…about an hour before the flight began to board. Last object of note: flying Ryan Air is a really interesting experience. It’s just like every other airline—except the seats don’t recline, everything is painted an eye-piercing yellow and blue, and the ‘flight attendants’ announce every 15 minutes a new crazy super awesome special deal that I just MUST buy on the spot. It’s like being trapped in an infomercial, the content of which changes on a whim. Also, there were a disturbingly large number of crying babies on my flight—I was literally surrounded by wailing children—so it was a good thing that I was tired, and thus slept for most of the flight!
I landed in Girona 5 minutes late (but, of course, the Ryan Air crew played their customary “congratulations for another on-time flight” jingle), and yet I still managed to make the very first bus into Barcelona. This bus left 15 minutes after my original arrival time…meaning I got off the plane, made it through customs, withdrew money, went to the bathroom, and bought bus tickets…in under 10 minutes. I am a pro. Or security in Spain is silly. Your choice! I was originally going to meet Elizabeth at the bus station; however, we both thought that I wouldn’t make the early bus, so she was planning on meeting me 2 hours later than I would now arrive. Again, in a minor miracle, the bus had free internet; I sent her a quick email…and immediately after successfully sending the message, discovered that the bus internet had crashed! The lucky streak continues.
So Elizabeth picked me up at the station, and we walked back to our hostel together. We passed the Arc de Triomf, a large arch built for a world exhibition in Barcelona in 1888, on the way there. The hostel in question was located on an obscure side street/pathway near Las Ramblas, the main tourist street in Barcelona. This turned out to be an absolutely fantastic location—it was close by to everything we saw that weekend, and there were shops and restaurants everywhere. Also, the difference between Spanish and Moroccan cities is truly a breath of fresh air; streets are open, well-lit, clean (besides lots of cigarette smoke), and full of people wandering through restaurants and stores. I immediately felt comfortable here—this weekend was really a short taste of Western culture again, after being submerged in Arab life for months! In any case, by the time we arrived at the hostel, I was starving…I hadn’t eaten much of anything thanks to travel. To my surprise, Elizabeth had a delicious candle-lit snack of cheese, bread, grapes, and wine waiting for me!
 |
| the Arc de Triomf |
 |
Elizabeth's candle-lit snack, including bread, Brie cheese, wine,
grapes, a half-eaten Deli Sandwich, and a Mars Bar. |
 |
| A street near our hostel: open, clean, and full of people! |
That night, we went on a long walk down las Ramblas. We first stopped at a large outdoor market--which was filled with FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. I had to have a fruit smoothie. Then, we saw a large square that was filled with Spanish protesters at the time (they had elections this past Sunday), and then Elizabeth took me to Corte Ingles, a 9 floor superstore across from the square. The things you take for granted in the states…as ridiculous as it sounds, I had a blast meandering through floors of overpriced clothes, gizmos and gadgets, and an entire floor of shoes. After our walk, we went in search of a dinner restaurant—I was still hungry, so we forwent traditional Spanish tapas in favor of some good old Italian food. Elizabeth had some kind of pasta (crazy delicious) and I had the first chicken Caesar salad that I have seen in over 3 months. The waiter also served us complimentary champagne, and I had a good laugh thinking about how ridiculous that would have been in Morocco.
 |
| look at all of that fruit. LOOK AT IT. |
 |
| Spanish protesters. These guys ended up sweeping the elections on Sunday. |
Saturday: a super busy day for us! The weather forecast was dreary, so we started early to hopefully beat the rain in our search of all things Antonio Gaudi. First, we visited Park Güell, a park designed and built by Barcelona’s master architect. Getting there was somewhat of a challenge…the metro took us close to the park, but the entrance itself was up a rather large hill. However, the climb was totally worth it—the park was really something else. The whole park is full of colors and murals, wavy lines and general artistic creativity. The park sports an entrance designed to look like the opening of Heaven; a cool looking Salamander; and the longest bench in the world. From the top, we got a great view of Barcelona, along with some cool pictures. Then it was time to head back down the huge hill (much better this direction) headed towards what is Gaudi’s most famous work, la Sagrada Familia. La Sagrada Familia is an enormous, unfinished church right in the center of Barcelona—construction began in 1882, and was nowhere near finished when Gaudi died in 1926 (he was actually hit by a moving vehicle of some kind…because he was wearing his typically plain and dirty clothing, no one recognized him as Barcelona’s most famous artist until it was too late to save him). The church is projected to be finished near 2030. However, the inside of the church was finished just recently, and was dedicated in 2010—while Elizabeth and I were originally hesitant to wait for 30 minutes to get inside, we were immensely grateful that we had once we got inside! This cathedral is easily on the level of the Hassan the 2nd mosque in Casablanca in terms of sheer beauty and architectural genius. And Gaudi’s traditional style is unmistakable—bright, colorful stained glass, complex arching designs, and an imposing figure of Christ over the altar make this church a must see for anyone going to Barcelona.
 |
| The entrance of Heaven in Park Guell |
 |
| Elizabeth with the awesome Salamander |
 |
| a small part of the longest bench in the world, Gaudi-style |
 |
| Outside La Sagrada Familia |
 |
| Inside La Sagrada Familia |
 |
|
 |
|
At this point, the weather was beginning to turn; however, thanks to the aforementioned lucky streak, most of our outside adventuring was done for the day! We headed back to las Ramblas for lunch in a small Spanish café to let the worst of the rain pass, and then headed out for the last main stop of our day: Casa Batlló. This is another truly extraordinary house designed and constructed by Gaudi, perhaps a 30 minute walk from our hostel. I can’t possibly describe this house in its full glory here—let it suffice to say that Elizabeth and I spent nearly 2 ½ hours listening to the guided tour, taking pictures, and perusing the gift shop. Some of the most noticeable features of the house include; furniture handcrafted by Gaudi himself, with incredible ergonomic designs (the handrails, door knobs, window vents, etc, all fit like a glove into my hand); the “light well” a 5 story vent right in the center of the house which filters natural light throughout the building; incredible room designs centered around an aquatic theme (apparently, Gaudi sought to build a house with no straight lines…even the doors and windows are bowed like waves or ripples in a pond); and a rooftop terrace with artistic chimney stacks and a giant reproduction of a dragon. At this point in time, it was really raining outside…but we spent plenty of time on the roof taking pictures anyways!!
 |
A light fixture in Casa Batllo--almost all of the rooms were decorated
with similarly intricate/flowing designs |
 |
One of the doors in the house--again, almost all of the
woodwork sported similarly distinct shaping |
 |
| The light well viewed from the top |
 |
| Casa Batllo at night |
 |
| Elizabeth and I getting soaked next to Gaudi's Dragon |
By this time, it was nearly 7pm; we walked back to the hostel in the rain to relax for a while before going to eat dinner (Spanish people eat just as late as Moroccans, apparently). This time around, I wanted to try authentic Spanish tapas; so we went to a Tapas bar (there was a television with an FC Barcelona game on, but Elizabeth cunningly sat us far away from the television…lame). We sampled a fried chicken dish, a cold fish dish, and a meatball dish…all of which were delicious (though I think the fish were my favorite). Additionally, I got to try Sangria for the first time (if you don’t know, Sangria is a wine based drink that has been left to sit with cut fruit for a day, along with rum); absolutely delicious. Also, both Friday and Saturday evening ended with tasty Spanish gelato.
 |
| Spanish tapas |
 |
Sangria. I drank half a liter, which ended up being a
lot less alcohol than I originally anticipated. |
And on Sunday, it was time to go home! We left with plenty of time to drop me at the bus station, to catch the only bus headed to the airport in time for my flight. We arrived 15 minutes early…only to discover that there was ONE SEAT REMAINING on the bus. Lucky streak: maxed out. After rushed goodbyes, I quickly jumped on the bus and was headed back to Morocco before I knew it!
I had an absolutely amazing time in Spain, and I can’t believe that I only have a month left in the Middle East before I head home again. And after seeing Spain, I think that I’m ready to be home as well. I’m sure that the time will fly by!
SPANISH word of the day: relajado (relaxed, because this weekend was easily the most relaxing weekend of my semester!)
