A Glimpse of Prague

Praha is a beautiful, fairytale like city. I haven't been this enchanted by a city before and I am in love. Here are a few snapshots of the city - in black and white - for your viewing pleasure.

This is a city that will always hold a very special place in my heart. Next to San Francisco and Paris, of course. I will give a more detailed update soon. I'm off to Valencia tomorrow, so check back in a few days :D

Besos,
Pris

I'm off on another adventure

Hello folks,

I apologize for the lack of posts recently. It's been raining cats and dogs in Bilbao, including sleet, thunder and lightening. And it is a given that my productivity is absolutely non-existent when it rains outside.

I leave for Prague in a 15 minutes. I hope to bring back many more pictures and stories to share!

Besos,
Pris

City Spotlight :: Marrakech - Food edition

 

Whenever I go to a new place, I always do a routine research of the weather, local customs and top sights. I also jot down a few key phrases in the language, such as "hello, "goodbye," "thank you," and "how much?" Most importantly, I google the regional cuisine and make a list of dishes to try.

I think food is a vital part of any culture and history. And I make it my goal to sample the food that the region is known for.

I did the same research on the food in Marrakech and added a few dishes to my "must try" list.

STARTERS/APPETIZERS

Every meal in Marrakech comes with a slab of bread. The bread isn't anything special, but it is a necessary accompaniment to the other dishes. In fact, Moroccans traditionally eat with their hands and use bread as an utensil. I found it perfect for dipping into sauces and soup.

Almost every meal also comes with a tomato dipping sauce, which tastes like mild salsa.

Marinated, mixed olives

MAIN COURSE

TAGINES - this is a dish typically found in North Africa. It is named after the clay pot in which it is cooked. The pot has a narrow, circular base and a cone-shaped top. Once you take off the cone-shaped top, you find stew-like, braised meats - still bubbling. I can cross this item of my list, many times over. I think I had at least one tagine a day.

Kefta tagine, a tomato based tagine with meatballs and a cracked egg.

Beef tagine with veggies

Kefta

Lamb with tomato and onions. This was by far the best tagine in Marrakech - tender, fall-off-the-bone meat!

Lamb tagine with prunes and almonds

Another kefta tagine, this time with olives

COUSCOUS - this is a typical Berber dish that most of you are already familiar with. Here, it is served under various kinds of meat and vegetables.

KEBABS/BROCHETAS -  The night market stands have heaping piles of kebabs that are cooked to order.

Mixed kebabs

Lamb

SIDE DISHES:

HARIRA - This is a traditional Moroccan soup filled with various vegetables and a small amount of meat. Very delicious and hearty; perfect for the winter months.

*Just to note how different the prices can get, the soup pictured above was 3 dirhams (8 dirhams = 1 dollar) and the soup pictured below was 30 dirhams. The 3 dirham one was much better in my opinion.

PASTILLA - this is a meat pie, traditionally made with pigeon meat. I was pretty close to ordering a pigeon pastilla, but decided against it. After being surrounded by some nasty pigeons in San Francisco, I just could not bring myself to eat one. I did try a chicken and almond pastilla though.

Other miscellaneous dishes:

The best sausages ever, flash grilled to order

Mixed,  fried seafood

Lentil soup - sooo good!

Chicken sandwich, "westernized" with ketchup and mayo

Croquette, eggplant and green pepper

Chili sauce

DESSERTS:

Date ice cream

Crepes with honey

Homemade pastry similar to a French macaron

MOROCCAN MINT TEA:

All meals should end with Moroccan mint tea. The mint here is very fragrant.

All in all, I had a pleasant culinary experience in Marrakech. I hope to recreate some of the dishes in my own kitchen, or find a restaurant that serves authentic Moroccan cuisine. :D

Marrakech :: A City of Hustlers and Intricate Details

Marrakech, Maroc

Wow, where to begin.

I left freezing cold Bilbao and arrived in sunny Marrakech on Thursday, October 21. This was my first time stepping foot on the African continent! I was really excited, but also wary. I read up on Marrakech and knew that the city was full of people trying to hustle you out of your money. I had to bring my street smarts and put on my best poker face.

The airport bus dropped me off at Place Djemma el Fna, which was the starting point of the rambling directions to my hostel. Place Djemma el Fna is a huge square in Marrakech's medina (old city). This square is the main hub of Marrakech and is constantly bustling with locals and tourists.

I spotted Cafe Argana, the first landmark I had to find in my quest to find my hostel. I took the street left of the cafe and right away, I met my first Moroccan hustler. He was a small, thin man with a friendly smile. He nonchalantly asked us if we needed any help getting to our hotel/hostel. And we, without giving it much thought, told him the name of the hostel we were staying at. It was only when he pulled out a stack of business cards of different hotels and hostels that I realized he was probably going to ask us for money after escorting us to our destination. I already wrote down directions AND sketched a rough map. I knew that I didn't need any help finding the hostel, but no matter how many times we said "no thanks" to the man, he was persistent. He kept "leading the way." I was fed up with this man, and on impulse, I ducked into a small side street and waited long enough for him to move on to another gullible tourist. :D

Unfortunately, my other encounters with Moroccan hustlers were not all success stories like this one. This is a city where everything, including unsolicited help, comes with a price.

Anyway, I made it to my hostel without any trouble. This hostel was amazing. I've stayed at Equity Point hostels in Madrid and in Barcelona, but the one in Marrakech was by far the most impressive. It is tucked away a little north of Place Djemaa el Fna, in a narrow and winding street. From the outside, it didn't look very impressive. But once inside, I felt like I was in a Moroccan palace. The interior design was absolutely beautiful. The rooms were furnished with dark, chocolate brown furniture, Moroccan made fixtures and accessories. There was a restaurant/bar on the top floor which led to a rooftop terrace with a panoramic view of the city. I was in love.

View from the rooftop

One of the common areas, isn't it beautiful?

My room

Rooftop lounge area

Moroccan details

With a hostel this detailed, I knew I was in for a sensory treat in Marrakech. The inner, interior design geek in me went wild as I marveled at the color schemes, patterns and the intricate details everywhere I went.