Sunday, September 24, 2017

The New Normal - The Middle Atlas Mountains and Ifrane


Royal Crown Sculpture, Ifrane, Morocco
Okay, I admit that the combination of American and Moroccan/Muslim holidays can make it seem like we have more time off than school days at GWA. In our own defense, we do hold school until very late in June, which adds the requisite number of learning days. Anyway,  no complaints as we found ourselves enjoying another four-day weekend. Woo-Hoo!

Mohammed VI Bridge, Bouregreg River near Rabat (finished in 2016)
The bridge at night, taken on a subsequent trip in November, 2017; it lights up in different colors
We had traveled to another part of the middle Atlas mountains last year when visiting Fes. This weekend we ventured further south into the heart of the region, where we spent most of the long weekend in tranquil Ifrane. Although Richard had taken a few junkets here with his friend, this was my first opportunity.  I was very happy to finally see this part of the Morocco, which is very different from the region where we live.


Arabic writing in white on the side of a hill on the way to Ifrane (In English: God, King, Country)
The drive from Casa to the Middle Atlas area took about four hours. The Atlas mountain range is huge and fills much of Morocco.  This expanse is the furthest north of the three Atlas Mountain chains Morocco, and has snow in the winter and is cool in the summer.   Its location is about equal distance from Meknes and Fes.


Middle Atlas Mountains
Entering the quaint town of Ifrane is like leaving Morocco and arriving in Switzerland. This planned community was built by the French administration in 1928 as a summer retreat "garden city". Rural low density housing, with single family homes, surrounded by gardens was the urban model for Ifrane.  It was conceived as a colonial type of settlement where expatriate Europeans could escape from the heat of the tropical colonies.  The goal was to create a resort in the alpine style, giving the illusion of country life. In short, Ifrane reminded vacationing displaced Europeans of home.

After Morocco became independent from France, the Moroccans moved into the city.  The small town has expanded over the years to include a mosque, public market, gated communities, condominium complexes and a university.  Many larger corporations maintain apartments for their employees to use while vacationing in Ifrane.


Deborah and Allan in front of their beautiful Ifrane home where we stayed; 
about one mile up in altitude, it was tough to breathe!


Red-roofed, alpine-style homes; view from our room

It was very pleasant experiencing the unexpected green of the "town of peace". Atlas cedar, scrub oak, and London Plane trees abound, along with many beautiful flowers and plants.  The buildings are chalet-style with red roofs, and the center of the town contains a large park with public gardens.

Stunning Arbored road of London Plane trees
Located in the town square is an old statue of a lion.  Moroccans and tourists from other countries were waiting to get their picture taken with this lion, so we figured 'why not?'  The statue was sculpted by a WWII prisoner of war whose name is not known, back when Ifrane was used as a POW camp.  Sadly, it commemorates the 1920's shooting of the last Atlas lion, now extinct.  I feel kind of guilty posing with him and looking happy about it.


Lion Sculpture; Richard and Judy
On Friday afternoon we had the opportunity to join some Moroccan friends in their home.  Here we were served an appetizer of chicken skewers, followed by an authentic Moroccan chicken couscous meal.  We finished with fruit, desserts, and Moroccan mint tea.  It probably took Saida at least 5-6 hours to prepare our feast, which we ate in their salon. What a treat to be invited into the home of this family.
Karem, Saida, Said and yummy couscous


Will there be enough?
Eat, eat, eat . . . Friday dinner was enjoyed at Le Grande Carte restaurant at the Michlifin Suites and Spa. My favorite part of this attractive hotel, built in the Tyrollean style, are the lovely views from the porch.  

Interior entranceway; slate floors, beautiful wood everywhere, leather furniture


View from the hotel balcony
Sunset view from the hotel balcony
Moroccan coat of arms in lights, introduced in 1957, with the royal crown on top
On the ribbon underneath, the Arabic inscription from the Quran is written 

If you glorify God, He will glorify you
إن تنصروا الله ينصركم‎‎
One of the many royal palaces/residences is located in Ifrane.  The King used to visit often, but has not been here for a number of years.
Royal Palace in Ifrane


View on the way from Ifrane to Azrou
I was very interested in spotting some Barbary Macaques, which are an endangered species of monkey.  Right now there is plenty of food in the woods, so they didn't come into the neighborhood while we were there. So, we drove and saw them enjoying their natural habitat in the Ifrane National Park, Cedre Gouraud Forest, in Azrou.  The forest is named for Henri Gouraud, a French general. Spending time in the forest of the national park was quite pleasant. Huge, Atlas cedar trees and wonderful greenery abounds, and there are monkeys!


The Barbary Macaques are wild, but some have become used to humans, and are plentiful in this area.  We got to see many of them jumping around in the trees, and coming right up to us.  One-quarter of the world's population of these animals live in this area. However, when they do venture into the town they can be somewhat destructive, climbing on the roofs of houses and breaking the tiles.  









Of interest is a 900-year-old Atlas cedar tree called "Le Cedre Gouraud." This tree unfortunately died in 2003, but still remains standing.  How mind-blowing to stand near a tree that was alive the year the earliest use of the compass was recorded and well before the United States was even born!

900-year-old Atlas cedar tree called "Le Cedre Gouraud."
Global liberal arts college Al Akhawayn University, is located in Ifrane.  The college was established in 1995, and classes are taught in English on this residential campus. Interesting fact: This university was funded by Saudi Arabia's King Fahd. The money was originally meant to clean up an oil spill off the coast of Morocco. However, the spill ended up being washed out to sea, hence the money was available to start the university.  The name Al Akhawayn  means 'two brothers' and refers to the two kings.  We had an opportunity to have dinner with some faculty from the university, as well as some other local Americans at the home of our hosts.

Al Akhawayn University, photo clearly not taken by me!

We passed large fields of onions both traveling to and from Ifrane. They were growing about 15 miles outside of town and are stored in a very practical way. Moroccan farmers build "onion caves" . . . First they dig a ditch and then add rock walls, and finally they cover the onions with plastic.  This is a lot cheaper than building warehouses and it keeps the onions in excellent condition. 

Onions being stored all along the roadside in "Onion caves"


Onions being stored all along the roadside, workers nearby


It was fun to to experience this popular Moroccan vacation spot and to learn a bit about the history of this place.  Ifrane is a lovely respite from city life and a great place to relax and just breathe.

What are you looking at?  (Painting on the wall in the house of our friends.)


Addendum:  We got to spend a few days over Thanksgiving Break, 2017 in Ifrane.  Ifrane is really beautiful in the fall!











One of the two mosques in Ifrane


Monday, September 4, 2017

The New Normal - The start of year two overseas, Eid weekend in Madrid, Spain






Here we are, year two in Morocco.  Following four work days and three days with students at GWA, the second of two annual Eid holidays of the year arrived. Amid the "baas" of stereo sheep, we left the city and drove to the airport.  Since we had purchased our own car at the end of May, there was no need to call on Hamada - - we felt like adults actually driving ourselves! Anyway, despite the holiday, Mohammed V was surprisingly-not-crowded, and so began our first official trip of the school year, Madrid, Spain.  


Our hotel, the Barcelo Torre de Madrid, is located in the center of Spain's capitol on the Plaza de Espana.  The Plaza across the street from the hotel, is a green park with two beautiful fountains.  


Famous Spanish designer Jaime Hayon designed the hotel, which was converted from the iconic building of the same name.  The nine-floor structure used to be considered the tallest concrete building in the world. It's truly a first class facility, with a crystal clear spa pool, rooftop sunbathing area and newly-renovated 258 rooms.  Most importantly it is located in the center of the city with fast access to the palace, Gran Via and other sties.  We enjoyed staying there and highly recommend it. 



I love the look of European water bottles!



The Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real in Spanish) is a 10-minute walk from the hotel.  The Royal Palace is probably the most famous of the twelve in the city. We arrived there on our first morning in Madrid just before the 10AM opening. We walked by just as the changing of the guard began, with fife and drums, horses and rifles. 

Palace guards


Palace Guards


Palacio Real, Royal Palace of Madrid


Richard, guarding the palace
While the palace is currently not the official residence of the King of Spain, state ceremonies and other state functions do take place there.  The current monarch, Felipe VI, actually lives in the Zarauela Palace outside of the city.

The palace has Muslim origins like many we have visited in various countries. The Muslim Kingdom of Toledo built a defense on the site in the 9th century, which was later used by the Kings of Castile (forerunners of the modern Spanish monarchs).  In the 16th Century, the Alcázar Castle was constructed there. Alcázar was subsequently destroyed in a fire in 1734, and then King Felipe V decided to build a palace on the site.  


Italian designer Filippo Juvara designed the 1,450,000 square foot grand palace, the largest in Europe.  It is similar in style to France's Versailles, which we saw last year. Vaulted stone and brick were used in construction, rather than wood, so the structure could never be destroyed by fire.  Construction years were 1738-1755, and the first king to establish residence there was Carlos (Charles) III, in 1764. It seems like Carlos the III is the man-about-town in Madrid!


One of the inner courtyards, pic taken from inside the palace




Vaulted Stone
We entered the palace from the Plaza de Armas courtyard. The interior of the palace is lovely, with walls made of Spanish marble and stucco, and mahogany windows and doors.  We got to see many important works of arts, including paintings and frescoes.  

Photos were not allowed in many of the rooms, but we were allowed to take pictures as we ascended the grand staircase. The staircase itself is made of a single piece of San Agustin marble (how is that possible?).  The fresco above the stairs was created by Corrado Giaguinto and represents Religion Protected by Spain.




Awesome frescos, ornately decorated ceilings




Carlos III enjoying time with Richard, Statue imitation
The palace also has a lovely interior courtyard, from which the Almudena Cathedral can be seen. 

Almudena Cathedra
Located on the grounds of the palace is Royal Armory of Madrid. Here we saw personal items from many of the Kings of Spain, military works of art including lovely tapestries, and of course, weapons from both the past and present.  There were many suits of armor, life-sized model horses with knights in their saddles, swords, cross-bows and all manner of guns.  The building reminded me of a horse arena with a modern-looking ached roof.


Royal Armory


Royal Armory
There was also a temporary art exhibition housed at the palace while we were there.  It is called Carlos III Majesty and Ornament in the Environment of the Enlightened King (now that's a mouthful!).  Carlos III was an art lover, and we got to see paintings, sculptures, and tapestries produced during his reign as King on display.  I particularly enjoyed examining two smaller paintings, both by Pietro Fabris.  They are called "Departure of Charles III of Bourbon for Spain", 1759, and are folklike in nature.  I loved looking closely at the detail and observing the action. The two works were created from different perspectives, which added to my interest.

Pietro Fabris Painting

Close-up detail

Close-up detail

Another perspective


Close-up detail
Close-up detail


Tapestry on display; how long would it take to make this by hand?

Carlos's extravagant tapestry bed


View of Madrid from the Castle

After dinner, we strolled around and got an evening perspective of the area near our hotel.  The fountains all lit up looked even more beautiful at night. 




We spent most of Sunday, our second and last full day, on a hop-on/off type bus tour. We got to see a lot of the city this way. It was very pleasant sitting up high, listening through earphones, and learning about Madrid.  I am particularly fond of the many fountains, statues, and interesting architecture we saw along the way.  Here are some pictures from the tour.



Seen on a storefront . . .




The Gran Via (the big road) runs straight through the city centre.  It is an upscale shopping street, with theatres and restaurants.  AKA Spanish Broadway, there are musicals and other shows playing, all in Spanish . . . 
















Beautiful fountains are found throughout the city . . . 















I'm really not sure how they did this!  It looks like plants and small bushes growing on the side of a building.  The second picture is a close up . . .




Home stadium for the Real Madrid soccer team . . .





This small stone slab marks the geographical center of Spain and is the point from which all distances are measured in this country. Specifically, it's the starting point for measuring the distances of the country’s six national roads, A-1 to A-6. If you look carefully at the center, you can see the map of the six roads radiating out. The  Origen de Las Carreteras Radiales or Kilometer Zero.   . . .
  



Yes, the man below is real and balancing on his arm (Richard thinks he has some sort of frame under his costume) . . .




Richard meets Mr. Bean/Rowan Atkinson . . .


There are six gates into the city of Madrid.  La Puerta de Alcalá gate is a granite monument built in the neoclassical style.  This gate is older than the similar Arc de Triomphe that we saw in Paris, and is also a triumphal arch.  It was designed by Italian architect Francesco Sabatini and erected to celebrate the arrival of Carlos III to Madrid.  Madrid really is all about this King! . . .


The Museo del Jabon, the museum of ham; it's just a restaurant chain, but you'd never find this in Morocco :-) . . .




Madrid has more high speed rail connections to other countries than any other.  Here is Madrid's Atocha railway station . . .


Teatro Real Opera House . . .



Moroccan Embassy in Madrid . . .


Palacio de Cibeles or Madrid's City Hall; yes, that really says "Refugees Welcome" on a banner! . . .




Spain's flag . . .



Our last evening was spent strolling around the castle area, eating Paella, listening to street harp musicians, and watching the sunset behind the castle.  Below are some images we captured.

The last remaining parts of the Madrid fence of 1567.  The fence established the limits of the town during the reign of Phillip II . . .




Plaza de Oriente, Statues of old Spanish kings . . .




Camouflage tree and matching statue . . .







Richard and Don Quixote . . .




Sharing a delicious pan of paella for dinner . . .




Watching the sunset behind the palace . . .







A great first trip of the school year behind us already.  We can't wait for the next adventure!