Morocco Part II

During our stay in Morocco, we attended a Moroccan show/party. It was really strange, but absolutely amusing as well. The party first started with a delicious banquet, they served us all types of Moroccan dishes, some chicken, rice with vegetables and meat, and a spicy type of salsa, similar to the Mexican Pico de Gallo, but it included other vegetables, aside from tomato, chili and onions. We were enjoying our dinner while the Moroccan musicians were playing the drum and other instruments, while wearing funny looking hats, as you can see above.

 After that, the belly dancer entered the room, what would be a Moroccan party without a belly dancer?, she entertained us with some dance movements, and then she proceeded to invite a male sitting in the audience to the dance floor. Little he knew he was about to make a complete fool of himself, he was definitely the most entertaining part of the show, it was delightful to see him making a complete ridicule. The belly dancer got him half naked, put a belly dancer outfit (bra and skirt on him) and them made him dance like Shakira. Absolutely brilliant!

After that, the contortionist girls came in, an image says more than a thousand words, so see with your own eyes what these girls can do. And last but not least! we couldn't miss the amazing man that walks barefoot on the glass!! (who by the way cut himself). This show was definitely an experience impossible to forget!

Morocco Part I- Chefchaouen

The enchanting little town of Chefchaouen, Morocco, is all painted in blue. Every house and door are painted in a light turquoise blue, which for them represents God. They believe it to be important to paint the door houses in this color, because for them,  it represents the entrance of their heart, and since the blue color is the color of God, it means that God dwells within their home and hearts.
The Moroccan markets are as enchanting as their culture and people; the rich colors are abundant everywhere; with their natural pigments sold by the pound as well as their delicious spices. The women wearing their long colorful tunics sit on the ground to sell their freshly cut fruits and vegetables. If your go to Morocco you have to be prepared to bargain with the vendors, you can get a leather purse for what is equivalent to $100+ dll or $15 in dirhams, depending on how good you are at bargaining with them. That by itself is a whole art, people in this country take it as an intrinsic part of their culture and they appreciate when the other person knows how to negotiate, even though they also appreciate the dumb tourists who would over pay for the things they buy. Don't let them fool you! if you ever go to Morocco

Lisboa, Portugal

                                                              Portuguese Sardine

Portugal was without doubt one of my favorite European countries, it brought me a sense of familiarity.  Their culture and the warm friendly people, the hot burning weather and their beautiful language reminded me alot of Mexico. usually I am not a big fan of seafood, but here I had no choice, since seafood is the main thing Portuguese people eat. They eat sardines in almost anything!, one of the most popular ways is to fry them and eat them on the streets. The one you see above, was actually not as disgusting as it appears to be. I know it looks pretty creepy but it was actually really good. Trust me, this coming from a person who doesn't love seafood. 

The last picture I felt obligated to include, since it definitely was one of my main cultural experiences in this country. The Portuguese Sagres beer, was the first beer in my life that I actually loved! before that I was a very strongly passionate beer hater. There wasn't any beer that wouldn't taste like pee to me,  and I was absolutely sure that I would die hating it, and no one would ever force me to drink a glass of that hideous liquid. Well, guess what?, after one zip of these beer, I had to swallow all my words. From that exact moment on I became a beer lover, Sagres was my first love encounter with beer.

Spain!

                                                                 Cathedral of Sevilla, Spain

  

                                               Plaza Espana at night

                                                            Refreshing spanish sangria

                                                Spanish paella

                                                Burger tapa

                                                 Black Spanish Paella

                                                 Potato and cheese croquette tapas

                                                           Apple and cinnamon tapas cake

                            

Spain is definitely one of the most romantic destinations in the world, with it's beautiful architecture, sentimental music and passionate culture, is hard not to fall in love with it. The best thing about Spain is without doubt its delicious food! their famous tapas which are a smaller version of entree plates, are perfect for both a starving and not so hungry stomach. Smaller portions are good for people who are trying to take care of their weight, they can still indulge without feeling too guilty. But for the food lovers like myself, smaller portions only means paying less for more variety of food!, the good thing is that tapas places in Spain compete with each other to see who serves the biggest tapas at a lower price! Amazing huh?... which means more for less and ultimately a happy tummy.

Also what about the famous Spanish Paella, here we can see a regular version of Paella, which consists of yellow rice and a variety of seafood. we can also see a not so conventional version, which is called Black Paella or "Arroz Negre", its traditional spanish name. It comes from Catalan and Valencia, and the black color comes from the Squash ink, with which it is made. To be honest, at first I was a little hesitant on trying it, but once I did I had to admit that it was absolutely delicious. 

And last but not least, the legendary Sangria!, perfect for refreshing during the insufferable hot weathers  of the Spanish summer. Even though, in spain they usually drink a different version of sangria called "Tinto de Verano" which is red wine mixed with orangina, yes they take out the best part; the fruit. But the drink is still delicious, and absolutely addictive. they even have a commercial version of it that you can find almost in every corner store.