Tag Archives: Special encounters – The final post about my parents’ trip to Morocco is all about my dad – his limited travel experience, the way he embraced Morocco, learned to love it, and became a true traveler. Included is a list of subtle differences between Morocco and Canada and a sentimental ode to my parents and the six-week trip we shared.  For two weeks, fourteen members of my family and Bruno’s gathered in Taroudant, Morocco, for a family reunion. Between the delicious meals, the mix of fun and sun at the villa, and our Moroccan adventures (and misadventures), it’s safe to say our family reunion in Taroudant was an unforgettable trip.  My parents are in Morocco for Christmas, and we’ve been having a great time in Marrakech. In this second part of my story, though, things go a bit downhill. A tout in the tanneries finally makes me snap. Thankfully, however, an invite to couscous by a friendly local redeems the city in my eyes, and we head to the coastal city of Agadir for our Christmas celebration feeling positive.  Marrakech is, according to most, a tourist factory, a city that churns up and spits out tourists, and not at all representative of the rest of Morocco. But it’s also where I met up with my parents to kick-start our Christmas in Morocco! Read on for our first experienced in the medina and souqs; first bargaining experiences; visits of a few architectural sites; and our evenings in the infamous Djemaa el Fna.  A meetup on the coast of northern Spain with our two Basque overlander friends, Josu and Ana, wasn’t just a fun reunion. It also helped to illuminate some of our early experiences in Spain, including: our visit to Pamplona, the Basque festival we accidentally crashed in Durango, our overnight in the fishing village of Lekeitio, and our jaunt to Basque Country’s biggest city, Bilbao. |
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