Back to Work

After returning from Paris it was back to work with a Regional Conference to present at in Tiznit, a town not too far from Agadir. 

View of the town center from the hotel...

We brought a group of fabulous students and even had a couple beach trips.

I had a major migraine but the RELO was visiting for this conference (my boss) and wanted to see this special beach that was just on the coast out of town. I couldn't pass up an opportunity for a lift to this beach so I toughed it out and I'm so glad I did.  Mirleft is a surfing destination and has dramatic cloud vistas and empty (by most comparisons) beaches.

Instead of getting one of those expensive REI wind guards for protection while beaching or camping, I'm taking another play from the Moroccan DIY handbook. They take a beach umbrella and clothespin sheets, blankets, plastic advertisement banners, whatever, and create a little beach shelter!

A fellow Moroccan conference attendee and I climbed this cliff...looking down I had one of those 'easier to get up than down' feelings, but it all worked out.

We reached the summit!

Brad, and Abdellatif, the RELO assistant who I had to document because he is ALWAYS coordinating something on the phone!

We stopped at this surfer's oasis. Great little rooms, a restaurant, and nothing but ocean as far as the eye can see...

Ahhhh....

An Election Year

With the American Election still fresh in our hearts I remembered to post another experience in Paris...Ryan really wanted to see a temporary Ai Wei Wei exhibit near la Place de la Concorde. When we tried to get into the museum it was blocked off by police. This interruption to our tourist revelry was due to an impending Sarkozy rally.  Our friends said it was intentional to hold this final rally of his campaign in Place de la Concorde because this is the place where historically a number of beheadings took place. Well we know now that his strategy failed, but it was culturally interesting to observe the attendees and record some of the goings-on with our digital recorder! 

I Love Paris...and Paris Likes Me Okay

April in Paris...turned out to be a lot of rain and gray which was a welcome change from the constant 70-degree sunshine we live under in Morocco.  We got a lot of 'western time' taking in all the sights of bars and public affection between men and women. Below are the moments I remembered to document.

If you are ever in Paris, you can skip the Eiffel Tower lines and take in another great view for free from the top terrace/cafe of L'institut du monde arabe.  Beautiful architecture, Arab writers a plenty in the bookstore and rotating exhibits. The rooftop would be perfect on a sunny day. We enjoyed a falafel and hummus lunch in the restaurant.

The Paris Marathon. I cheer runners along with the French 'Allez-allez-allez!'

We got to meet up with an old graduate school friend of Ry's. Ms. Katy has not one, but TWO books about Henry Miller, not only published, but on display at Shakespeare and Co.  She teaches at a few institutions in Paris.

In our quest to eat anything but Moroccan food we researched and sought out this Indian food place.  After walking past it 3 times due to poor signage, we noticed a small line out the door and realized this was our location.  It was worth the wait to dive into these Thalis!

Because of the rainy weather and the lack of museum opportunities where we usually live, we decided to take on the Louvre.  Here is a picture of all the people looking at the Mona Lisa.

There was a Tim Burton retrospective we really wanted to see that had a lot of his sketches and early ideas. Upon arrival the line was really long and tickets were sold out...those people ALREADY HAD tickets?!  We sought refuge in a cafe for a new plan and some hot beverages.

On another day we met up with Katy at her tiny round apartment. The story is that a certain scene in Last Tango in Paris was filmed here.  Her apartment is an old maid's quarters and the round tower in the picture below is the same building, but a view of the second tower.  It was great fun catching up with Katy and experiencing her very American In Paris apartment. A little table that doubles as a counter surface held our snacks and we rolled office chairs away from the desks to complete our dining room experience.  What it lacks in space it makes up for in the view. Katy said at night the lights from the tourist boats on the Seine move across the room like little stars.

With the blue sky returning to Paris we knew it was time to head back south and return to la vie quotidienne!