Memories of Marrakech

April 7, 2012May 10, 2016 | Verónica

Narrow streets. Almost being run over by motorbikes. The calls to prayer.

Beautiful kaftans. Wearing a hijab. The night food market on the main square. Snake charmers.

Throngs of people. Hot mint tea. The mosaics and tile work.

The smell of the tanneries. Our rooms in the Riad. Couscous served in tajines.

Traffic jams consisting of yelling locals, confused tourists, speeding bicycles and donkey-pulled carts.

Freshly squeezed orange juice. The smells of cumin, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Being bathed in a Hammam.

photo 3 copy 4 — Koutoubia Mosque, the largest mosque in Marrakech, was completed in the 12th century.

Djemaa el-Fna, the main square in the medina (old city).

One of many streets and alleyways inside the old fortified city.

photo 1 copy 3 — Spice jars from a vendor in the souk, a traditional North African market.

photo 4 copy 2 — Nut and spice vendor on the main square.

At sunset, the Djemaa el-Fna is transformed into a giant open-air restaurant.

Fighting turtles. The first turtle sees the second one and starts walking toward it. The second one gets close enough to start snapping at the first. Must have been a domestic quarrel. After a while, both walk off together in the same direction.

The Saadian Tombs date back to the mid 1500s. Members of the Saadi Dynasty are buried inside the mausoleum.

Intricate carvings adorn the columns and ceiling of the tombs.

Outside in the garden are the graves of soldiers and servants.

photo 1 copy 5 — Inside the Museum of Marrakech housed in the Dar Menebhi Palace built at the end of the 19th century.

Workers restoring the tile work on the courtyard floor.

This door eventually leads to the Hammam inside the palace.

The Ben Youssef Madrasa was an Islamic college founded in the 14th century.

Intricate detail inside the Ben Youssef Madrasa.

Near the Museum of Marrakech is La Koubba Almoravide which dates back to the 11th century and is an example of Almoravid architecture.

Your Husband is a Berber!

April 3, 2012May 10, 2016 | Verónica

We wanted to explore Africa and chose Morocco as our first venture on the continent. We were tempted by Casablanca with romantic images of dapper men in white suits and damsels in distress but decided on a more traditional route. We spent most of our time inside the medina in Marrakech and a couple of days lost in the labyrinth of Fès.

If you go to Morocco, a must buy is a woven rug. And if you are going to buy a rug in Morocco, you must be prepared to haggle.

We meandered from rug seller to rug seller, browsing, looking, until we decided to get serious. At the first sign of actual interest, the proprietor took us upstairs to a room stacked to the ceiling with carpets. One by one, a young boy took them down and displayed them on the floor at our feet while we sipped on sweet mint tea.

We saw a few we liked and started whittling them down to our favorites. Then the negotiations began. My husband took the lead while I listened and occasionally shook my head. The starting price was outrageously high. My husband patiently explained that we knew nothing about rugs or how much work went into making each one but thought they were all quite beautiful, and that we were on a budget. He made a counter-offer. Apparently it was outrageously low because our host threw his hands in the air and described the craftsmanship that went into each one in agonizing detail.

And so the conversation continued. The proprietor gave us another price. I opened my eyes wide with shock. My husband told him we would love to buy a rug from him since he had been so patient with us but it was too far off our budget. Another counter-offer. More detailed explanations. It continued like this for some time. I had another glass of mint tea. Finally, they agreed on a price. The proprietor exclaimed that he would not want to disappoint me by sending us home without a rug. We thanked him effusively.

As my husband handed him the agreed-upon price, the proprietor turns to me and exclaims, “Your husband is a Berber!” I can only deduce that meant that (a) my husband is cheap, or (b) a very good negotiator.

This is our Moroccan rug.

Contemporary Craft in Houston

April 1, 2012April 1, 2012 | Verónica

Some time ago, I discovered the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) located in Houston’s Museum District. The HCCC focuses on arts and crafts made from clay, fiber, glass, metal, wood or found/recycled materials. In addition to a variety of exhibitions, they have an Artist Residency program. When you visit the museum, you can see that each artist has their own workspace for perfecting their craft.

When I visited the museum, the Contemporary Handweavers of Houston (CHH) was holding its Artisan Market. Occupying the large display rooms were booths of textiles, jewelry, rugs, clothing and yarn. Weavers were working on large looms and spinners with their whirring wheels were scattered around the rooms.

I had to bring this small guest towel home only because it was handwoven and embroidered by 104 year old Tilly Marchwinski. Mrs. Marchwinski was not present but it seemed that everyone there knew her. They told me that she never missed the show but was a little under the weather that day.

This next item was the perfect sunglasses case. I loved both the vibrant colors and the texture produced by the swirling pattern.

This large basket was filled with handspun, hand dyed yarns.

This hank of yarn was handspun by Peggy Barnette of Sky Loom Weavers. Fiber contents – 80% BFL Wool, 20% Silk, 2 ply.

Normally I am drawn to rich, vibrant colors but I couldn’t resist the sheen of this soft brown yarn called “Chocolate Mint.” It is a 2 ply yarn spun from 50% Alpaca, 50% Bamboo by Penny Nelson also of Sky Loom Weavers.

Follow these links to learn more about the HCCC and the CHH. According to their website, the next CHH Artisan Market will be held on September 6-8, 2012 at the HCCC.

More Reasons Why I ❤ NY

March 24, 2012May 10, 2016 | Verónica

Here are more pictures from our trip to New York City. Besides the huge skyscrapers and art deco buildings, sculptures and other architectural details caught my eye. Here is a random sampling of some of them.

Who can resist Times Square? With its energy and buzz, it's quintessential New York and a people-watching paradise.

On the 50th Street side of Radio City Music Hall, there are three large plaques that represent the main activities inside - "Dance, Drama and Song." This one is "Drama."

DSC_4271_2 — At 30 Rockefeller Plaza, directly in front of the famous ice-skating rink, is "Wisdom" (1933).

Flanking "Wisdom" are "Sound and Light" (1933). These stylized panels represent new technologies of the times - radio (sound) and television (light). This one is "Light."

"Saint Francis of Assisi with Birds" (1937) sits above a building entrance on 50th Street.

At the viewing area at the "top of the rock" you can see these large metal panels up close. I halfway expected to see the bat signal floating up in the sky over "Gotham City."

photo 2 copy 4 — This tiled panel was appropriately located at the 50th Street subway stop near the Theater District. It is part of the "Alice: The Way Out" tile work by Liliana Porter (1994).

Subway stops are labeled by colorful tile mosaics, like this one at the 116th Street-Columbia University stop.

A stone rosette adorns either side of the entrance to Low Memorial Library, a National Historic Landmark, on the Columbia University campus.

To learn more about some of the artwork, try these links: Rockefeller Center, NYC Subway Art Guide.

I ❤ NY.

I ❤ NY

March 20, 2012May 10, 2016 | Verónica

I bravely spent 5 days of Spring Break in New York City with two teenagers. We saw the typical touristy sights, but oh, what sights to see! These are some of the images I was able to capture.