Month: January 2019

Hola from Madrid, Spain!

Unfortunately, our journey is coming to a close. We took a plane from Casablanca, Morocco to Madrid, Spain on Saturday. We were able to relax a bit, went to dinner, and received the prompt for our last assignment of the class! We even got to go out on Saturday night, which was really fun! Sunday morning, we had a great tour of the city, where we visited the old royal castle and gardens, several parks, and other notable Madrid landmarks, like Puerta del Sol, a popular plaza.

We walked by the cathedral as the bells were ringing, which was an amazing experience and so unlike anything I’ve heard before. The sounds I’ve experienced on this course are so different from the US, from the call to prayer, to the ring of giant, hundreds of years old cathedral bells. I feel really lucky to have gotten to be in Spain and Morocco and get a feel, firsthand, for what it is like to be and have been in these spaces, throughout history. 

I was able to visit a notable local pastry shop and a market after the tour for lunch. I enjoyed my last jamon y queso bocadillo (sandwich) and a famous Madrid pastry, Napolitana Chocolate, which is basically just flaky bread filled with chocolate, but so much better, because I’m in Spain! I enjoyed just wandering around Madrid, and I loved visiting the market and bakery! 

After lunch, I went to visit el Museo del Prado, or the Prado Musuem. I showed my Linfield student ID card, hoping for a small discount off of the 15 euro price, and I ended up getting in completely for free, which was a great surprise! The museum was HUGE, so I had to pick and choose what I saw, because there’s no way I could see it all, even with a whole day at the museum! I visited some of the 17th century Spanish paintings, and I was able to see some of El Greco’s work. These pieces were meaningful because we visited Toledo when we first arrived in Spain, and saw some of his other works, as he lived in Toledo at the end of his life. I love that the museum allows you to get very close to the art, because it is so interesting to see the brush strokes up close, and then step back and see the full effect! I also visited one of the sculpture galleries and a special collection of royal dishes and vessels carved from precious metals and stones. I’m so glad I happened to be at the museum while that collection was on display, because it was astounding! A lot of parts from the dishes have gone missing over the years, most of which disappeared during the French takeover of Spain, but I can only imagine how amazing these pieces were when first created. 

As this adventure of a course comes to a close, I can’t help but reflect on what a wonderful experience it was. My anxiety was incredibly high before leaving, as I worried I would forget something, show up  for my flight at the wrong time, or for some reason, not be able to make it through the high pressure of the month. However, at the end, I realize that a lot of this anxiety was unnecessary, and the growth that I experienced from being uncomfortable was priceless. It is uncomfortable to be unfamiliar, but that is the way that we learn and grow as people. 

I am also very thankful for the opportunity to interact with so many local Spaniards and Moroccans. Through CIEE, we were able to have several meetings with students, as well as lectures from local professors. These experiences were so valuable, and gave me a chance to see the countries through the eyes of someone living their everyday life in them. I am so thankful for these people who answered every question, helped us to think critically, and were brutally honest about their home. 

Overall, the biggest lesson that I will take from my experience in Spain and Morocco is patience. This means a lot of things, from slowing down to enjoy a meal with friends, to taking extra time and energy to help someone who is struggling with a foreign language. I notice that in the United States, we seem to be very sped up, and our entire lives revolve around getting things done quickly. We utilize anything that advertises as “quick” or “fast” from fast food to quick car service. I noticed that when life seemed to slow down, there was time to talk with other people and learn about their lives, there was time to enjoy food, there was time to appreciate sights and sounds. In addition to patience for a “slowed down life”, the patience that others had for us, as Americans, was so meaningful. In Spain, I made an effort to use Spanish, but I am clearly not a native speaker. Despite this, each person that I tried to speak to was kind, patient, and willing to repeat themselves or define a word in English if I wasn’t sure of what it meant in Spanish. They were also so willing to use English if it made us more comfortable, and to see someone put a stranger’s comfort over their own was impactful. In Morocco, I knew only a few words of Arabic, and I tried to use them. I made an effort to say “hello” and “thank you” in Arabic, and every time I did, I was met with smiles, and sometimes even a little pronunciation help. In my homestay, my host mother only spoke French and Arabic—I speak neither of these languages—but she was patient and kind while I struggled with basic Arabic and used Google Translate to try to talk to her. At no point did she make me feel bad or belittle me for trying. This patience made me feel more comfortable and at home, despite being so out of my element. The kindness and patience that I was shown by my host family will forever stay with me. I hope that I can incorporate more of the patience that I experienced in Spain and Morocco into my life. 

I am so lucky to have gotten to study abroad in Spain and Morocco for the past month. I had such an amazing learning experience, studying the history of civilizations and power in these two countries. This knowledge that I’ve acquired will forever change how I view European history, and just adds to the wonderful education that I am receiving at Linfield. Thank you so much to the International Programs Office for making this possible and for allowing me to share my experience through this blog! 

Thanks for following along with my journey!

Salam from Meknès, Morocco! 

The last few days have been absolutely packed! We traveled from Chefchaouen to Meknès, which took about four hours. On the way we stopped in Moulay Idriss, a holy Muslim city, and Volubilis, a Roman city site. We took a day trip to Fes, and then spent a day in Meknès. These city spaces have been able to communicate a deeper understanding of what is at the core of Moroccan identity. The city space has a purpose and a specific function. For Islam, the city is the center, it is the most important space. These four cities shared that idea in a deeper way than the previous cities, and allowed me to see deeper into the core of Moroccan identity. Moroccan identity is fluid, complex, and ever-changing, and it is not possible for me to describe an identity of a group of people that I am not of, however, these city spaces reflect that complexity and interconnectedness of the Moroccan identity. 

Moulay Idriss is a holy city for Muslim people, and many make pilgrimages there every year. We are incredibly lucky, because it only became available for non-Muslims to visit a few years ago. The city was founded by a man named Moulay Idriss, who came to the area to escape being certain death. He was a member of the Umayyad dynasty, just like Abd al-Rahman—remember, the man who escaped Syria to Córdoba, Spain, and then began the building of the great mosque! Moulay Idriss wanted to establish his legitimacy as a religious ruler, and so he built his own city near the Roman site of Volubilis, overlooking the ancient site. He wanted to build an even bigger city, but it ended up being his son, Moulay Idriss II, who completed this ambitious project with the construction of Fes. 

After visiting Moulay Idriss, we drove about 15 minutes to Volubilis, an ancient Roman city. Volubilis is an active archaeological site, with roots dating back to the Phoenicians. Volubilis was damaged in the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, but archaeologists have been working to restore the site for educational purposes. Sketches were made of the structure of Volubilis prior to the earthquake, so archaeologists are able to work from those to restore parts of the city. The site is expansive, and features several extremely large houses that reveal the wealth and status of some of the Roman families that lived in Volubilis. The site was chosen by the Romans for the fertile land, as they needed to produce more olive oil and wheat to sustain their large empire. After the Roman Empire collapsed, some Romans stayed at the site, and it also began to be inhabited by indigenous Amazigh people. Eventually, Moulay Idriss arrived to the area, bringing Islam with him. He founded the new city of Moulay Idriss, overlooking the old city of Volubilis. 

We also took a day trip to Fes, the cultural and spiritual capital of Morocco. Moulay Idriss wanted to build a bigger city, but he was poisoned and died before he could, as he was a member of the Umayyad dynasty that escaped Damascus. Those who had killed the rest of his family finally caught up with him in Morocco. His son, Moulay Idriss II, ended up building the city of Fes, as his father had dreamed of. The Almohad dynasty of Morocco moved the capital to Fes much later in history, and much effort was made to further the city at this time. The city features many Quaranic schools, mosques, and intellectual establishments. The city also features the oldest university in the Muslim world, Al-Quarrayywine University, founded by a pious woman. We had a great lecture from a local professor, who shared the history of Morocco and the Amazigh people with us, as well as discussing current Arab-Amazigh relationships.

We visited a ceramic workshop, where they produced all kinds of beautiful ceramic vessels, as well as mosaics. It was fascinating to watch, as all of the workers had a speciality in the process, and everyone was instrumental to creating the artwork.

We also got to visit a leather tannery! Fes is famous for its leather, and rightly so. The tannery smelled so bad from all of the vats filled with limestone and pigeon droppings (for the ammonia). The tannery workers gave us mint leaves to put under our noses so we didn’t have to smell the leather making process! It was really interesting to see, and I had no idea that making leather smelled so awful.

Fes was considered a sister city to Córdoba during the height of Islamic rule in the Iberian Peninsula, and many scholars traveled between the two cities. I am glad we got to visit both of these important historic cities and trace the Islamic influence between them. 

We also got to spend a day exploring Meknès! We visited the royal granary, built by King Moulay Ismail. He was a bit paranoid about a siege against the city happening, so he built notoriously thick and solid walls on all of his structures. The royal granary was filled with grain taxed from the subjects of the kingdom. The royal granary was connected to the royal stables. Legend says Moulay Ismail spent many years of his rule on horseback, moving from place to place, as he felt unsafe and a target. After the royal granary, we visited a few local workshops, one for traditional Amazigh textiles and one for silver and other metal work. We got a chance to walk around the médina souk, or market, which has a more open design than other Moroccan médinas, making it unique. The médina was very busy, and full of people and animals! There was a man with snakes, who I stayed far away from, and another woman with an ostrich and monkeys. 

Visiting these cities helped me to get a better look at Moroccan identity, and how the city space plays such an important role in Moroccan culture. I am so thankful for the opportunity to experience so many different cities in Morocco! Tomorrow, we will be traveling to Rabat, Morocco, where we will be moving in with our host families! 

Shukraan (thank you) for following along with my journey through Morocco! 

Emmaline

Salam from Chefchaouen, Morocco!

We left Spain a few days ago and headed to Morocco via a ferry! It took about an hour, and it was a beautiful and easy ride. There are only about 9 miles between the two countries across the Strait of Gibraltar, so standing on the shore of one country, you can see the other.

We arrived in Tangier and took a bus to Tétouan, where we stayed for a few days. We visited the both the Tétouan and the Tangier médinas while here. Visiting the médina of each of these cities helped us to better understand the connections between Andalusian Spain and Morocco.  The city space is an incredibly important place in Islam, as life happens in the city: learning, trading, sharing, growing. 

In Tétouan, we visited our first Moroccan médina! Tour guides must be sanctioned by the government of Morocco, and we also had to have an undercover police officer follow our tour group. This was an interesting experience to have, as it was a huge difference from the United States. The médina was very crowded and there were people selling everything from fruits and vegetables, to live chickens and goats, to beauty products and clothing. There were also lots of cats everywhere, as Islamic law prevents animals from being spayed or neutered. The cats just hang out and enjoy scraps of food in the médina, so it’s a pretty good place to be a cat. The médina has small, winding streets, and the Tétouan médina features a “code” of sorts on the ground. If there are three rows of bricks in the center, the road will lead to a gate. Nevertheless, this was one of the most confusing médinas to navigate so I stuck close to the guide. 

When the Catholic monarchs took Granada in 1492, they changed the religious and cultural climate of the Iberian peninsula even further. In the years that followed, Muslims and Jewish people were expelled from Spain, or forced to convert. Most of them came to Morocco, and settled in cities like Tétouan, meaning their mark is left on the médina. There are some traditional Andalusian homes in the médina of Tétouan, which show the heritage of the people who came to the city.

We also visited the Tangier médina, which was a much different experience! It was much less crowded than the Tétouan médina, and if it had a “code” or map on the ground, it was not easily understood! Tangier is an international city, so it is much different from other Moroccan cities. The Tangier médina features influence from many cultures, not just Islamic and Andalusian that is more typical of Morocco. One great example of this is American presence in Tangier. We visited the American Legation building, which has stood in the Tangier médina for many years. This building is now a museum, filled with art from artists all over the world who found themselves in Tangier at some point in time. I enjoyed the art in the museum, and we were back on American soil for an hour! 

After leaving Tangier, we made two stops: one at the Northwesternmost point of Africa, and one at the Hercules Caves. These were interesting and fun sites to see, especially since we were so close! Legend has it that Hercules himself made the cutout of Africa in the cave wall, you decide if it was him or the waves! Either way, the cutout does have a strong resemblance to the continent!

Now that we are in Chefchaouen, the city space is very different. We traveled about 2 hours into the Rif Mountains to reach the city. Chefchaouen means “look at the two mountain peaks,” which are absolutely striking on the skyline.

The médina of Chefchaouen has been painted completely blue, which is beautiful and recognizable, but also communicates the city space’s history. Many Jewish people lived in Chefchaouen, many of them who were in the city prior to the expulsion from the Iberian Peninsula. Jewish people used to paint a thin blue line around their windows to protect against evil spirits. However, in 1994, Chefchaouen realized that tourists liked the blue so much, that they decided to paint the entire city blue. So, as beautiful as the blue is, it’s not entirely historically accurate, and is a bit of a tourist draw. Nevertheless, I found it beautiful!

The city space of Chefchaouen represents a growing tourist industry in Morocco, as well as an important history of coexistence. The médina has the same winding plan as others, and Chefchaouen features a beautiful kasbah, or royal fortress, like other médinas. Despite the position in the mountains, the Islamic city design did not miss Chefchaouen. 

I have enjoyed visiting these first three Moroccan cities on this journey! Morocco is a beautiful place that is so unlike anywhere I have ever been before. The mountains are stunning, the cities are full of learning opportunities, and I am trying to take it all in. I feel really thankful that I am able to experience this incredible country! 

Shukraan (thank you) for following along on my adventure! 

Salam from Rabat, Morocco! 

Tonight is our last night at our homestay, which is bittersweet! Our host mom, Leyla, has been so incredibly kind and welcoming to us. We were split into pairs and divided among several homes. We have been fortunate enough to spend three nights at our homestay, which is not even close to enough time to integrate into and understand the Moroccan home, but for the length of this course, this time was so precious and important! We had three host siblings, a 22 year old boy in university, a 20 year old girl, and a 14 year old boy. Of course, I also can’t forget, our host cat, Queen! Queen was a beautiful white cat with one blue eye and one brown eye! Our host sister, Imman, took us out on the first night to walk through the médina and explore. I was amazed at how well she was able to navigate her way through the complicated street layout of the médina, but she told us that she has lived in the médina her entire life, and still gets lost sometimes!

Our host mom made us full breakfasts with different types of bread, cheese, jam, tea and coffee, and olives. She also served us a full spread for tea, which is between 4:00 and 7:30 every afternoon. By the time I’ve had tea, it feels like a late dinner for me, and I’m full, but dinner always comes even later, around 9:30 in the evening! We had delicious chicken tagine one night, soup and potatoes another night, and then spaghetti with chicken! Moroccan families share one big plate, and eat off of it with bread, forks, or just their fingers. It’s a great strategy to have less dirty dishes!  Each night, we would watch TV, usually American movies in English, with Arabic subtitles, and our host siblings and mom would use their phones, which felt very much like home. It was casual, comfortable, and normal! The TV is also always on in Moroccan homes, but it’s not as distracting as you might think! It’s more like background white noise. 

On our second night in Rabat, we went to a hammam, or public bath. It was an experience we were told was a necessity on a visit to Morocco! It was a very interesting experience, and a great normalization of all types of human bodies. This isn’t something that I usually experience in the United States. I was very nervous, but at the end, I don’t regret going, and I’m so glad to have gotten to experience this aspect of Moroccan culture—and my skin is really, really soft! 

In Rabat, we visited some local sites that are must sees! We visited Chellah, Roman ruins in Rabat. The ruins have public bathhouses, which tell an interesting story of a transfer of culture: the Islamic people were inspired by Roman bathhouses, and now, bathhouses are an important part of Islamic culture. The ruins also have mosques, built during Islamic occupation of the site.

We also visited Hassan II, a royal mausoleum where the late King Hassan II, and his father, the also late King Mohammad V, are buried. There is also the remains of a mosque that was started by the Almohad dynasty in Morocco, but was never finished. 

On our final day, we presented our final takeaways from the course, which was a really valuable exercise, and I have seen a lot of growth in myself, as well as my classmates.

We finished the day with a visit to a beautiful beach, where we were just across the Atlantic from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina! I found a lot of beautiful sea glass, which we were allowed to take with us as a souvenir.

We ended the day with some shopping in the médina! I bought spices, which I am really excited to use, as I love to cook. I also got a few gifts for my siblings. I enjoyed experiencing the médina with local students, because they were able to make the situation a lot less confusing! It is hard to not be able to speak the language of a country, which makes me remember the privilege I have as an English speaker in the United States! The patience that Moroccans have with all of us reminds me how important it is to take an example from their patience and enact it in my own life. I am looking forward to the “language comfort” I have in Spain, where I am able to communicate in Spanish. 

Morocco has been an amazing experience, and I feel so lucky to have been able to spend so much time in this country, and even get to stay with a host family! I have absolutely loved being here. Unfortunately, I have been feeling a bit sick these past few days, I think from the odd eating schedule (for me!) and insane volume of food at Moroccan meals, but I was able to use Google Translate tonight to communicate with my host mom that I wasn’t feeling good. This reminded me of the importance of advocating for yourself, even if it’s difficult, or you need a little bit of technological help! I am so appreciative of how kind my host mom has been to me to help me to feel comfortable and better! 

Shukraan (thank you) for traveling along with me through Morocco! Now, back to Spain!

Emmaline

Hola from Granada, Spain!

We have had a busy few days! We took a day trip to Sevilla from Córdoba, where we saw the Real Alcazar, or Royal Palace, modeled after Granada’s Alhambra. I loved visiting Sevilla and seeing the Real Alcazar was a great preview to the Alhambra’s power and influence.

We arrived in Granada 3 days ago, and we have been moving around like crazy! On our first day, we climbed a giant hill to Plaza San Nicolas, where we were able to hear some live music and get a great view of the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada mountain range behind it. The mountains surrounding Granada were part of the reason that it was so isolated and able to survive as the last Muslim Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula until 1492.

On the second day, we visited the Capilla Real, or Royal Chapel, which is next to the Catedral de Granada. The Capilla Real is where Ferdinand and Isabelle, the Catholic Monarchs who captured Granada are buried. Originally, they wanted to be buried in Sevilla, but after conquering Granada, they decided to move their burial site. The chapel was not even close to completion at the time of their deaths, so they were buried at the Alhambra until the chapel was finished by Carlos, their grandson, who inherited the throne. Juana, the third daughter of the Catholic Monarchs, and her husband Felipe, Carlos’ parents, are also buried in the chapel, along with another grandson of the Monarchs, Miguel, who died when he was three years old. Photos were not allowed in the chapel, but it was incredibly beautiful. 

Later in the day, we got to visit the Alhambra! I was so excited to visit, and this site did not let me down! The Alhambra was originally a military fortress that dates back to the 1100s, and this military district of the Alhambra is still standing today. The Nasrid family established their dynasty in Granada after making a deal with Christian rulers: they would help the Christians take Córdoba from the Almohad Muslims, but the Nasrids would get the Kingdom of Granada as a protected area. The Nasrids were Muslim, but did not like the control of the Almohads. The Kingdom of Granada lasted from the 1200s to 1492, when the Catholic Monarch conquered it. They were in an isolated, defensive position, and also paid a tax to the king in order to maintain their protected status. In the end, Granada was weakened as Christian troops closed in. Isabelle felt that she needed to justify her power, and a military victory, especially one over the Muslims, would do just that. Granada also became unable to pay their tax, as it was paid in gold, and they traded silk into Africa for gold, and the silk industry had crashed. 

The Alhambra’s construction began in the 1200s and was not completed until several generations later. The splendor of the Alhambra proves that the process was necessary and worth it. The decoration in the Alhambra can be described as “mural poetry.” In Arabic architecture and art, there are three main elements: writing, plant symbols, and geometric designs. The Alhambra features all of these, but writing is especially important. The motto of the Nasrid family is written everywhere in the Alhambra, roughly translated to “There is no victor but God.” I got really good at recognizing this phrase!

When the Catholic Monarchs captured Granada, the only thing they changed about the Alhambra complex was the building of a cathedral over the Alhama (main) mosque. Later, Carlos built (and did not complete) a palace at the site, after he spent 6 months there on his honeymoon and liked it so much he wanted a palace. This was just one of many projects that Carlos started and did not complete. Carlos was the fifth Holy Roman Emperor, and the first Carlos to rule Spain, so he is seen depicted as both Carlos I and Charles V. I can assure you that this is incredibly confusing to all of us trying to figure out and memorize the history. He wanted to reproduce what Augustus was able to do at the beginning of the Common Era, when he ushered in the Pax Romana, however, Carlos spent a lot of time fighting while he was in power, so he didn’t quite achieve his goal.  

The Catholics did not alter the Alhambra, despite it being very distinctly Muslim, and of their enemies. Arabic art and architecture had been in style for many years, and it still was. The Catholic Monarchs realized the luxury and style that the Alhambra offered, and despite having Arabic writing all over it, they did not change this. The Catholics wanted to unite society under one religion to create more legitimacy as rulers and have a stronger bond of loyalty with their citizens. However, the Arabic style of the Alhambra was also the ultimate prize of capturing the last Muslim Kingdom. At the time, the line between Christianity and Islam was not as clear as it is today. The Catholics saw the motto of the Nasrids and simply translated “Allah” to “God.” This is much different than the attitudes of today, so it can be a little difficult to wrap our minds around! 

Islamic religious art cannot contain iconography, so we rarely see any sort of images of people or animals in these structures. However, in the Alhambra, the Muslim king had three paintings made that clearly show iconography. These paintings are in his personal space, so the iconography is allowed. They look like Christian paintings, but the people are Islamic. These paintings are great examples of how Christian culture permeated Islamic culture. We know that the Christians loved Islamic art and architecture, but the influences went both ways. 

After touring the Alhambra, we visited the Generalife, or Almounya country house. This house was located a bit above the Alhambra on the mountain, and it was a summer retreat for the King. It had gardens and fruit orchards, as well as easy access to the mountain to go hunting. This structure also had a great view of the Alhambra, and was beautiful in its own right! 

I have really enjoyed visiting all of these important historical sites in Granada. This is our last city in Spain before we travel to Morocco! I am excited to continue our journey as we learn more about the connected history of these two countries. 

Thank you for following along!