Day 31: Chocolate for breakfast

Day 31: Chocolate

Breakfast is the smallest meal of the day in Spain. The typical breakfast is a cup of coffee and a roll. Tourists are encouraged to eat hot chocolate and churros. Churros are long pieces of fried dough; they are dipped into the hot chocolate. It is similar to eating a chocolate covered doughnut for breakfast, but the chocolate is really good and comes on the side. While I rarely eat doughnuts at home, I happily consumed churros with hot chocolate for breakfast in Spain. One adjustment to being home is not drinking chocolate every day.  I loved the thickness of Spanish hot chocolate. It reminded me of the fancy hot chocolate served in places such as San Francisco's  Dandelion or New York City's Jacques Torres. It is amazing.

After breakfast in Granada, I watched bullfighting in Madrid

What is your typical breakfast at home? How does it change when you vacation?

Day 30: Plan Nothing, Enjoy Everything

Day 30

Granada was the least planned portion of my vacation and it was my favorite part. I decided to visit Granada when I was in Madrid. Booking only a hostel, I arrived in Granada with a hope of seeing the Alhambra, a beautiful Islamic palace with a fortress and gardens. General admission tickets and the more expensive guided tours were sold out online. A select number of tickets are held for sale every day. When a hostel mate said they planned to wake up at 5:30am to stand in line for tickets, I asked to join.

Four of us left the hostel at 6:15am and lined up at 6:45am to wait for the box office to open at 8am.  Seeing the entire Alhambra takes about four hours. I love symmetry so I loved the palace. It was the Islamic artitecture I had hoped to see but did not see during my Morocco tour. The details are amazing and everything is beautiful. I was so happy to have people to share the experience.

Although traveling solo has its advantages, I like sharing experiences with people. Being spontaneous allowed me to do so. If I had been able to purchase tickets before Granada, I would have gone alone. Instead, I met people at the hostel and we spent the entire day together.

After lunch we walked along the water and up to the caves where gypsies live.  The path is hilly, gravely, and not apparent. I would not have done or found that walk on my own. The view at the top was amazing. MJ pointed out graffiti that stated "el mundo todos a los pies", the world is at our feet. The view caused B to blurt out "It's a good thing that none of us had our shit together." I agree.

Granada, as viewed from the Alhambra

What has been your experiences with hostels, good or bad?

Day 29: Wine

Day 29

My travel destinations are based on my stomach because I like to experience local food and drink. Even though I rarely drink alcohol at home, I drank wine twice a day in Spain. During lunch restaurants offer a menu of the day which consisted of a starter, entree, dessert and a glass of wine for a set price. Spain also offers tapas, small snacks, with drinks. When I checked into my hostel in Granada, which is well-known for its tapas, the owner told me that some places provide a dinner plate of food. My first night in Granada was spent walking in the streets and drinking tinto de verano at bars. Tinto de verano is a refreshing cocktail made of lemon soda and red wine. It is the perfect drink for a lightweight drinker.  

Spain: View on the bus from Madrid to Granada

What food or drink do you consume on vacation that is not usual in your daily life?

Day 28: Night walks

Day 28

Based on American schedules, Moroccans and Spaniards eat their dinner late around 10:30pm or 11pm. This makes the nightlife a different experience. Nightlife is not prioritized on my vacations. I tend to wake up early, visit sites before other tourists wake, and then go to bed early. Spain allowed me to stroll around late at night among people who were out to dinner rather than to get drunk.  I enjoyed how the streets felt lively and safe. By the time Madrid's nightlife started for the partiers, I was asleep in my hostel.

Madrid evening

How do you spend your evenings on vacations?

Day 27: Spice Drink

Day 27

People talk about being a morning bird or a night owl. I am both and neither; I am an awake person. I love the way the sky lightens with the rising sun in the morning. I love the quiet and calmness of the dark in the evenings. The Marrakesh souks have different stages of the day as well.

The mornings are quiet as the merchants prepare to open their stands. The orange juice vendors are already open and ready to sell you a glass for fresh juice for 4 dirhams. In the hot afternoons the markets are busy. You can rest in the shade created by the stalls and buildings, but be prepared to engage in bargaining if you look at anything with interest. In the evenings entertainers are present in the square in front of the souks;  snake charmers, musicians,  gamblers, roosters. Be prepared to pay if you take pictures of individuals. I loved the liveliness of the evening market. Since evenings are cooler, the vendors sell a hot drink made of 8 spices: nutmeg, cinnamon, star anise, clove, ginger, cardamom, galangal, and mace. As a spice lover, it was my favorite drink of the trip. I hope to recreate it at home.

Day 7: Marrakesh, the streets are lined with orange trees

What is your favorite drink on vacations?

Eats: Blackened Okra and Tomatoes

Blackened Okra and Tomatoes

Ingredients

onion
garlic
okra
tomatoes
mushrooms

Okra is a strange and slimy vegetable. I've been told that I'm an adventurous eater, but even I have trouble with the slime. I never cooked okra until a friend made this dish for me a few weeks ago. He said the trick is to blacken the okra and then stew in tomatoes. There is no exact recipe but it's simple: brown onion and garlic over medium heat. Add okra until blackened or softened. Add the mushrooms, tomatoes, and liquid. Cover and simmer until the sauce thickens.

More detailed explanation with suggested variations:

1.  Dice half an onion and garlic. I used about 6 cloves of garlic; adjust to your taste. Brown the diced onion and garlic in a pan with hot oil, medium heat.
2. Slice the okra into even pieces. I used 1 or 1.5 pounds. I lopped the tops off the short ones, and cut the long ones into halves or thirds. Add the okra and cook over medium heat until the okra blackens. My friend's version was more black; he stirred less often than my version. I stirred occasionally and cooked it until the okra was soft. Next time I may remove the garlic and onions before adding the okra to prevent burning, and add them back with the next step.
3. Slice the mushrooms.  My friend used a handful of shitake mushrooms. I used button mushrooms. Add the mushrooms and cook until they have softened.
4. Add tomatoes and enough liquid to cover all the vegetables. My friend used canned diced tomatoes, and added salt, pepper, and another spice (maybe cumin). I diced two roma tomatoes and added tomato sauce which had previously been adulterated with onions, garlic and mushrooms.
5. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, leave the lid ajar, and simmer until the sauce has thickened. I simmered until it tasted delicious. I like this on rice but it would be good with bread too. Enjoy.

How have you cooked a new vegetable recently?

Day 26: Thumbs Down

Day 26

Quad biking is not an activity I thought about doing before this trip. It was offered by my group tour. I did it because I was scared at the thought of it. It turned out to be easy, especially since our bike guide took care of turning on and off the bike. My only task was to keep my thumbs down on the gear so the bike moves. At one point, the bike ahead of me got stuck on a small hill. They had stopped to allow room for the guide to advance in front of them. I had no issues with the hill as I allowed them enough of a head start that I did not need to stop at the bottom of the hill.

Quad biking showed me another side of Morocco. The first part of the ride involved seeing movie sets. I have not watched the movie Kingdom of Heaven, but I rode by the castle featured in it.  The ride felt as though I was in the middle of nowhere. The second half of the ride allowed us to see the every day life of Moroccans as we rode through a village. It was my favorite part. We saw people working in the fields, school children exercising outside, and donkeys carrying loads. Living in San Francisco, I rarely wave back to random tourists who wave to me. On this ride I waved to everyone and they all waved back. Now I understand know why tourists wave. It is a connection.

Morocco day 6: Ouarzazate

Have you tried quad biking or other motorized bicycling?