Au Revoir Paris

We were up early for last minute packing and breakfast before departing for the airport.  It took over an hour to get to Charles Degaulle  at this time of the day.  We had left ourselves 2 hours to check in and get through security which was barely enough.  Next time we leave at least 3 hours.

We had a smooth flight to Chicago.  I have to say, the arrival and security in the US was the easiest of all of our destinations.  We had 5 hours of sitting before we caught our final flight into Tulsa.

This was an excellent trip, meeting new people and catching up with old friends.  The photography was picturesque and varied.  The two weeks flew by but I was ready to be home and see our cats.  We'll see several of the participants  in 6 weeks on our next trip to Barcelona.

Stay tuned.

Final Day in Paris

Unlike yesterday, we agreed to get an early start on the day since we had several must see places on our list.  First was Notre Dame Cathedral in the rain.  We arrived right at opening time and practically had the church to ourselves.  Mass was in progress, so we quietly toured the church.  It really is quite spectacular.

Next we headed to Saint Chapel, a small chapel with stained glass window walls.  A recommendation from a friend, it did not disappoint.  It is right in the middle of the city court which seemed quite strange.  Adjacent to it is the Revolution era prison where Marie Antoinette was housed before her execution.  It had been the royal palace before it's conversion, so Marie saw it in both the best of times and the worst of times.

We walked back to Notre Dame to see if we could climb the stairs to the top.  A long line had formed, but we were able to get an admission time (two ticket dispensers next to the entrance) for less than 10 minutes from our arrival.  Once admitted to the stairs, you ascend to the gift shop where tickets can be purchased for the climb (we used our Museum Pass).  We heard there were 405 steps to the top and I believe it.  The view from the top is really spectacular and well worth any future sore muscles.

By the time we were back on the ground, it was time for lunch.  We sat outside at a restaurant by the Sorbonne that we had been to several years ago on another tour.  It was looking a little rainy again, but we made it to the Catacombs staying relatively dry.  There was another long line, but somehow they let us in at the front although we're not totally sure why (perhaps the Museum Pass helped although we still had to buy tickets).

We descended into the tunnels of the catacombs and walked down several long hallways before reaching the bones.  There are over 6 million people housed here and they are stacked in a very orderly fashion.  The bone lined walls went on and on and on, with us having walked over a mile before ascending to the street.  It was a pretty fascinating place!

Tired of walking, we caught a cab back to our hotel.  In Paris you don't hail cabs on the street, you have to find a taxi stand.  I'm sure we had a map that showed the location of them, but we just walked until we ran across one.

We had one more place we wanted to visit, the D'Orsay Museum by our hotel.  On the top floor are two large clocks that are windows onto Paris.  It makes for a great photo if the right person stands in front for a silhouette shot.

We walked to a nearby cafe for dinner before retiring to our rooms to pack for our trip home.

Tomorrow: Endings

Paris in the Rain

We left our hotel after breakfast to visit the Opera House.  What a gorgeous building both inside and out.  Since we arrived a little late there was already quite a crowd but this didn't keep us from getting some great photos.

We met one of our group at the Obelisk and then proceeded to the Arch de Triomphe.  We had bought the Paris Museum pass which gave us admission into over 50 attractions like this.  We also got to go straight to the front of the line to begin our climb.   I'm not sure the number of stairs we climbed to reach the top, but I thought it was worth it for the view.  We met some nice people that were interested in photography and took each other's pictures with the city in the background.

After a quick self-service lunch, we headed to the Eifel Tower.  The clouds were starting to look pretty intense at this point, so we knew we needed to hurry.  We came upon the Olympic rings celebrating Paris hosting the Olympics in 2024.  The raindrops started to fall so we started looking for a cheap umbrella and a cab.  In the process we ran into the another member of our group that was under the tower.  She convinced us to stay so we took some great pictures from under the tower before catching a cab back to the hotel.

We had reservations at Georges on the top of the Pompedou Museum.  It was recommended to us for both the views and the food.  It's a large, modern space with windows over looking the city.  From our table we were able to watch the Eiffel Tower light up (and sparkle once an hour).  The food was very good with nice service.  After dinner, we walked a ways to catch a cab back to our hotel.  We were all exhausted from our day of touring.

Tomorrow: Final Day in Paris

Paris, City of Lights

I really don't know anyone who truly loves travel days especially with all the new security measures that are our current reality.  In Marrakech, the security starts at the front door; and continues for about an hour and a half before you reach your gate.  At the entrance, all bags are Xrayed and many are hand searched (no surprise that our camera bags were all searched).  After checking in, we had passport control, more xraying, more passport, ticket checking, etc.  Not fun, but this is what it has come to.

The flight itself was very uneventful with smooth air, nice plane and an on time arrival.  I have to say I have not had baggage unloaded faster than on this flight.  We had prearranged for a driver to take us to our hotel and he was waiting for us at the exit.  If you ever want to use a car service, I can highly recommend Blacklane.  They are all over the world and have never let me down.

We were staying at Hotel D'Orsay on the left bank beside the D'Orsay Museum.   We were greeted by very friendly and helpful staff (which continued for the remainder of our stay).  The rooms were quite nice and it came with breakfast.  An honor bar became our gathering spot in the lobby.

We took a few minutes to settle before asking our hotel for a dinner recommendation near by.   Les Antiquaires was near our hotel and offered a somewhat standard bistro menu for dinner.  It was a bustling place with friendly staff and the food was excellent.

We decided to walk up to the river to have a look around.  This turned until a walk to Notre Dame to see how it looks at night.  The weather was beautiful, around sixty degrees with clear skies.  It felt great after the desert heat we had left behind in Morocco.  It was a great way to immerse ourselves in the city the first night.

We didn't return to the hotel until after 11 so we decided to meet a little later for breakfast before starting our whirlwind tour.

Tomorrow: First day in Paris

Final Day in Morocco

This morning we grabbed taxis after breakfast to visit the Jardins Majorelle. Yves Saint Laurent’s foundation sponsors the gardens as he was a frequent visitor in Marrakech even having a home here at one time.

This was the peace we sought in the bustle of the city.  Paths wandered through gardens with everything colored in Moroccan blues and greens.  Lilly ponds served as backgrounds for tourist shots.  The dappled sunlight was soft and kind on our faces.  It was a great way to re-center ourselves at the end of a hectic trip.  However, all good things must come to an end so we went back out onto the streets to return to our Riad.

This afternoon we had our final critique session for the trip.  This was a very accomplished group of photographers so the critiques served as a learning session in different styles of photography.  We all saw a little something different even when visiting the same locations.  These trips broadened our views and encourage dialogue on techniques and equipment.

We had a few hours before our final gathering on our own.  Several of us took the opportunity for a little retail therapy while others napped and caught up on emails.  Everyone was heading out on Sunday so suitcases needed expanding and flights reconfirmed.

As with all of these types of workshops, a slideshow is compiled of our best photos of the trip.  This is no small undertaking and Ari’s hard work was much appreciated.  We toasted our success with the last of our wine and shared our takeaways from the experience.  Our leaders complimented our work and directed us on how to stay fresh and advance our skills.

Our final dinner was held in a newer, hipper part of Marrakech.  The large restaurant appeared to be the site of many celebrations around large tables.  Our family style dinner included an assortment of appetizers and a tangine of couscous, chicken, sausage, lamb chops and vegetables.  A flaky creamed filled dessert rounded out the meal.  Moroccan dancers descended the stairway for our evening’s entertainment, some clad in belly dancing costumes while others danced with trays holding candles atop their heads.  Many of the diners participated in the dancing, shaking their hips to the beat of the music.  It was quite entertaining although it was clearly directed at the men in the group.

Arriving back at our Riad near midnight, many said their goodbyes in the alley ways before returning to our rooms for one final night in Morocco.

Tomorrow: A stop in Paris

Into Marrakech

We had a long drive in front of us through the beautiful if slow Atlas Mountains.  The last time we drove this road they were filming Mission Impossible 4 which brought traffic to a crawl.  This time we were more fortunate and just had the normal traffic to deal with.

We were staying at the Angsana Riad which was actually several riads lining a couple of connected streets near the main square.  We had a late lunch in the hotel at which time we presented 20 of our images to one of our leaders for a one on one editing critique.  One of the more difficult things on a trip like this is finding our best photos to present in class.  We needed good light, good composition and a moment to get an ata boy from Ira.

We headed out to the Djemma el Fna Square which like a State Fair midway on steroids.  You could engage in games of chance, have a monkey placed on your head and a snake wrapped around your shoulders.  Henna tattoos were applied by veiled women and food of all kinds was for sale.  The vendors were very pushy asking for money at every turn.  The side streets were home to retail stalls much like an outdoor mall but in much smaller quarters.  After wondering around for a few minutes most of us gathered at a rooftop bar (no alcohol actually) to watch the sunset. This was a popular spot and we had to corner a piece of railing to host our group.

As the sun set, more people gathered in the square and was probably busier since it was a Friday night.  This is not just for tourist as many locals also visited for the entertainment and goods.  Smoke rose into the sky as the food vendors prepared their offerings for dinner.  We went back into the square for one last wander through the booths before retiring to our hotel for a late dinner.  While many people were enjoying the food offerings we felt it was safer to dine in a place were knew.  Many people on our trip had already experienced Moroccan Belly and didn’t want to have a second flare up if possible.

We retired to a shower and bed preparing for our final full day of the trip.

Tomorrow: The Zen of a garden

The Hollywood of Morocco

We were up early for a sunrise camel shoot.  A cameleer was waiting for us at a nearby dune with several camels with colorful blankets on to walk back and forth while we all got our photos.  To get the perfect camel photo, the camels need to be separated with at least one foot in the air and the cameleer out front.  Some of these photos are not by accident.

We had our last desert breakfast before packing up and into our 4x4’s to our awaiting bus.  Even though the distances do not sound to far, the roads are curvy and there’s always the slow moving trucks that must be dealt with along the way.  We had several bathroom stops and a lunch break along the way.

Our hotel destination was Quarzazate which serves as Hollywood of Morocco. We passed by a movie studio where several US films have been made.    We dropped our luggage and headed our for a short 30 minute ride to Ait Benhaddou, a UNESCO world heritage site, which is a beautiful Moroccan city built into a hill.  This has served has the filming location for many movies (Lawrence of Arabia, Indiana Jones, and The Living Daylights just to name a few). This is also where a lot of Game of Thrones is filmed (I’m now a little cooler to my kids for having visited here).

We got to wonder around the complex where we could visit a typical Berber home, shop, listen to musicians and just enjoy the view.  There were lots of people willing to pose for photos as long as they received a little compensation for their time.  You can tell they are very used to the tourist trade here.

We returned to our hotel for dinner, a shower and bed, all needed and enjoyed.

Tomorrow: Into Marrakech

A Day In the Desert

A Day in the Desert

We had an early start to the day, gathering for a sunrise shoot.  The haze prevented a stunning sunrise but we still got some decent shots.  The patterns that form in the sand are fascinating   This is what you think of when you think of the Sahara.

After breakfast we reunited with our 4 wheel drives for the adventures of the day.  Our first stop was to visit a nomadic family for tea and bread.  Being a photography group, we were fixated on the robed woman trying to watch her children while preparing the tea and bread for our group.  She was clearly uncomfortable being photographed and covered most of her face with her head scarf.

Our next stop is at a refuge camp where the men perform mostly for tourist.  They agreed to pose for us outside.  We also had our obligatory mint tea!

We headed off to Auberge de Sud where we would have lunch, a critique and a swim.  These little oasis in the desert dot the landscape.  They provide a welcome shelter from the intense sun in the desert with the added bonus of a refreshing dip.

Late afternoon found us back in camp in time for our evening camel ride.  The camels in the Sahara are dromedaries which mean they are of the one hump variety.  Hopping on their backs while they are lying in the sand, you have a bit of a bumpy ride when they stand for the trek.  A camel driver leads the line across the dunes while the sun set in the distance.

We dined under the stars again this evening, enjoying a glass of Moroccan wine we brought with us from the city.  It had been a long day, but one of great variety revealing the wonders of the desert.

Tomorrow: To the Hollywood of Morocco

Into the Desert

Today we started the long drive into the southern part of Morocco to the Sahara Desert.  We had a couple of longer stops along the way including a park full of monkeys and hotel where we had lunch.  We were heading into fossil country which was particularly fascinating to the geologist in our group.  Just outside the restaurant was our first opportunity to shop for fossils and geodes.

The bus could only take us so far, so we switched into 4-wheel drive vehicles to take us to the tent camp.  The road system is pretty loose in the desert with each vehicle taking a slightly different route to stay out of the dust kicked up by the car in front of them.  Air conditioning wasn’t really an option so it was windows down and full speed ahead.

The tent camp which would serve as our home for the next couple of nights was made up of several sleeping tents in a circle with the center covered with rugs.  The tents contained a bed, a couple of chairs and a cement floored bathroom at the back with a toilet and shower.  Some might consider this glamping.  A dining tent served as a meeting point with an outdoor gathering place of pillows and a fire (I think mainly to keep flies away and provide atmosphere because God knows we didn’t need it for warmth).  We arrived a little late for sunset so we went straight for the wine.

After our group dinner under the stars, we set up our cameras on tripods to practice our Milky Way and star shooting.  It can be a real challenge to get settings correct when you can’t really see your camera.  After the shoot, most of the group gathered around the fire for the drum session.  You could hear other camps in the distance also performing the drumming ritual.  These can become quite entertaining with guests dancing to the beat.  I passed on the festivities opting for bed since we had a full day ahead of us tomorrow.

Some of our group opted to sleep under the stars while others of us stayed in the tents.  It does cool down in the desert at night which helped a lot.

Tomorrow: Camels and Nomads

Hidden Behind Doors

We started out our morning with a class.  Our 'fixer' Mustapha Meskine (Photos) told us a little about the history and customs of Morocco.  Fes was the capital of the country until the French moved it to Rabat.  It is still considered the cultural capital and is home to the world's oldest continuous university, founded by a woman centuries ago.  It is predominantly Muslim but most consider it a peaceful religion not the one the radicals have co-opted recently.  The country has a tremendous amount of shoreline but stretches into the Saharan Desert.  

We broke into groups to explore the Medina with our three guides.  We made a stop at the Blue Gate (which is green from the inside).  It is the gateway into the chaos.

The taxi of the Medina

Scraping the hide in preparation for the tannery

We visited an abandoned palace that was centuries old.  There are many of these in Fes just waiting for new owners to come in and refurbish them.  I can't imagine how hard it might be to get all the mosaic tile work restored along with the intricate carvings on the doors and ceilings.  It would make some of our projects look like child's play!

We also got a chance to visit the oldest tannery in the world that dates back many, many centuries.  The white vats contain penguin poop which bleaches the hides.  Next they are soaked in the colored vats for several days to absorb the natural coloring. I can't imagine having to jump in to stir the hides around every day.  It can't do much for your social life.

What an incredible day at the Medina.  After following our guides through narrow passageways both high and low, you realize what a multilayered, vibrant community is hosted here.  Ancient in their traditions, the modern world has crept in with everyone carrying cell phones and satellite dishes dotting the rooftops.  I can see why Unesco has designated it a World Heritage Site.

Tomorrow: Out into the country