Spring ball

Uppsala is a place which honours its traditions. The spring ball is one of them. What an evening/night/morning! We were a company of seven: Clara, Johannes, Gunilla, Joakim, Feven, Gabriel and me. The evening started with a glass of champagne decorated with a strawberry, and was followed up with a five course dinner that lasted close to midnight... It was a feast and it was an honour to be part of it all: the great company (thank you guys!) and the delicious food (part from the slightly frozen chocolate mousse...) all accompanied with the performers that appeared throughout the evening. After dinner steerage dancing was on the menu, the dance cards decided the order of partners. Not surprisingly there is a code for this too, first you should dance with your dinner partner, then with the man sitting on your right side and lastly the one sitting opposite you. After that you are free to choose partner. Some of the men really have impressive dancing skills! Afterwards we went to Gothenbourg nation and danced until the sun came up... Great experience: the athmosphere, the people, the food, the drinks, and to top it all of it is quite something to see (most of the) people in evening dresses/dress suits. This tradition goes back to the 19th century and I hope it has many years to come, including the serenade performed the evening/night before the spring ball by the man to his dinner partner. I doubt it is threatened though, after all this is Uppsala.

Reading about the collapse of a minaret in Meknes...

... made me think about the trip to this city only months ago. People had gathered for the Friday prayer when the minaret situated next to the mosque collapsed. At this point in time 41 persons are reported dead and 76 persons are injured. The reason for the collapse of the minaret is yet unclear, the media and locals claim it was due to the heavy rain falls that has hit the country in the past weeks. However, this statement has been questioned since Meknes has not been affected to a great extent.

When I was in Meknes in June last year it was boiling hot and busy. Wherever I looked or went there were people. The best activity was to sit in a café, order in some mint tea and just savour the athmosphere of this bustling city. So that is what I did, when I did not visit some recommended attraction or observed life passing by in the streets through a window of a taxi. As a woman one has to keep in mind not to look men in the eyes as this is not at all appropiate. One evening me and Carles passed a café when I recognised a man I had chatted with in Moulay Idriss while his fiancée was in the mosque, which he later introduced me to. He was sitting with a number of men outside a café and I looked at him, as to say "hello, remember me?", that was a big mistake. The phrase "if looks could kill" explains it all. I quickly hurried back to the hotel. Not looking a person of the opposite sex in the eyes is a sign of respect, even though it can appear differently to a western woman like myself. Another thing worth remembering is that you have chosen to visit their country; deal with it.

There was a change of plans due to Carles falling ill. Instead of traveling through the Atlas mountains down to the desert and Marrakech we went along the coast with only one stop in El Jadida on the way to Essaouira. It was a much more relaxed athmosphere in this small and cosy coastal town which has been a trading post since 5 BC. Today it is UNESCO World Heritage Listed and also known for its annual music festival Gnaoua Festival of World Music. We were there the week before the festival which lasts for four days and attracts hundreds of thousands visitors. The rumour goes Jimi Hendrix used to come to this place to chill (read: smoke pot). If you ever go to Essaouira, which i can recommend, let me know and i will tell you about a fantastic little restaurant where they make a delicious tajin.

Next stop: Marrakech. Loved it. So much life! It is called the "Red City" due to the reddish colour of the buildings. Fantastic architecture. The famous square Djeema el Fna is an experience in itself with its story tellers, dancers, musicians, snake charmers, monkeys... The medina leading to and from the square is another experience... A maze. Narrow alleys with shop keepers on both sides trying to convince you why you should enter their establishment... We visited a koranic school (medersa) situated next to the Marrakesh Museum, it was breath taking. Beautiful architecture; marble, wood and mosaic meet in a wonderful construction. Sit in a park and watch the scenery, have your mint tea at some café and observe life happening... Walking in this city is well worth the effort. Just bring water... and good shoes! When sitting on the train, leaving Marrakech for Casablanca I wished I would have spent just a little bit more time in this vibrant city. Marrakech grabs hold of you somehow. Fantastic.

This trip is a memory for life.