Marrakech - A sensory explosion

Stepping out and into life in Marrakech was a sensory explosion, making our experience in Naples feel more like a serene getaway in the countryside by comparison. Words and pictures just can’t get close to capturing the 360 degrees of dizzying intensity that was happening around us.

Sights - Snake charmers, performing monkeys, beautiful architecture, abject poverty, vibrant colours of Moroccan goods mixed with the dull red of the buildings that is ubiquitous throughout Marrakech…

Welcome to Morocco - Hello Marrakech!

Arriving in Marrakech was like stepping into another world. It was almost impossible to believe that we were only a short (made to feel a lot longer by screaming children right behind us) three hour flight away from London.

We were picked up at the airport by a driver from the ‘Riad’ that we were staying in, and driven right into the heart of the old town – or Medina. The first thing that struck us was how unbelievably out of place we felt. More than anywhere else that either of us have ever been, we felt very very white and very very Western. From those first few moments, we knew that this was not going to be anything like the average European holiday, which was both quite exciting, and a tad nerve racking.

Life in London - The Olympic Wrap

In case you missed it, we were lucky enough to have a little ol’ event called The Olympics descend on London throughout July and August.

If we’re totally honest, we initially weren’t all that enthused about it. Like many locals, we got caught up in the pervading idea that London was going to come to a grinding halt under the strain of over a million visitors descending on the city each day. This message was constantly reinforced via a massive communications campaign that hit just about every advertising space in London, and proclaimed over the PA systems in every tube station in the lead up. The message was simple – stay away. You would have been forgiven for thinking that London was preparing for Armageddon, not a mere sporting event.

Life in London - Notting Hill Carnival

If the video doesn't work, try this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9WBF_pCD4A

The Notting Hill Carnival was massive. Everyone we spoke to in the lead up told us that it would be. Given that it fell over a long weekend, we had previously thought about heading away somewhere. But after being repeatedly told how amazing it is, and given that it was going to be literally passing by our front door, we thought it was worth hanging around for.

Despite how much it had been talked up, we really didn’t quite know what to expect. Sitting behind Rio as the second biggest street carnival in the world, we were excited – and perhaps if we’re honest, even a little nervous – to find out.

Life in London - Trooping the Colour

After the heady excitement of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, the annual Trooping of the Colour ceremony that followed a couple of weeks later was a bit like a random cousin that didn’t get much attention.

We woke up on the morning of the parade and thought that since we had missed the vast majority of the Diamond Jubilee festivities through being in Holland over the long weekend, we had best make the effort to get out there and see what it was all about.

It was a nice sentiment, but if we’re honest, we just really weren’t that enthused.

We felt tired and sluggish after a long week at work, and the weather was looking typically ordinary so we rolled over and went back to sleep.

We woke up again at 10:30 and realized that a fork in the road was fast approaching…if we wanted to go, then we needed to get cracking. Somewhat begrudgingly,

The Genius of Gaudi - Casa Batlló

The Gaudi experience reached a rousing crescendo with our tour of his brilliant Casa Batlló – a house that he redesigned and remodeled in the early 20th century. Nicknamed the ‘House of Yawns’ due to the mouth-like windows, Casa Batlló was an exhibition of everything that is classically Gaudi – an almost complete aversion to straight lines, outrageous experimentation with color and a heavy influence from nature.

Walking through the house was a fascinating and delightful insight into Gaudi’s imagination. From the staircase that resembled the spine of a dinosaur, to the blue-tiled inner atrium that gave the impression of standing in a waterfall, to the attic that was like walking through a giant rib cage, all the way to the roof that was curved like the back of a dragon – all perfectly designed and perfectly functional, working in harmony to form a truly breath-taking creation.

Again – Gaudi…what a genius!

The Genius of Gaudi - Park Güell

Without doubt one of the coolest parks we’ve visited, Gaudi’s Park Güell was a bit like stepping into a Mediterranean Hansel and Gretel fairytale.

We happened to be there on a gloriously warm afternoon and – along with the rest of the tourists in Barcelona – thoroughly enjoyed immersing ourselves in Gaudi’s never-never land.

Sitting here now trying to describe it is actually quite a difficult task – the above photos only tell a fraction of the story – outlandishly bold mosaic, an aversion to straight lines and architecture that is more like ginger bread houses than anything else.  The fact that we are struggling to find the words to describe this bizarre place is probably just a reflection of Gaudi's true originality and creativity.