like a band of gypsies we go down the highway

 In the past, Spring Break meant trips to Florida or somewhere else where we could feel warmth and get a quick tan. This year it meant visitors, a trip to Spain, and a camel safari.

On April 5th, Andy's parents arrived for a three week stay. We spent some time showing them Casablanca and on Easter, April 8th, we flew to Barcelona. Barcelona is a beautiful city and it is the home of the Sagrada Família. I have wanted to see the Sagrada Família since I studied the architecture in 10th grade. All of my expectations were exceeded. It was breathtaking and every bit as magnificent as the Gothic cathedrals we enjoyed in Paris. Some other highlights from Barcelona were our trip to the mountain monastery of Montserrat and the whimsical Park Güell.

For all our Barcelona pictures click HERE.

After 2 days in Barcelona we drove down the Spanish coast stopping to see the remains of a Roman amphitheater in Tarragona and finally arriving in Granada for the night. We woke up early and went to the Alhambra. The gardens and palaces were amazing, and I think they were especially enjoyable since we were some of the last people they let in. After leaving Granada we had a short drive to Gibraltar and then 2 days in one of our favorite places in the world. Some highlights from Gibraltar include, haircuts (with English speaking stylists), another tour of the rock, and getting Gibraltar money!

For all our Granada pictures click HERE.

For all our Gibraltar pictures click HERE.


Then we had a couple days in Casablanca before we met Jeff and Rita (Andy's parents) in Marrakech. We enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Earth Cafe, and a relaxing night at the Riad before we were picked up for a 9 hour drive to the Sahara. The drive was long and cramped as there were 5 of us crammed in a Chevy Aveo. We enjoyed some unique Moroccan experiences, like sheep crossing the road in front of us and magnificent views of the Atlas Mountains. But, after being so cramped, we were very happy to see the dunes of the Sahara. We then embarked on an 1.5 hour camel ride to our tent in the desert. The stars were incredible and it is surreal to relax on the dunes in the Sahara. After a delicious dinner we fell asleep to the sound of drumming outside our tent. We awoke for sunrise and then rode our camels back to our driver, then it was 9 hours back to Marrakech where we were so glad to see our Riad. Andy and I were exhausted and we ordered pizza and enjoyed eating dinner with Julien and Dany, the owners of our Riad.

For all our Marrakech/Sahara pictures click HERE.


We then took the train back to Casablanca for some restful time before Jeff and Rita left. What a Spring Break! Thanks to our visitors for making it a special and exciting time. We hope we get some more visitors soon.