Spain/Morocco wrap-up

Sorry we have been absent for a week or so now. We went to Paris this week. Pre-travel prep and post-travel recovery are more time consuming now that we are a family of three. :)

We wanted to share a few more pictures of our trip to southern Spain. After leaving Tangiers, we headed to Cadiz, Spain to see another Olmsted family, the Bassetts. They have an amazing house with a pool that is less than a mile from the beach. As soon as we arrived we took a walk along the beach and had a coffee while we watched the sunset.



The sunset was spectacular.


Great opportunity for a family photo.

Emily and Will with their adorable son Edward. (and coming soon, baby Isabella) :)


After a great dinner and night's sleep at the Bassett's, (Susannah LOVED their cradle.....she slept through the night in it.) we headed back to Marbella for our last night in Spain. We stopped for lunch in a tiny beachside town. It turned out to be one of our best meals and the beach there was amazing.



Overall, our first big family trip as three was a great success. Already looking forward to the next one......


Coming up, pics from Mimi's visit and our trip to Paris.

Morocco

During our trip to Spain a few weeks ago we headed a little further south and took Susannah on her first trip to Africa. We took a highspeed ferry across the Straights of Gibraltar to Tangier, Morocco.



Our little world traveler loved her first boat ride.

We stayed in an amazing Moroccan guesthouse inside the walls of the Medina in Tangiers. The medina quarter is a distinct city section found in many North African cities. The medina is typically walled, contains many narrow and maze-like streets, and was built by Arabs as far back as the 9th century.

Here is Whit strolling through the medina.


We stayed at an immaculate and beautiful riad.

This was the door to our room....pretty amazing, huh?


Our first order of business, after getting rid of the shady gentlemen who followed us from the port, was a to eat some true Moroccan couscous. We have found some great North African restaurants in Strasbourg, but the real deal was delicious.

After some mint tea, spending several hundred Moroccan dirhem on lunch (~$20) and finally geting rid of our self-appointed "friend" we headed back to the Riad to enjoy the skyline view and wait on the Olmsted Scholar from Rabat, Morocco to join us.


The terrace of the riad stretched above the medina like a giraffe over the plains. It offered a nice little refuge from the medina and had a great view of the city and harbor.





Actually seeing the city from above was quite amazing.

Here is part of the Grand Mosque that was close to our riad. It was wailing pretty good during the calls to prayer, but luckily the early morning call to prayer didn't wake up Susannah.



We were extremely lucky to have Christina Bembenek come up from Rabat to meet us. She gave a great walking tour of the city and even though most of the sights were closed, it was great to take in the culture. Life in Tangier and around the medina is hectic, crowded, colorful, filled with boisterous sounds, spicey smells and absolutely amazing to see!



Susannah was a great sport while we strolled the city and guess what....there aren't a lot of jogging strollers in Morocco, so Susannah was a big hit with the familial people.

One of the most memorable events of the trip was the great fish restaurant in Tangier. Rumored to be the best restaurant in Morocco, the place was amazing. Like your typical mom and pop BBQ dive in West Point, Georgia, this place was small, charming and the food was amazing. There is no menu. You just sit back and let the food roll in, which includes various forms of freshly caught fish, fish and spice mix, grilled fish and a delicious, purpely juice.

Susannah got quite fussy during dinner and the only thing that calmed her down was walking her around the restaurant. Instead of the disapproving looks that we might receive in France for having a crying baby, it was the total opposite in Morocco. The owner came over, commandered Susannah and gave Whit a chance to eat.

Of course Whit was 100% ok with this.....


Overall it was a great trip to Tangier.

Christina was a great host.

It was a whirlwind and brilliant trip that certainly pushed us out of our comfort zone, but that's what it all about! We will definitely be back to Morocco.


Coming up: Our visit to Cadiz, Spain to visit another Olmsted family, the Bassetts, in their sprawling spanish beach property.

3 Months!

Susannah, you are now 3 months old! I can't believe how fast time is flying. You are growing so fast.....yesterday you weighed in at 13.6 lbs and measured 24.2 inches. Your eyes are so blue that the doctor said it is safe to call you a blue eyed girl. This makes your mommy happy since you look just like your Daddy in every other way.



You are so funny now, you laugh when we blow on your tummy or if we laugh. And sometimes, when I'm rocking you and you are supposed to be falling asleep, you start laughing. I thought we were supposed to have a couple of years before you start the "I don't want to go to bed" routine, but apparently you are ahead of schedule. :)



You still love sucking on your fist, which is producing so much slobber, we have to put bibs on you pretty often.



You also still love for me to sing to you. "Itsy, Bitsy, Spider" will almost always calm you down if you are fussing.



You went out on your first outing in the stroller without the infant attachment. You felt even more like a big girl because of your beach hat and shades.



You are grabbing all your toys now and you grab our faces when we talk or sing to you.



You also love watching me when I get ready in the morning. You sit in your bouncer while I shower and get dressed and put on make up. Last week, you even let me dry my hair, but for some reason, this week, you have developed a dislike for the hairdryer and cry as soon as I turn it on. I think maybe you have been communicating secretely with Meadow and she told you how loud noises are scary and should be avoided at all costs.



You have brought so much love and joy to my life. While these 3 months seem to have flown by, it is impossible for me to imagine what life was like without you. Already looking forward to watching you during month number 4!!



Coming soon: pics from sunny Spain.

Much needed sunshine

Whitney, Susannah and I had a great week in Spain...and beyond. It was nice and warm in Marbella with nothing but sunshine. It's exactly what we needed. Our trip over was perfectfully uneventful. Susannah proved to be a fairly easy airline traveler...for now. Much to my suprise Ryanair did not charge us for singing ladybug.


We didn't get to Marbella until late at night so the next morning sunrise was quite impressive and offered a much different view than we normally enjoy in Strasbourg.

We could even see the Rock of Gibraltar at over 50 miles away.

We wasted no time and hit the boardwalk for a run, then a lovely stroll before lunch.


One of our absolute favorite dishes in Spain is the Paella..

and the Sangria, which changed a little with every restaurant we tried.

Susannah even managed a little siesta while Mommy and Daddy enjoyed lunch and each other's company.

After a lenghty lunch we strolled the beach promenade until sunset. The colors were amazing.

We were just in time for Carnival and the sand castle art was popping up all along the beach for the festivities.




One of the best things about renting an apartment rather than staying in a hotel on vacation is the ability to make your own meals. Whit loves the Manchego cheese that Spain is known for and I am fan of the Chorizo, so mix in a little Spanish red wine and you have a great local dinner. Oh yeah, we had some Gazpacho as well (cold tomato soup).



Coming up, our visit to the Kingdom of Morocco and meeting some Olmsted scholars in the area.