view of the Barcelona port from Montjuic Park 
Moroccan formalwear for sale in the Marrakech medinaIt´s been a little while since I have written, and I don´t have any excuse really, except that I bought a copy of Hello! in Barcelona and then found a mass market chic-lit paperback at our hostel shortly after that and have been rotting my brain on those two things for the last week rather than blogging or even thinking of semi-interesting things to say should I find myself inspired to blog. Upon re-entry into Spain, Doug and I have pretty much been in sort of a recovery mode.
Morocco took it out of us! There were so many new things to process there: intense colors and flavors, winding, packed streets, upsetting smells and obnoxious touts, a surprisingly developed tourist infrastructure (along with the high prices that accompany that), and amazingly tempting shopping. Seriously, if you go to Morocco, bring lots of cash and an empty suitcase... the souvenir loot is tops. Dyed leather bags, adorable flat sandals, gorgeous scarves and rugs, great jewelry, and the best thing of all.. fantastic all natural cosmetics. You´ve never used such yummy soap!
People watching in Morocco was second to none, and my favorite thing to watch out for was the women`s street fashion. Local women could be wearing anything from a tight tank top and shorts to a turtleneck, headscarf, and jeans in the 40 degree C weather, though most seemed to prefer the jellaba, a hooded button-down robe worn over leggings or another skirt. Super comfy looking. I wish I had bought one.
Tourist women were also quite fun to watch, with their wildly inappropriate miniskirts and backless tops. I guess they didn't read the ''dress respectfully'' section in their Lonely Planet. I was jealous of them because they weren't sweating as much as I was in my longer skirts and sleeves. Some of the wealthier women were outfitted in very cute ''safari'' shifts and wide-brimmed straw hats. I could picture them walking into Harvey Nichols and saying, ''I´m off to Marrakech in a fortnight. Outfit me for the kasbah!'' Of course, I was wildly envious of them, too.
In Barcelona and Valencia, we have managed to see some sights before blowing off what the cities have to offer to go to the beach. Just walking around in this kind of heat seems virtuous, and besides, we need to save money! Luckily, both of these Spanish cities boast major architectural gems plainly (and freely) viewed from the street. Not a bad way to spend a week, and after going to Perpignan for a couple of nights, we'll be kissing the sea goodbye. So I guess what I might be feeling guilty about (being lazy) might actually be a nice blessing (sitting around and soaking up this relaxed atmosphere). Soon, we´ll be saying goodbye to Europe entirely, at least until a future trip brings us back. I can`t believe how fast this trip has gone by!
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