The month of May was
filled with visitors (Kay and Ben from Boston) and constant travel including a
trip back to the U.S. for a week. I was fortunate to use my AA miles and scored
an inexpensive flight. Conveniently, British Airways flies direct to Austin out of
Heathrow. Nice to see Austin is hitting the big time! I was relatively high functioning despite the
jetlag thanks to lots of coffee (with unhealthy amounts of cream) - It's been a
few months since I had the joy of cream in my coffee so I went overboard…who
wouldn’t! It was wonderful to experience the warm Austin sun and downtown
nightlife again. Austin always feels like home. All in all, it was a whirlwind of a week back in the States. Not only was I able to attend (and
stand up in) my best friend's wedding but the nuptials also coincided with my
brother's graduation with his Master's in Psychology. I was a flying fool to
say the very least! My travel schedule went something along the lines of
BRU>LON>AUS>DFW>PITT>BOS>DUB>BRU
Upon arriving back
home, Ben happened to be invited to a work recruiting event in Reims, France
(Champagne region) for the weekend. Oh okay, twist my arm. Given this was our
last weekend with access to four wheels (Blue Devil) we were able to make the
2.5 hour drive with Maddie. Yes, she has now been to two areas of France.
#spoileddog
It was nice to learn
about the Champagne making process through visiting a few different vineyards
and Champagne houses outside the tiny city. The weather was a bit chilly but that
didn't stop Maddie from frolicking amongst the grapevines. We stayed an extra night
to relax and enjoy the sites inside the small, quaint city of Reims before embarking on the
scenic drive through the French countryside back to Brussels.
Our last May long
weekend was spent in Morocco (initially considered our BIG trip ) with Ben's
life-long friend Jason. The weather in Brussels was average (rainy, cloudy, and
cold) so we were incredibly anxious to soak in the Moroccan sun and 80+ degree weather.
We really loved Morocco! It was a great trip to learn and experience an
entirely different culture. That being said, it was still an adjustment to see
women completely covered up and doing most of the hard labor. Yes, you heard
that right. Visiting the Berber villages we often saw women carrying wood and
household supplies uphill while the men sold goods in the nearby markets. Not to mention, they are fully clothed in 30+
degrees Celsius (85 degrees Fahrenheit) heat. 
We kicked off our
first day in Marrakesh with a full day tour to the Atlas Mountains complete
with camel riding. It has always been on my bucket list so I was happy to
finally cross it off. Ben was a bit resistant as he didn't find them much fun
as a kid. He ended up loving his camel and the entire experience. 
We decided to
experience another area of Morocco by taking a 2.5 hour drive west to the coast
city Essaouira. We initially scheduled a rental car but with that falling
through, Jason saved the day by finding and hiring a driver to take us
roundtrip for a nice price. Glad to see the hard bargaining skills learned in
law school paid off. Our driver, Mohammed, was able to safely escort us there
and back with major issues. Essaouria had a hippy, beach bum vibe with the
Atlantic ocean as the perfect backdrop. We made it just in time to see a
stunning sunset. The Medina is a fraction of the size of Marrakesh's
marketplace so it was a bit more manageable for shopping and sightseeing. I was
able to relax with a 2 hour Hammam - body scrub, sauna experience that was a
bit different than I'd expect in the States but for 30 euros I can't complain!
We were surprised
how much Americans are loved in Marrakesh. You could almost see the $$ signs
pop up in their eyes. Although we weren't thrilled with that the association it
was still a fantastic visit. The food was fantastic...I don't think we had a bad
meal! I plan to cook up a few tagines once we return home. We were coaxed into seeing the Tannery
(leather production) by a few insistent locals which proved to be an
interesting albeit "fragrant" experience. We were given mint leaves as our
"gas mask" to help survive the tour. Not the best place to visit
after lunch!
On our last night,
we had a scrumptious meal overlooking the mosque at sunset complete with belly
dancing. Overall, we couldn't have asked
for a better trip.
Only two more weeks left in
Europe until we land in the Lone Star State (patriotically arriving on the
4th of July). Stay tuned for more updates on our latest trip to Greece!
