painting – Growing With Leala

The next morning we drive by a movie studio and tour the ancient village of Ait Ben Haddou. In the past many movies have been filmed in this area because of the ancient village atmosphere. However in the last ten years filming reduced because modern technology such as AI has replaced realistic looking sets. The good news is that recently movies are being filmed in the area again including one coming up with Matt Damon.

Aït Ben Haddou is a UNESCO site that is a former ksar (or village) that was a stop along the trader route for caravans. It is now primarily used for movies and tourism. It is a wet day from all the recent rain so we walk carefully to not submerge our shoes in puddles of mud in the dirt pathways of the old city as we slowly walk towards the top. It is at the top we have marvelous views of the city below. You really feel like you have stepped into the past from this view.

While in Ait Ben Haddou we watch an artist paint in saffron, indigo stone, tea, and sugar. The art is invisible until it is put over a fire. A secret message or painting will be activated by heat. This method was used during times of conflict to pass secret messages. I purchase one of these paintings as a keepsake of the day.

Before we leave we stop at a women’s cooperative to learn how moroccan women make and sell rugs for the area. We learn the different types of rugs that are made and the symbolic meaning of images weaved into the rugs. In the past I have so much anxiety with carpet sellers that I walk away flustered without purchasing a desired carpet from my travels, but these women make me feel right at home and I even purchase my first carpet ever while traveling. I am still deciding where to place my lovely carpet back home.

We next travel to Marrakech through the Tizi N’Tichka pass. We stop for lunch and pictures at the top and the high point.

We arrive at our lunch spot to ladies and children engaged in a snowball fight. An adorable little girl whacks me with multiple snowballs while she laughs. I play along like she’s hurting me with each hit.

We visit another women’s group to see how argan oil is made.

After a stop for pictures in the snow we start our descent out of the mountains. We watch excited kids sliding down snow hills in the process. We eventually arrive in Marrakech and spend our first evening in town on our own. More on that later.

I canceled another day trip. The commute was too long and I’ve been tired. I want to stay close to my flat in case I want to cut sightseeing short. There is still so much I have yet to see in Warsaw but I am sad about canceling the other things I had planned. I don’t understand why on travel forums people tell you that not much time is needed in Warsaw. I understand that people don’t love the modernism of the city or that the historic parts of it are actually completely rebuilt in the last 50 or so year, but there are still endless museums and parts of town to visit. I feel like I’ve stayed fairly busy these last few days and will still not get to see everything I want to see – this is with mostly 10+ hours of being out and about each day.

My last morning in Warsaw I sit down and have a proper breakfast at a nearby cafe.

I start today at the National Museum in Warsaw, the national art museum. My travel to Poland has been odd since I usually hit all the art museums in town, especially the modern ones. This trip I have been visiting things more historical in nature. I have a “free” day here in Warsaw so finally I visit an art museum.

The National Museum is mostly medieval and older art. The most famous painting here is the Battle of Grunwald. Medieval art isn’t my favorite genre but I always enjoy the expressions on humans and animals.

I love some of the weirder stuff in the museum because as always I am drawn to the weird.

I also like the Polish design temporary exhibit. It takes its inspiration from the communist era where it’s all about getting the most use out of a space.

After the museum I head to the royal way to get a dessert since I am not yet ready for a proper lunch, don’t judge me.

“Palm” tree in Warsaw. Inspired by Israel.

I walk over to Warsaw Fotoplastikon, a historic photo viewing machine that is circular and rotates photos along the viewing spots. As old as the machine is, it is able to make some of the photos appear in 3D. I first saw one of these at the Schindler’s factory in Krakow. This one changes the historic photos out every month. The current exhibition is from Polish tourism to Palestine in the early 1900’s.

The final thing I want to do today is check out the “bohemian” neighborhood of Praga across the river. The red army, or Russians, stayed here during WWII. Visiting Praga is recommended because it is an artsy part of town. I spend hours in this neighborhood and really don’t see much bohemian. I view the large impressive rebuilt church, walk a nice park, and hang out in a newer industrial area. I even join a vodka museum tour last minute to learn more about Polish vodka.

St Florian’s church was destroyed by the Germans in 1944 during the Warsaw uprising. A huge reconstruction effort led to church to reopen in 1972.

Some architecture in the “Bohemian” Praga.

I really enjoyed a peaceful walk in the Park Praski.

I am in the New Praga and it appears there isn’t much going on over here besides a nearby zoo so I hop on a bus to go to the other side of Praga because I am exhausted from walking all day. I am in an old industrial complex that has been converted into a very modern area, including a google lab. It seems like a very good idea to do a tour of the Polish Vodka museum with an upgraded tasting. I book a tasting a then order a very large and relaxing meal while I wait.

The vodka tour takes you into the origins of Polish vodka, how it is made, and how it is produced and distributed today. In the US I don’t typically sip vodka, maybe an occasional shot, but mostly it is an ingredient in a probably sweet cocktail. The vodkas I tried today are good for sipping. I probably won’t drink them this way on the regular but it isn’t the worst thing.

My special tour included a drink upstairs at the attached bar from a special menu. I chose a dessert like drink because its not something I’d normally order.