I love bargaining at outdoor markets. Even though I was a bit rusty, I decided to hone my skills in Marrakech. The souks (markets) were full of tchotchkes, which Mr. Selfish hates and I adore.
We Braved the Markets in Marrakech
15 Tuesday Jan 2013
Feasting on Market Food in Marrakech
14 Monday Jan 2013
Posted in Africa, Food & Drinks, Morocco
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Mr. Selfish and I were a little skeptical about eating the market food in Marrakech. However, I learned from the Lonely Planet guide at the riad that the market stands are actually regulated by the government and have stringent sanitation standards. With that knowledge, Mr. Selfish and I ate our meals at the market stands and have yet to suffer any consequences (other than a full belly).
We started with a local restaurant right outside of the market. There was an outdoor elevated patio, at which we enjoyed a nice view of the market. We ate the tangine and couscous, both of which were divine.
The Architecture in Marrakech
13 Sunday Jan 2013
Mr. Selfish and I wandered around Marrakech and enjoyed the Berber architecture, of which there were many outstanding examples. The Berber people are from north Africa and have lived in that area for at least 5,000 years. Berber architecture is typically reddish or other earth tones, which give the impression that the city and buildings spring from the earth.
Staying at a Riad in Morocco
12 Saturday Jan 2013
Posted in Accommodations, Africa, Morocco
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At the taxi queue at the Marrakech airport, Mr. Selfish and I attempted to negotiate the fare into town to no avail. None of the cabbies would bargain with us, and all gave us the same price. We had to relent and pay the fare that the cabbie wanted.
When the cabbie dropped us off in the medina, he merely pointed in the general direction of our riad and told us to get out of the car since he couldn’t drive down the alleyway. We had no choice but to start walking in the direction that the cabbie pointed. An eight year-old child immediately started following us around and telling us that we were going in the wrong direction. He kept saying, “Zig zag. Wrong way.” The data plan on our phone didn’t work so we couldn’t map out our riad. We were hauling around our luggage, and the sun was starting to set. We eventually broke down and paid the kid to take us to our riad.
Flashback Friday – Snowing in Seattle
11 Friday Jan 2013
Posted in Flashback, North America
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In 2008, Mr. Selfish and I went to Seattle. I had heard many wonderful things about Seattle, so we wanted to check it out. Unfortunately, we went during the month of March. Despite the fact that Mr. Selfish told me that it never snows in Seattle, it was very cold and indeed snowing.
The snow didn’t stop us from enjoying Seattle though. We went to the Space Needle to enjoy the views. There was of course a coffee shop at the top.
Tapas, Tapas, and More Tapas
10 Thursday Jan 2013
Posted in Europe, Food & Drinks, Spain
Tapas originated in Andalusia, which is a region in southern Spain. Supposedly, the original tapas were slices of bread or meat used by sherry drinkers to cover their glasses between sips. The tapas were meant to stop flies from hovering over the sweet sherry.
Although Mr. Selfish and I didn’t drink any sherry, we did enjoy lots of tapas during our trip in Spain. The first place we had good tapas was from La Flauta in Barcelona. The stand-outs were the deep fried eggplant chips, large shrimps, and bocadillos.
Day Trip from Madrid to El Escorial
09 Wednesday Jan 2013
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Mr. Selfish and I thoroughly enjoyed Madrid so we didn’t really want to leave the city. However, when we received a recommendation from some locals for a day trip to El Escorial, we couldn’t resist.
El Escorial is about 30 miles northwest of Madrid and takes about an hour to get there by bus. It was the royal residence for Spanish royalty and also has also functioned as a monastery, museum, and school.
The outside of El Escorial is pretty epic. It was nice just to walk around and admire the majesty of the building.
Madrid was a Paradise of Ham!
08 Tuesday Jan 2013
Posted in Europe, Food & Drinks, Madrid, Spain
Mr. Selfish and I rented an apartment for a week in Madrid. Although we enjoyed cooking and eating our meals in, we couldn’t resist a few meals out since Madrid had so much to offer.
We discovered our favorite restaurant in Madrid by happen chance. We didn’t discover it through researching at Trip Advisor, Yelp, Chowhound, or any other website. We had walked by it a couple of times and decided to try it out. It was cheap and delicious. It was indeed the Paraiso del Jamon (Paradise of Ham).
The Parque del Retiro and Museums in Madrid
07 Monday Jan 2013
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Madrid, Museo del Prado, Palacio de Comunicaciones, Parque del Retiro, Puerta de Alcalá, Reina Sofía National Museum and Art Center, Spain
On our way to the Parque del Retiro, Mr. Selfish and I walked past the Palacio de Comunicaciones, which is the old post office, and the iconic Puerta de Alcalá, which is a monumental gate to the city.
Historic Walking Tour of Madrid
06 Sunday Jan 2013
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Gran Via, Madrid, Palacio Real, Plaza de Espana, Plaza de la Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Santa María la Real de La Almudena, Spain, Templo de Debod, Walking Tour
Mr. Selfish and I took a self-guided walking tour of historic Madrid. Luckily for us, it was a lovely but brisk day.
We started at the Plaza de la Puerta del Sol, which was full of photo ops. Men dressed in children’s mascots were all waiting around for you to take a photo with them. I opted for the matador.
One Evening in Cordoba
05 Saturday Jan 2013
Mr. Selfish and I only had one evening in Cordoba. We just walked around and admired the sights. It is a lovely city, and we wished that we had more time there.
In fact, the streets were quite nice. And by that, I mean free of dog feces. Mr. Selfish and I got quite used to watching every step we took because, well, the Europeans are not known for picking up after their dogs. But in Cordoba, there was apparently an effort to do so. It was a relief!
Searching for the Best Hot Chocolate and Churros in Spain
05 Saturday Jan 2013
Posted in Europe, Food & Drinks, Searching for the Best . . ., Spain
Tags
Cacao Sampaka, Casa Aranda, Churros, Hot Chocolate, Madrid, Malaga, San Gines, Seville, Spain
When I found out that hot chocolate and churros were a specialty in Spain, I knew that I would be sampling quite a few. Although the hot chocolate in Spain is not as good as the hot chocolate in Paris, the pairing with churros is quite nice.
The first place I tried it was Casa Sampaka in Barcelona. The hot chocolate was very good and dark, but the churros were a bit on the dry side.
Verdict: Although the hot chocolate was on point, the churros left much to be desired.
Score: 6.
Flashback Friday – Japanese Food
04 Friday Jan 2013
Posted in Asia, Flashback, Food & Drinks, Japan
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Aronia de Takazawa, Flashback, Flashback Friday, Go Go Curry, Japan, Kyoto, Ramen, Tokyo, Udon, wagyu, wagyu beef, yakitori
Orlando had limited Japanese food offerings. The vast majority of it was sushi, and there was one good ramen place. So, when Mr. Selfish and I went to Japan in 2009, we sampled all sorts of Japanese food.
First, we sampled plenty of udon and ramen. Each time, the broths were so flavorful that you could tell it had been cooked for a looooong time.
Seeing the Sights in Seville
03 Thursday Jan 2013
Mr. Selfish and I spent two nights in Seville. The Cathedral of Seville was previously judged to be the third largest church in the world – after St. Peter’s in Rome and St. Paul’s in London. However, based on new measurements for volume, it is now arguably the largest church in the world. Since Mr. Selfish and I have been to Rome and London but neither of those churches, I felt determined to go to the Cathedral of Seville.
Interestingly, the cathedral is gothic but has a Moorish minaret tower.
34,000 Miles to Home!
02 Wednesday Jan 2013
Posted in Europe
Happy New Year! Mrs. Selfish and I finally arrived in Singapore’s Changmi International Airport after a grueling 36+ hours of traveling, including a relatively uneventful New Year’s in the air.
Since my work is largely starting to slow down, culminating with the release of Little Inferno, I promised Mrs. Selfish I would start contributing regularly to our little corner of the web. So what better way than to highlight our recent experiences buying our tickets for the second leg of our trip?
American Airline’s One World Explorer Ticket
Our long-haul international flight for 2013 – 16 Segments in Business Class!
The Selfish Years 