#tarfia

i (you,) have the thing you (i,) love

but the need in me

Our Riad was a nice escape because it was clean, dry, and warm. The boys read books and played a bit of video games before we headed back out for dinner and the remaining evening before we boarded a train for the entire next day.  To say the square was hectic is a gross understatement. It was loud and overwhelming for the kids and as we walked past food stalls I was being grabbed to get my attention to come and enjoy their meals. I got to the point with one particular man who grabbed me and was trying to pull me into his stall that I stopped and said "Don't touch me. Remove your hands from me NOW!" Brent was several feet behind me and was engrossed in keeping an eye on the boys that he was blissfully unaware until after the man took a giant step back and said "I don't touch you anymore."  We settled into a crappy burger joint for the kids who had enjoyed enough of couscous and tagine for a few days, it was cold and damp by that point and getting late so we called it a night and took the kids in.  The next morning we had a 7 day train ride scheduled and we had to board at 8:10am. Our Riad had our breakfast ready at 7:15am so the kids would be fed and our devices were charged. Brent had bought Sam a new Chess/Backgammon set while we were in Marrakech that they were excited to use as well.  The train station is small and easy to navigate and we got there in plenty of time, the kids were happy to be moving on. All day long we sat in a semi-private compartment that seated 6, some of the day we had it to ourselves but then a man named Adam boarded for 4 hours of the trip. He was from Fes and seriously chatty. I don't think he spent 10 minutes quiet. He was in his early 20's, kind, and told us all about how he loved America and that he was working on his college degree and would soon be living in San Francisco for 6 months for an internship. During his stories he asked if we had hired a guide for our time in Fes. Brent told him he had asked for one via the hotel but he wasn't sold on that particular guide so if he had a better one we'd be interested.  Adam told us that the best guides are University Professors because they are regulated, knowledgeable, and not expensive. He got into contact with someone he knew and we were booked for the next day with Haj Rashid, a Professor and nice man.  When we arrived in Fes we had a driver meet us at the train station and off we went to the Dar. When we arrived we met our host, a lovely French woman who had just reopened after being closed so she could have surgery. She has a small 4 room Dar and she only rents 3 rooms out because she also lives there full time. Her home was lovely and she was very warm and welcoming to all of us. Our room was literally off the main living room and felt a bit odd to be right there with a stranger but we settled in quickly enough.  Since we didn't know Fes and it was as confusing as Marrakech we decided to eat in the house that night. We had a delicious meal of beets, lentils, and vegetarian Tagine. While the kids didn't think the food was amazing Brent and I did.  The next morning our guide came at 9:30 to meet us and begin our day touring. Haj Rashid (we called him Richard at his request) was very kind. When we left the Dar and began our walk he asked if we wanted to see the Medina or his Fes. We chose his Fes and climbed into his car. He drove us to the Palace and gave us a history lesson, he asked and answered questions from the kids, Brent, and I and lead us to the old Jewish Quarter which is a big shopping area for locals. While we walked through and enjoyed the area he met us at the end and lead us to the Berber Quarter and let us go again. While we wandered through the crowd and snapped a few photos we were yelled at in Arabic and guessed they meant no photos so we put the phones away and just looked.  We met Richard again and get back in the car for a quick drive to another section of town. When we got out and started walking he was stopped continuously, he grew up in Fes and he's been to Mecca so he is well respected and sought out for conversation. We wandered through the shopping streets full of fruits, nuts, and meats. Unfortunately for us there were chicken butchers literally killing and cleaning birds as we walked by. Jack was kind enough to tell me to stare at the ground and lead me through until we made it out of that area. 

A while later we stopped for lunch at this little (literally) hole in the wall and ate many Moroccan delights that Richard chose for us, it was delicious. The remainder of the day we spent looking at carpets, seeing the tannery, and watching silver platters being engraved.  Even though we were in a chaotic and overwhelming city again it was negated by our guide who knew people at each stop and who showed us the real city. 

Our next stop was off to Spain!  We boarded another train the following morning and spent the day watching the countryside out the windows. When we arrived in Tangier we had less than 30 minutes before we had to be on the ferry to Spain or we would have had to wait 4.5 hours for the last ferry of the day. Brent decided that we wouldn't be late, we were up and prepared for the stop of the train and when we stopped we jumped and ran up the platform to a cab outside the station. Our cabbie didn't speak much English but he understood we needed to get to the ferry fast and he got us there in no time (we were grateful for it's close proximity). We purchased tickets and by the time we boarded the ferry we had 7 minutes until departure. WHEW!!!!!  

Getting to Tarifa, Spain was a nice change in pace and weather. We finally felt we could thaw out and we were lucky enough to be near a beach. Our hotel was a walk from the ferry, we dumped our bags and Brent made a work call before we hit the streets to the beach. The sun was just starting to set, the kids immediately went running to the sand, and Brent and I had a quiet talk and walk while enjoying the view. What a difference the beach makes for us. 

When we reached the end of the beach area we headed back into town and found a kite shop to ask about rental gear for the next day and surf gear for Ben. Unfortunately there was NO WIND! It was hard to believe that in the windiest spot of Europe there would be calm weather. Ben was, by far, more disappointed than Brent so we went in search of dinner. 

Let me begin by saying this is error #6 because we really had no plan. Brent led us around for over an hour looking, deciding that it wasn't what he wanted, and telling us "we're almost there."  You don't know this, but Tarifa isn't big..it's probably smaller than Santa Cruz. Little moans from the kids became bigger moans which then became heated debates among them about who the most hungry was. What a party. We finally stumbled on a Vegetarian/Vegan cafe and I said we were staying. They had wood fire pizza for the kids, plenty of choices for me, and Brent could eat Veg for a night. It was a nice surprise, I'd go back anytime.  The following morning we rented a car and left for Cordoba. The drive was a few hours into beautiful hillside country covered with olive trees to the dismay of the boys. They just don't appreciate non-electronic living as much as we do. Brent decided we'd pop into Malaga for lunch because it was on the way. That was error #7, holy traffic!  We were in bumper to bumper traffic for almost an hour and finally got a parking spot until we realized it was for residents only.  That was it, we said forget it and hit the road again. It wasn't long before we came upon a small town and got off the highway to eat, there were few options so we chose a more crowded bar and had tapas, they weren't great so we ate little and hit the road again with the promise to eat well in Cordoba later.  Coming into Cordoba was a bit of a shock, we didn't think it would be a big city but it was. Brent was hoping for charming, oh well!  If I had to guess, I'd say we were lost and confused for an hour before we finally found our hotel for the night and felt relief that they had a parking garage so we wouldn't have to figure out where to put the car. Months before we had decided that we would only stay 1 night and I found a rental apartment for a night that had a washing machine so we started a load immediately. We were near all of the top sights in Cordoba so off we went. The weather was warmer and the sun was out, what a difference a good injection of Vitamin D makes.

Brent navigated us to the Church, Roman Bridge, and around town until we found traditional tapas for dinner. In usual Wickens fashion our top restaurant was closed so we had to work on the fly. Problem #2 was that we wanted to eat too early, no kitchen was open so we had to kill time and wait it out. We ended up at a restaurant on a square and ordered the kids a plate of fries (they actually weren't fries but they were close enough), beer, and wine, and enjoyed people watching. Finally it was time to return to the restaurant and eat. The kids liked the tapas at this place, Sam's favorite was the Bull tail. I'm not kidding. 

By Spain standards heading in with kids to go to bed at 10:30pm was early. We got to the room, got everyone squared away, and tried to go to sleep only to realize that our room was in a busy area and that the curtains didn't block out any of the street lights. As I laid there attempting to sleep I said to Brent "Is the window open, it sounds like those people are right below and talking to us!"  His answer was "Everything is closed and we just have to make the best of it." Ben was calling to us from the other bedroom that it was too loud and bright for sleep.  Sam was the only one to fall asleep quickly. The rest of us made up for it the next morning by sleeping in. 

We woke and hit the streets for coffee and food before we were headed out to Granada. When we loaded the car and finally made it to the highway Ben asked from the backseat "How long is this ride?"  Brent answered "Two and a half hours." That was met with lots of groans from all 3 of them. Brent and I laughed. 

The drive was lovely, for us up front anyway. Along the way we saw a small town and Brent decided to pull off so we could take a look. It was a sleepy Saturday morning with hardly anyone out and about as we strolled through town. There was a marked police car that lapped around us probably 5 times but he never stopped to ask us what we were doing. We went to the top of the hill to check out the big castle but it was closed, this lead to much drama from the kids about the long walk back to the car. You would think we made them do a marathon. The remainder of the ride to Granada was relatively quiet, the boys made up songs about teddy bears in the back and entertained themselves with nothing but each other. We were pleasantly surprised when we drove through Santa Cruz, Spain. 

Granada, upon arrival, was at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and that made us excited. Our hotel rooms were large and attached so we could spread out. We were lucky to get into town in early afternoon so we hit the streets in search of sites and food.  The walk into town was quick, though that didn't stop the kids from complaining, but Brent and I just kept moving.

We stumbled upon a tapas restaurant that was lively and had 1 table left so we took it. The food was fantastic and service was fast...an added bonus!  After we filled our bellies we got back on the street and came upon a square with a Christmas Market where I got Sam a Pinocchio ornament for the tree. The Granada Cathedral was nearby, but when we arrived it was overcrowded and we decided against going in. 

Instead, we took the kids on a walk through the charming streets in search of Churros con Chocolate and gorged on sugar before returning to the hotel for some quiet time. What a nice change this hotel was, it was quiet and dark in the rooms for sleeping.  The next day, rather than lose our parking space, we took cabs to La Alhambra. The palace and fortress had a long line to buy tickets but we were grateful they didn't run out for the day, as they do in high tourist season, and we walked the grounds and toured the Palace. It was lovely and reminded us of the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. 

The exit leads you through a beautiful park and down into the streets of Granada, where we found lunch and made our way to the La Liga Granada vs Getafe. Brent got us wonderful 3rd row seats and Sam was in heaven! We were grateful that the weather was sunny and not too cold until the game was nearly over. 

That night we walked in search of Paella for the kids and finally found it, though we were on our 3rd restaurant before we got lucky. The kids ate it up and we walked in the cold back to the hotel and went to sleep. 

Our final day of vacation had us driving to Seville before flying back to Amsterdam. It was another 2 1/2 hour drive that had the kids less than excited but the thought of going home made them giddy. Seville was another confusing city to drive into once you reached the old section. We got lucky and found parking for a few hours and then hit the streets for lunch before doing any sightseeing. All of us had our fill of vacation food so we settled into a pastry shop for sandwiches and Brent decided to get a giant piece of cake for all to share. When I first saw the cake I thought there would be leftovers, I was very wrong, those kids took it down in no time. 

Across the street was the 3rd largest church in the world, the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See. Unfortunately it was closed to visitors so we only got to see the outside. Lucky for us it was next to the Santa Cruz Barrio of Seville so we walked through there instead. Seeing all of the signs for Santa Cruz invoked happy memories of home for us, the kids were excitedly talking about their friends back home and what they would do first when we return. 

Our next stop had a short drive over to Plaza de Espana, it was beautiful. We had a gorgeous few hours of warmth and sunshine to walk around and visit the park next door where the boys could run and be loud and silly. We had a few hours to kill so we grabbed a horse and carriage ride through part of the city. We jammed in and, along the way, everyone had fun taking silly selfies to make each other laugh. 

We drove to Seville airport road weary and tired, the boys wanted to get home and sleep in their own beds as did Brent and I. We spent some extra time just sitting in the airport because we had nowhere else to go. During this time we were charging devices near a microwave at the one of the only restaurants in the small airport, and we unplugged the microwave because it wasn't being used. As the kids parked near the outlets playing games a few customers came up to heat food. At one point a man wanted to heat something up, the cashier came to unplug the iPad and plug in the microwave while an Airport Officer walked by. The Officer stopped and explained to the cashier that they could unplug the tree instead and that the kids should have their iPad charging at all times. It was a slightly heated discussion but in the end the boys won and the Officer came over to talk to us. He was sweet, and even with a pretty large language barrier he told us about his 5yr old twins and how you must always do what you can to keep them happy and quiet when traveling.