calliopejen

Venice was my one regret after six weeks of traveling in Europe. Sure, it’s pretty. But lots of places are pretty. In all of my travels, I have never met people as rude as Venetians. In 36 hours, I was physically shoved to the side TWICE by locals walking past me in the street. Even in huge crowded cities I have never had that happen. I wanted to love Venice, but it was clear to me that Venetians are resentful that their dying city is being kept alive by tourists.

And tourists indeed! All the sights were packed. It was a ridiculous tourist gauntlet of ugly masks and glass. When I got off the beaten tourist path as everyone recommended, I found the city dull in the extreme. When the whole city revolves around tourists, and young people and families are leaving the city because of the cost of living, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that the backstreets are less than vibrant. While waiting for my flight out, I had to keep reminding myself to think “I only have two hours left to spend in Venice” rather than “I still have two hours to kill before I get out of Venice.”

I don’t think commenters are giving Tangier enough credit. Elsewhere in Morocco is surely better, but if you only have the option of a daytrip (like I did), this place can be a great experience and a taste of life in North Africa.

I was with a private guide, and other people weren’t too too pushy. Sometimes it actually was kind of entertaining, like when a boy tried to sell me his tiny pet turtle. The kids in the street were very cute and polite (a lot of "hola"s).

I loved wandering in the market area—the whole booths filled with piles and piles of olives were incredible, though I was a bit troubled by goats’ heads sitting unrefrigerated on butchers’ counters… Another commenter said the city smelled horrible, but I have actually never been anywhere better-smelling than the old medina. The whole place was fragrant of all the herbs being sold.

It was also interesting to see the contrast between our guide’s efforts to point out everything cosmopolitan about his city (where foreigners lived, where churches/synagogues were, how many languages kids learned in school) and day-to-day life in a developing country (lonely donkeys chained up in dry fields, half-built structures, public bakeries so that women without ovens could cook their bread).

cultural imperialism maybe, but definitely a lifesaver with their ginormous banana frappucinos on a 42*C day. they lured me in with a tiny free sample, but it ended up being perhaps the best 5 euros (!!) i spent while in seville.