For Europeans here…

Fuerteventura In February is amazing.

Dave N. wrote: Thu Feb 15, 2024 3:36 pm My lady and I will be flying into Barcelona next month and puttering around the Iberian Peninsula for a couple of weeks, along with 3 or 4 days in Morocco. We have no itinerary whatsoever. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

A friend of a friend founded a restaurant in Barcelona called Rasoterra. Not sure if he is still involved. It’s vegan slow food.

El Xampinyet in Born for tapas

4Chat for a cute cafe vibe with good grub

I've gleaned a ton of info combing through all the Chicago threads over the years, but it looks like at last ill be visiting the city for the first time in May. I've culled a great list of restaurants, used bookstores, comic shops, architectural tours, dive bars, other types of bars, venues, hot dogs, etc, but if anyone wants to throw out a good neighborhood to stay in, or whether or not i oughtta rent a car or not that'd be great. Of course any other suggestions are welcome, maybe new things that haven't been mentioned? i realize this is well worn territory here... thanks all

turnbullac wrote: Fri Feb 16, 2024 11:00 pm El Xampinyet in Born for tapas

Is that the place that has the guy going around with the tray of sliders? Just around the corner from the Argentine pizza place? I had a great night in there some years back and did in and unholy amount of those little joys.

goatbreather wrote: Tue Feb 27, 2024 7:56 pm Of course any other suggestions are welcome, maybe new things that haven't been mentioned?

Belle & Sebastian on the 4th at Salt Shed; Tara Jane O'Neil at Constellation on the 9th.

I'm not much of a driver but public transportation and/or ride shares will get you where you'd like to go!

As for neighborhoods, gee, I guess the old standbys would be Wicker Park or Logan Square for close proximity to bars, restaurants, venues, nightlife and such. Kinda hipstery tho. Pilsen or Ukrainian Village are good.

I'm sure others will chime in soon. Welcome!

turnbullac wrote: Fri Feb 16, 2024 11:00 pm

Dave N. wrote: Thu Feb 15, 2024 3:36 pm My lady and I will be flying into Barcelona next month and puttering around the Iberian Peninsula for a couple of weeks, along with 3 or 4 days in Morocco. We have no itinerary whatsoever. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

A friend of a friend founded a restaurant in Barcelona called Rasoterra. Not sure if he is still involved. It’s vegan slow food.

El Xampinyet in Born for tapas

4Chat for a cute cafe vibe with good grub

Oh man, Rasoterra is awesome. We went there a couple years ago for my birthday dinner while we were in Barcelona. Was incredible. That’s cool you know who founded it.

El Xampinyet is another fantastic reco. We loved that place so much we went twice. Cava is CHEAP and fantastic. Not much for me to eat there, but the olives and shit were great. My lady said the sandwiches were fantastic.

I’ll be in Fez, Morocco next month, after puttering around Spain. Anyone know someone in Fez who could show me around? Anyone ever been to Fez?

Dave N. wrote: Thu Feb 29, 2024 3:17 pm I’ll be in Fez, Morocco next month, after puttering around Spain. Anyone know someone in Fez who could show me around? Anyone ever been to Fez?

I was there for a week. It's beautiful, but absolutely aggressive as fuck. Beware of young guys hanging around the streets who offer to be your guide (or just to talk to you) and then suddenly, aggressively start demanding money. Paper money, specifically. Also beware of restaurants hiding the menu after ordering and inflating the costs.

But, that's just the precautionary stuff - as long as you're on your toes it's a beautiful, rich city. We walked around the old medina a lot, bought dates, checked out a tannery or two (the shops will try to charge you for looking from their balcony), had a guide take us to a couple of nearby towns. I got the train one day to nearby Meknes too and it was really pretty.
It's easy to get lost. Don't drink the local water.

Sorry I don't have more sights to recommend. I don't remember there being many "things"; we more just wandered around the endless winding streets.

Dave N. wrote: I’ll be in Fez, Morocco next month, after puttering around Spain. Anyone know someone in Fez who could show me around? Anyone ever been to Fez?

Don't know a soul there.

And haven't traveled to that part of Morocco in more than 20 years. A looong time. But I can safely say that I prefer it exponentially to Marrakech. Sure, both are aggressive cities that want your tourist dollar. But Fez feels more like a living, breathing marketplace that goes about its business despite that.

Regardless of what anyone tells you, it's not dangerous (except for maybe the foul odors, holes in the sidewalk, and mule carts coming straight at you w/surprising speed) and a guide is not essential for the medina or souks.

If you have a good sense of direction and you're a seasoned traveler, you won't get horribly lost, only a little. Don't engage the touts (perhaps act like you don't understand English, French, or Spanish) or let them get to you, and you'll have a great time figuring your way out. Also probably best not to buy hash in the medina, either. People will hassle you for handouts, selling drugs, or offering guide services, but stay firm (yet polite) if you're not interested. The medina is noisy, cramped, and stressful, but unlike in Marrakech, it's very much worth it.

In terms of stuff to see in the medina and souks themselves, it will take a few days. It's totally fascinating. You can find most of that basic info on markets, madrasas, tombs, and minarets online or in a guidebook. But to some extent, you'll end up just wandering and following whatever catches your eyes, ears, or nose. A good rule of thumb is to use altitude (up the hill vs. down to the river) as your guide, if going DIY. Also, remember, you're not allowed inside the mosques, although nobody minds if you peer respectfully and inconspicuously into a courtyard or open door.

Sunset views of the city from the Hill of the Marinids (near the Les Merinides Hotel) are unreal. The walk up or down thru Bab Guissa cemetery is also worth it.

You can hang down by the city walls and gates and watch the swallows swarm on some other evening. Particularly picturesque.

Restaurant food here is better than in a lot of Morocco, but, as in most of the country, eating at your guesthouse (if possible) is the way to go for the freshest stuff. This is a nation of primarily home cooks, outside of Rabat, Tangiers, and Casa. You'll find plenty of jam-packed tea parlors and snack shops, but Fez restaurant culture, at least back in the day, was mostly aimed at foreigners and expats and seemed a little dead. But maybe that's changed?

Outside the medina, La Maison Bleue served pricey but pretty great traditional dishes, banquet style. Dunno if it's still upholding its reputation, as this was in 2001. It's fancy and very much a tourist thing (functions primarily as a small hotel, but nonguests can reserve), but this by no means detracted from its charm as a dining destination.

Inside the medina, see if you can find a stall or cafe serving a mixture of green almonds and milk, freshly pureed in a blender (jus d'amande or asir louze). Delicious. Just be mindful of the ice, b/c it might be tap water, which could give you major tummy trouble. Ask for it w/o.

Have fun!

Sicily is fucking rad. Maybe I won't come home. Reminds me of Mexico kinda.