By RUDY!

June 30th (Alfama, Lisbon, Portugal) — Walking aimlessly in the narrow streets of Alfama (the old town), but soon the spire of the church seen in this picture became my guide. I would head there and stumble upon a market of antiques, used clothing, and birds. Relics of past wars, regimes, and battles. Electronics from a past I do not know. In essence, junk that makes America seem infantile; the history of Lisbon - Europe, even - spawled before my feet on sheets and mine for the cost of a few euros.

By RUDY!

June 29th (Commercial Square, Lisbon, Portugal) — I missed my early morning flight from Malaga to Lisbon. I had to rebook another flight for a chunk of change. My arrival in Lisbon was met with the most unfortunate of travel hassles, lost luggage. Somehow the airline failed to communicate my final destination properly. Such is life. More misfortune awaited me at my lodgings. The staff misbooked me for next month. Fortunately they had a room for tonight, but tomorrow they did not. They took responsibility and looked into alternative lodgings that they were more than anxious to pay the difference for. Hence, Lisbon Lounge gets my vote for Hostel of the Year. Nevertheless, there is no where to go but up.

By RUDY!

June 28th (Chefchauoen, Morocco) — Almost all the buildings are painted in shades of blue in Chefchauoen. Not only is it a welcome, pleasing change from the reddish-brown walls of Marrakech, it is calming and cooling.

By RUDY!

June 27th (Tangier, Morocco) — Briefly, I stop in Tangier for a cup of mint tea on a rooftop terrace in the old town. The panoramic view of the city is tantalizing, but I have little interest in staying in Tangier for long. Chefchaouen awaits.

By RUDY!

June 26th (Atlas Mountains, Morocco) — Spent the day traveling through the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. A guide lead us along a mountain spring’s creek to a waterfall. The weathered rocks were smooth and slipperly. Sometimes sliding was the safest way down. I kept up with our guide while my companions fell behind a few times to absorb the scene. It is blissful, but I found our guide’s random trivia about the land and its people worth the hustle.