POTD: Morocco Earthquake

"Marrakesh trembles,
Earthquake's force shakes ancient walls,
Medina's heart breaks."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 20 Marrakesh

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Marrakesh, Morocco. According to Reliefweb, "On 8 September 2023 at 22.11 UTC powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.8 struck Morocco at 18.5 km depth. The epicenter was in the High Atlas Mountains, 71km (44 miles) south-west of Marrakesh. Marrakesh, with a population of 840,000 inhabitants is the most impacted city."

We were on a tour of Portugal and Spain, and scheduled to go to Morocco, when the earthquake struck. All travel to Morocco was suspended for at least a week while authorities rushed relief aid and assessed the damage. Damage was heaviest in the Atlas Mountains, which was not on our itinerary. There was lesser damage in Marrakesh, which was on our itinerary. Our tour was scheduled to go to Morocco in a week. Finally, word came from out tour company that we could choose to go or not. Everyone chose to go. The photo-of-the-day shows damage to buildings in the medina, a heavily touristed area in the heart of Marrakesh.

Click for a bonus photo of damage to the old city wall of Marrakesh.

POTD: Jemaa el-Fnaa in Marrakesh

"Market's vibrant pulse,
Bustling heart of Marrakesh,
Energetic beat."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 20 Marrakesh

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Jemaa el-Fnaa, the huge square and marketplace in Marrakesh's medina quarter. It is the heart of Marrakesh.

POTD: Majorelle Blue

"Majorelle's retreat,
Colors bloom in desert's heat,
Art and nature blend."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 20 Marrakesh

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Marrakesh, Morocco, specifically the Majorelle Garden. It was designed by the French artist Jacques Majorelle in the 1920s and was restored in the 1980s by Yves Saint-Laurent. Majorelle trademarked the name Majorelle Blue for this intense shade of blue.

Click for a bonus photo.

POTD: Palm raising in Marrakesh

"In Marrakesh streets,
Inspired by a distant scene,
Palm recalls a flag."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 20 Marrakesh

According to the Pulitzer Prizes, "Perhaps no Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph is better known than Joe Rosenthal’s picture of six U.S. Marines raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima. It was taken on Friday, Feb. 23, 1945, five days after the Marines landed on the island."

Famous enough that I wasn't surprised to see this homage on a wall in faraway Marrakesh, Morocco, of all places.

POTD: Hey, Hay

"Bales stacked skyward high,
Overloaded truck sways slow,
Endless road ahead."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 20 Marrakesh

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Moroccan highway somewhere between Fez and Marrakesh. That is all.

POTD: Nice Bright Colors

"Kodachrome, they give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera, I love to take a photograph
So mama don't take my Kodachrome away."
— Paul Simon

From 2023 09 20 Marrakesh

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Moroccan countryside, somewhere on the highway between Fez and Marrakesh. I don't know anything about the place in the photo. Its colors were what caught my eye then and I still think it makes for a good photo-of-the-day. All the world's a sunny day.

POTD: The Chouara Tannery

"Not just history,
Fez breathes, works, and lives today,
Vibrant, real, and true."
—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 19 Fez

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Fez, Morocco. "The Medina of Fez is listed as a World Heritage Site and is one of the world's largest and oldest urban pedestrian zones." But it's not touristy like a Disney Main Street. It's real. People live there. They shop there. They work there. There's even industry there like the Chouara Tannery, whose founding is lost in history, but possibly dates back to the earliest days of Fez in the 8th Century.

Click for a bonus photo.

POTD: Yes, Walk Down the Alleys

"Ancient alleys wind,
Fez's narrow paths invite,
Labyrinth of time."
—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 19 Fez

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Fez, Morocco, founded in the 8th Century, and now the second largest city in Morocco. "The Medina of Fez is listed as a World Heritage Site and is one of the world's largest and oldest urban pedestrian zones (car-free areas)." It's car-free because it's impossible for cars to get into the maze of narrow alleyways. It's my favorite old city in all the world. So, yes, walk down the alleys. Get lost. It's hard not to. Who knows what surprises you'll find around every corner?

Click for bonus photos.

POTD: My Name is Ozymandias

"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
—Percy Bysshe Shelley

From 2023 09 18 Volubilis

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site in Morocco. Volubilis, "founded in the 3rd century B.C., became an important outpost of the Roman Empire and was graced with many fine buildings. Extensive remains of these survive in the archaeological site, located in a fertile agricultural area."

A bonus photo of the Queen of Queens is after the jump.

POTD: Colors Bright and Faded

"Modern gaze meets past,
Overlooking ancient ruins,
Visitor ponders."
—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 18 Volubilis

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site in Morocco. Volubilis, "founded in the 3rd century B.C., became an important outpost of the Roman Empire and was graced with many fine buildings. Extensive remains of these survive in the archaeological site, located in a fertile agricultural area."

This building is modern and overlooks the ruins of Volubilis, which were behind me as I took this photo. It's said that many ancient buildings and sculptures were painted in colors that have worn away long ago. No one is saying that a visitor in Roman times might have seen Volubilis similarly painted, but modern visitors are permitted to imagine anyway.

A bonus photo is after the jump.

POTD: Martyr's Cemetery

"Rabat's ancient stones,
Beside the vast, tranquil sea,
Eternal, serene."
—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 17 Rabat

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Rabat, Morocco. It shows Sidi Al Khattab Cemetery, also called Martyr's Cemetery. It is located next to the thousand-year-old Kasbah of Rabat. I haven't been able to find much information about the cemetery online, but visually it's incomprehensibly large and stunningly beautiful as it overlooks the ocean. As I age and contemplate being much closer to death than birth, I find myself irresistably drawn to such scenes.

POTD: Kasbah of the Oudaias

"Ancient walls embrace,
Kasbah of the Oudaias,
Heritage preserved."
—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 17 Rabat

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Kasbah of the Oudaias in Rabat, Morocco. Dating to the 10th century, "it is located on a hill at the mouth of the Bou Regreg opposite Salé, and adjacent to the Medina quarter of Rabat. It is listed, along with other sites in Rabat, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site."

Bonus photos are after the jump.

POTD: Mausoleum of Mohammed V

"King’s legacy lives
In each deliberate craft,
Mausoleum's grace."
—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 17 Rabat

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Mausoleum of Mohammed V in Rabat, Morocco. The king died in 1961. Construction was completed in 1971. "The rich materials, as well as the deliberate use of historical crafts and motifs, is meant to not only pay tribute to Mohammed V but also to evoke his own efforts to encourage traditional craftsmanship as a means of promote a sense of Moroccan identity."

Bonus photos are after the jump.

POTD: Mercado de San Miguel

"Colors, scents, and sounds
Merge in historic Madrid.
Gastronomic bliss."
—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 16 Madrid

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid, Spain. "Located in the center of historic Madrid and with more than 10 million visitors a year, the Mercado de San Miguel is the gastronomic temple of the city of Madrid, the contemporary essence of all corners of Spanish gastronomy."

POTD: Catedral del Mazapan

"Gleaming sugar shrine,
Kids outside are unimpressed.
Toledo still grand."
—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 15 Toledo

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Toledo, Spain. The photo shows kids hanging around outside a marzipan store which is named after a prized display in the store: a model cathedral made out of marzipan. Unimpressed is the vibe I get from the kids. Your own mileage may vary. But Toledo itself is undeniably a great city.

POTD: View of Toledo

"Grade school memory
of El Greco's Toledo.
Homage through my lens."
—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 15 Toledo

Today's photo-of-the-day is of Toledo, Spain. It's my homage to a famous painting that I first became aware of when I took a Spanish language course in grade school. The painting is El Greco's haunting "View of Toledo" owned by the Metropolitan Museum of New York.

El Greco's painting is after the jump.

POTD: Almonacid Castle

"Time's relentless march,
Leaves marks on every stone.
Almonacid's pride."
—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 15 Toledo

Today's photo-of-the-day is of Almonacid Castle in central Spain, south of Toledo. It dates back to the 9th century. As far as I can determine, it is unoccupied. Wikipedia says it is available for sale for "one euro cent to anyone who undertakes to completely restore it." It's a majestic opportunity.

POTD: Olives Everywhere. And Bull.

"Olive groves extend
All across central Spain's land,
Liquid gold abounds."

—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 15 Toledo

Today's photo-of-the-day is from central Spain, where olive groves are everywhere. We've already covered this agricultural fact in our photo-of-the-day near Seville in southern Spain, but the country is the world's largest exporter of olive oil. In 2022, 43% of the world's exports came from Spain. And that's no bull.

A bonus photo is after the jump.

POTD: The Alhambra

"Granada's treasure,
Alhambra's timeless allure,
Echoes of glory."

—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 14 Granada

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. It's not just a monument or a building. It's a fortress and a palace and a whole world unto itself. Begun in 1238, "it is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the historic Islamic world, in addition to containing notable examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture."

A bonus photo is after the jump.

POTD: The Bishop's Opening

"Cathedral backdrop,
Father and son deep in thought,
Chess pieces in hand."

—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 14 Granada

This photo was taken on the steps of Granada Cathedral in Granada, Spain. It features an unidentified father and son playing chess. A chess beginner's maxim is "develop knights before bishops" but when you are playing literally on the steps of a cathedral, such maxims maybe can be ignored.

A bonus photo is after the jump.