Marrakech isn’t Marrakech without Jemaa El Fna square . This huge contemporary square is located in the center of the medina and is the biggest tourist attraction of the entire city. As the morning grows into the afternoon, tourists come by the droves to see and be a part of a rich heritage and of a rhythmic life of the locals.
Dancers, musicians, snake charmers, water-carriers wearing traditional costumes, storytellers, magicians, acrobats and natural remedies medicine men, all fill up the square. Don’t forget to tip all the street artisans, that’s how they make their living. At dusk, food stands are overrun by hungry tourist eager to satisfy their appetites; the air is soon full of the aromatic steam and smokes of the Moroccan specialties ; prepared fresh on the spot, tourist and locals can choose between meat, fish or vegetable dishes. You don’t even need to know or speak Arabic, all you need to do is point, indicate quantity and within a few minutes, a wonderfully prepared dish is handed for you to enjoy.
Jemaa El Fna means ‘assembly of the deaths’ in Arabic, but there’s nothing livelier than this square. Observing all the animation from the terrace of one of the hundreds of Marrakech hotels , or from one of the coffeehouses that surround the square while drinking a refreshing mint tea is possibly the best way to take in the entirety of this immense gathering of people from all over Morocco. But, no matter if you observe from up above or on street level, you will catch the Jemaa El Fna fever.
Fort Collins, Colorado is one of those cities that maintains a college town atmosphere throughout the bulk of its areas. This is primarily due to the fact that it basically is a college town and the university plays a major role in the overall cultural heritage of the city. It is the home of Colorada State University , which is the largest land grant university in the entire state. The school has a student body of just under 30,000 and this population contributes heavily to the overall city makeup. There are eight colleges in the university and fifty five different academic departments. And all of these come together to support the school’s sports teams and to engage in various school celebrations and festivals.
The hotels Fort Collins have a definite population of tourists, though a lot of the guests are parents and friends of students. While there is a definite college town feel to the city there is also a strong community commitment atmosphere and it is one of the preferred locations for parents to want their children to go to school. There are numerous clubs and activities on campus for students to get involved with and a large number of the student body participates in these. In addition, the school has a student run newspaper called Rocky Mountain Collegian, as well as a student run television station and radio station. The student body is present in a most of the school’s programs and aspects.
And if the students at CSU feel they are spending too much time in the books there is plenty of beautiful geography just outside the city to work off some frustration. The city is just east of the Rocky Mountain foothills and the winters provide plenty of opportunities for skiing and other snow sports. In addition the Cache La Poudre River and Spring Creek run through the city and also provide great recreational options. Five microbreweries exist in the city, which is an above average amount. These are extremely popular with students and every summer the city celebrates the Colorado Brewer’s Festival , for which a large number of students show up. The Colorado Marathon is another annual event that is popular with students. CSU is a highly respected university, and it is also a great social atmosphere for students to thrive in and and enjoy.
Druid City is a bit like a curio shop. It’s enormously inviting, with natural splendor and a pretty city, that beckons from the outside, and feels lovely from the inside. It seems like a cool but pretty unassuming little place in the South, with lots of charm and a good energy. There are lots of great restaurants, with international and local food, and then there the splendor in the hotels Tuscaloosa offers. And everywhere, there are plenty of pleasant surprises.
There are some interesting local scenes and cultures, with a happening gallery scene, interesting music, and great places to hang out. In large part this is due to the college culture, that always keeps things buzzing, and keeps the vision focused on the global picture. This is especially evident in the upcoming “Side by Side+http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=8509 ” photography exhibition coming in October, 2010. In this exhibition, currently on display in Havana, Cuba, Nestor Marti teamed up with Chip Cooper. From Havana and Alabama, respectively, the idea of the project was to have both men walk through Old Havana, taking photographs. The images are displayed side-by-side, and the effect is mesmerizing.
It’s not simply a way of looking into the city, marveling at the bright colors, or the life-force behind the eyes of the people on the streets, but something else. Here, in these photographs, the viewer is able to meditate on the act of seeing. The same image seen through different lenses give a clue about the nature of the one doing the seeing, and it becomes a cross-cultural exposition on perspective.
It’s part of the Cuba Initiative at the University of Alabama+http://web.as.ua.edu/cuba/en/?page_id=2 . It began in 2001, as a means to build relationships between the university here and the island there. Since its inception, there have been more than 150 trips to Cuba, and Cooper says he’s been there 6 times in the past year, and already considers Havana to be like a second home. In a corner of a gallery, then, there are multiple worlds that open up in this city.
Get out and explore beyond the local beach while you are visiting the town of Coronado CA. There are some fun tours that can be taken to get the most out of your exploration. You may want to start out with a great walking tour. The Coronado Touring has a great walk through the quaint town. See were Presidents and Royalty have played in the past. There is more history than just the Del Coronado hotel. See the home were the Wizard of Oz was created, and the homes of a Duchess and Barons. Here the stories that are the legends of a hundred years of fascinating people.
Take a charming tour of the bay and water ways with the Gondola Company . This is a romantic Venetian gondola cruise that works its way through the canals of the Coronado Cays. It is a relaxing way to enjoy the water with someone you love. It goes for about and hour and the gondola can hold up to six people. They provide blankets if needed as well as complimentary appetizer or dessert plate. Bring your own beverage, they will have ice buckets, glasses and openers.
For a tour that takes you on a bigger path of the surrounding area, check out the Old Town Trolley Tours. All you need is a ride to the McP’s Irish Pub and Grill where you can catch the trolley at any time. It comes in 30 minute intervals and will take you to many of the big area attractions including the San Diego Zoo. This as a great way to take in Coronado and San Diego to get a the bigger picture and feel of the place. Stop off at the Gaslamp Quarter for some amazing shopping, sports, food and fun. The trolley also makes stops at Balboa Park and the Seaport Village. The best Coronado hotel will show you the way.
There’s a lot of truth to the notion that a theatre can hold the mirror up to nature. At the same time, there’s a very wide range of definitions as to what exactly constitutes nature, and what the nature of a mirror might actually be. Some visions are intentionally skewed, and others seem straight-forward until a second act reveals that the audience has been watching a fun house. For all these wide ranges of vision, a truly local theatre would be one that can capture multiple points of view and perspectives.
That’s exactly what Atlanta’s Essential Theatre set out to do a decade ago, and the news these days is very good. The mission is far from accomplished however, even though their playwrights are magnificently accomplished. They’ve devoted themselves to presenting works that speak of a very local idea of human nature, one that is either reflective of Georgia, or addresses the South as a whole. Thanks to the specificity of their vision, they have produced a wide range of works that audiences from all over the globe can relate to.
It’s one of those beautiful contradictions that the personal becomes universal, but only does so through intense focus on the subjective nature of the reality being portrayed. At the Essential Theatre, they produce new works, well-known works that speak to local concerns, and also presents an annual festival of work by local and international artists.
Like most good adventures, these stories do take on a power that can capture the world community. Atlanta’s stories are rich and powerful enough to transcend the time and place and speak larger truths that humans have in common, but also reflect a very focused history that happened and is happening right here. The work has delighted local audiences for some time, and out of town visitors staying at Atlanta boutique hotels also find something here that speaks particularly to them. Theatre is alive and well in Atlanta.
