Dennis and Barb's Visit

We just had the privilege of having our wonderful friends, Dennis and Barb, visit us for a week from Topeka, KS. When I started teaching, it was Barb's wisdom, kindness and professionalism that helped me survive that first rough year and the years after that. Her husband, Dennis, is a retired colonel but is such a jack of all trades, that it's hard to tell what he can't do! Somewhere along the way Barb and Dennis decided to 'adopt' us and our children - which led them to making the long trek across the ocean to see 'their grandchildren!' What a pleasure! As usual, my pictures are out of order....We spent a morning at a cooking school especially for Master Chef Dennis -where we all learned a thing or two about Moroccan cooking!

Barb bought some rugs from our friends in a local village. With the carpet money these women have raised over the last several years, two of the women have been able to pay for their houses to have solar electricity (they had none at all before).

Dennis with my brother, Ron (right) and two peace corps volunteers after a long and animated discussion about how to insulate a high school with locally available materials. All of them were in their element!

One of the rare pictures with both Barb and Dennis in it!

Barb is, among many other things - a fabulous photographer. She loves gardening so we took her to the botanical gardens in Rabat where she kept saying things like, "I didn't know this plant could grow this big!" Rabat is a very similar growing climate to LA.

Visiting our friends, Lotfi and family, in their new home where they served us a delicious chicken tajine. Lotfi's wife never eats with us (because there are men present), but the kids came in and out.

At 210 meters, this minaret of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca is the highest in the world. Built by the current king's father on a slum and using the taxes of all Moroccans in 1993, this mineret and its mosque are viewed with mixed feelings.

We took them to the farmer's market where Dennis said "you can taste the air-" filled with the smell of all the fruits and vegetables - and a few other things...

Barb's most photographed subjects on this trip!

The Royal Palace in Fez - though the king does not actually reside here when he visits Fez, but rather in a simpler palace across town. The tour guide said he is called the "King of the poor."

The leather tanneries - one of the main things Fez is famous for. Unfortunately, Dennis had forgotten to take his blood pressure medication on this, our most demanding day of walking. He didn't feel good for two days but thankfully perked up the third.

They had to have a tour of the university of course - this is the theatre - my favorite building on campus.

And we had a lovely stop in the woods.

Now it's your turn to come visit!!!