January 7, 1995

Dear Mom:

...The train ride from Rome to Sicily was fairly uneventful - with the exception of my late-night male visitor, who decided he could sneak into my first-class car and stretch out on the bench across from me…..staring at me with wide eyes and unwilling to leave the car. Though the conductor finally ousted my unwanted visitor on one of his regimental late night checks, I nonetheless arrived exhausted when we reached the Siracusa port. Fortunately, the weather was our alarm clock - rejuvenating our energy throughout the day as we admired the architecture in Palermo - finding beauty in the magnificent dilapidation.

It was Fiona’s idea to go to Agrigento. Incredible! Two hours south of Palermo in Sicily, Agrigento is the home of Valle dei Templi….adorned with five well-preserved Greek remains built during 5th Century B.C. The day was stormy, and the ‘local’ bus ride was grueling. Upon arrival, we were greeted with a parting of the clouds and bursts of sunlight, offering selective illumination to parts of the faraway town. The ruins, contrasted with distant civilization, made for breathtaking images...

Love, Anne

Feb 9, 1995

Dear Mom:

...Morocco is a bustling place, with enclosed medinas (old towns) in the heart of each City. Photo opportunities abound – especially when one gets lost as I did so many times. Within the narrow, winding, unmarked pathways of the medina, I discovered many treasures: the children spying, the girl in a pink dress, the kind man returning home, the rug on the dilapidated stair. I even caught a quick glimpse of a young boy sitting between two crumbling buildings with a laptop – this was extraordinary for the third world in 1995! When the rest of the group went on to Marrakesh, I traveled alone back to Spain. There as I made a Moroccan friend raised in Casablanca, who now lived in the Rioja region of Spain. That experience in itself inspired yet another detour – for later in my travels I went to visit Kebir before going to San Sebastian.

I recovered from the hectic ways of Morocco by touring the blissful towns of Sevilla, Cordoba, and Granada. From Cordoba, the Pueblos Blancos were only a day trip. I met a New Yorker at the Hostel, convincing him to make use of his rental car by taking me to the small whitewashed towns of Andalusia, one by one. It was a wonderful day. The townspeople treated us like intruders; it rained on and off;…but, hey, no matter! Our favorite town was Zuheros – set deep into the hills with a magnificent castle growing out of the rock! This exploration will remain a treasure in my mind...

Love,

Anne