Andalusian follow-up
On the way back to the U.S., I began reading a book that pulls together most of the historical events explored during this trip. If you are interested in learning more about the Islamic period in southern Spain, you may wish to check out this book: Ornament of the world: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians created a culture of tolerance...
Buried in turbidites—wild + wacky Tangier
With its strategic position at the entrance to the Mediterranean and gateway to Africa, Tangier has been a continually changing panoply of marauding groups who used the position to foray further and continue gaining power. Some have hung around to embrace the sea and light and easy-going lifestyle. In the historical period (centuries B.C.), so-called Berber tribes lived in small...
Finding oneself in Fés
Finding oneself is the first dilemma faced by any new visitor to Fés, where the largest preserved medina in Morocco, with its impossibly intricate and narrow streets, is the primary attraction. More than 1000 years old, the medina lies cradled in a valley with a central river that is mostly hidden beneath a street. But at least the slopes from...
Tarifa—the southernmost point in Europe
Tarifa is an enigma. This probably has something to do with its position separating two major continents by only 16 km (10–11 miles). As such, it has been strategically located, as one cultural group after another has moved north or south to gain control. Today, though, it is mainly a place for vacations and catching the ferry to Tanger. Long...
Join me for a trip to a place where cultures and tectonic plates have collided!
Welcome to the reawakening of this blog, which has been dormant for three years. I invite you to follow the blog and receive notifications of new posts via email during the next two months. The goal is to explore incredible landscapes and provide the reader with a taste of their beauty and geologic underpinnings. The Mediterranean Sea is the remnant...
About the Blogger
Karen (here with Mt. Shasta in background) is a geology professor emerita who aims to provide a "pocket geologist" for world travelers. Follow the blog to explore the landscapes of our planet and figure out what causes them to look the way they do.