Trip in Morocco With My Family | Thinking in Italian | B1 Level

In this story our protagonist will tell us about his wonderful trip to Morocco with his family Enjoy listening and learning I organized a trip to Morocco so I decided to go to a travel agency near my home I entered and a smiling lady greeted me Good morning how can I assist you I would like to organize a vacation in Morocco with my family I replied The lady shows me several options and explains the difference between full board and half board With the full board all meals and drinks are included in the price Half board on the other hand includes only breakfast and dinner What would you recommend for a family with two children I ask For families full board is often the best choice But if you plan to travel a lot you'd probably prefer half-board he tells me After looking at some offers I choose a package that includes breakfast and dinner for five days in Marrakesh In addition to the two meals include the flight and transfer to Riyadh I go home and show the airplane tickets to my wife Anna and our children Marco who is ten years old and Giulia who is eight They are all excited Dad what can we do in Morocco asks Marco I flip through the brochure the agency gave me Let's see There's a lot of interesting stuff to see We can visit the markets called souks take a camel ride in the desert or explore the city gardens Giulia jumps on the couch I want to go to the pool Anna smiles There's time for everything Now we need to think about what to pack In the following days we prepared everything necessary We checked the list several times Passports tickets sunscreen sun hats and light clothing for the Moroccan heat In the evening before leaving we pack our bags I try to remember all the tips from the travel guide I bought Bring a light jacket for cool desert evenings comfortable shoes for walking and a power bank for your phone in case of need Don't forget the medicine says my wife as she packs a small first aid kit As we pack our suitcases the excitement grows Tomorrow our Moroccan adventure begins The alarm rings at 5 in the morning I get up with a mix of tiredness and excitement I wake Anna and the children who get up still drowsy We rush to have breakfast making sure we haven't forgotten anything Passports I ask Anna shows it to her already in her bag We load the suitcases into the car and head to the airport The traffic is light at this time Once we arrive at the airport we'll look for our airline's check-in counter Just a small tail Dad what is check-in asks Giulia It's when we check our bags at the airport and get our boarding passes to board the plane Let me explain It's our turn The check-in attendant weighs our suitcases and puts them on the conveyor belt He gives us the boarding passes and shows us the gate We go through security checks Marco is fascinated by the metal detector It's like in the movies he exclaims After the checks we have some time before boarding Can we look at the duty-free shops asks Anna Let's take a quick tour and admire the scents and chocolates on offer Finally we hear the announcement for our flight We head toward the gate ready to start our adventure in Morocco We board the plane and find our seats I help children with their seat belts while the flight attendant explains the safety procedures During takeoff Giulia grips my hand tightly Marco on the other hand watches in fascination from the window The flight takes about three hours The children entertain themselves with the tablet we brought While I and Anna read the Morocco guide Finally the speaker announces We are beginning our descent to Marrakesh The outside temperature is 32 degrees Celsius We land and exit the plane The heat hits us immediately What a heat exclaims Marco Let's follow the directions for the passport control The coda is long but moves along fairly quickly The official checks our documents and welcomes us to Morocco with a smile We retrieve our luggage and go to the arrival area I look for the sign with the name of our riad An driver is waiting for us for the transfer Hello the driver greets you Welcome to Marrakesh As we head to the riad we watch the city through the window The colors sounds and smells are completely different from those we are used to The driver drops us off at the entrance to the Medina the old city A young man with a luggage cart guides us through the narrow alleys to our riad We arrive in front of an ornate door and enter a beautiful inner courtyard With a fountain in the center and plants everywhere The owner of the riad welcomes us with typical mint tea Welcome to our riad he says with a smile I'll show your room It leads you through staircases decorated with mosaics up to a spacious room with traditional Moroccan furnishings The breakfast is served in the courtyard or on the terrace from 8 to 11 he explains We can arrange guided city tours or excursions for you if you wish From the rooftop terrace of the riad we watch the sunset over the old city The next day after spending the day in Essaouira Ate at the fish market admired the Atlantic and visited the city We decided to book a desert tour through our riad The tourist guide Mohammed will show us the route We are leaving at dawn tomorrow explains Mohammed We will cross the High Atlas and we will visit the ancient Kasbah We will arrive in the Sahara Desert at sunset The children are excited about sleeping in a tent under the stars We pack our backpacks with the essentials for two days The journey is long but fascinating We stop to see the Ait Ben Haddou Ksar ancient fortified village and UNESCO site Mohammed tells his millennium-old story as we walk through his packed-earth alleys We arrive at the camp in the late afternoon They are waiting for us to take us to the dunes to see the sunset As we climb aboard Giulia seems a bit nervous The view of the sun setting over the desert is breathtaking We take photos and admire the changing colors on the sand We returned to the camp and had a meal under the stars with traditional Berber food We were about to go to sleep when Giulia started scratching herself furiously "Mom everything itches " she complains I can see that he has some small skin eruptions in the light of the torch It must be an allergic reaction to something I call Mohamed worried "Is there an emergency room nearby " "The closest one is an hour away " he replied I have a first aid kit with antihistamines We give Giulia the medicine which fortunately is starting to take effect Mohamed ensures that if the situation worsened We could call an ambulance or go back town "For safety tomorrow we'll stop at a pharmacy as soon as we get back town " said Anna We keep the number of the Italian embassy handy just in case Although were scared we managed to enjoy the night in the desert In the morning Giulia feels much better and we are ready for the return trip Returning from the desert we will spend the next two days exploring Marrakesh In the morning we start early with a typical Moroccan breakfast on the terrace of our riad Mint tea msemen a type of square crepe eggs olives and fresh cheese The terrace view offers a breathtaking panorama of the city waking up We spend the first day immersed in the Medina We visit the Ben Yussef Medersa An ancient Quranic school with splendid mosaics and quiet courtyards The children are fascinated by the intricate decorations For lunch let's try a lamb tagine with plums and almonds In a small restaurant recommended by the riad's owner In the afternoon we venture into the souks the traditional markets The narrow streets are a maze of stalls selling spices fabrics jewelry and ceramics Giulia falls in love with a small perforated metal lamp The merchant asks for 300 dirhams Remembering the tourist guide's advice I offer 100 dirhams We finally reach a compromise 180 dirhams Giulia is over the moon and carries the lamp wherever we go We have dinner in the famous Jemaa el Fna square It's a real spectacle Fire-eaters snake charmers musicians Let's try various dishes from the food stalls Kefta spiced meatballs merguez spicy sausages They have delicious honey and almond pastries for dessert We visit the Matisse Gardens on the second day a peaceful oasis with cacti palms and exotic flowers Anna takes photos of every corner fascinated by the vibrant colors For lunch let's try the couscous at a restaurant recommended by the riad's owner In the afternoon we take a carriage ride around the city Showing a different view of the historic walls and ancient gates of the Medina We decide to try the hammam the Moroccan Turkish bath before dinner The experience of being soaped and scrubbed is strange at first But in the end we all come out relaxed and with very soft skin The children laugh all the time enjoying the experience In the evening for our last dinner we choose a restaurant on the terrace with a view of the Coutubbia The mosque is a symbol of Marrakesh As we savor a pastilla a sweet and savory pigeon pie Let's watch the sun set over the city happy for all the experiences we've had in these days The day of departure comes too soon We pack our bags trying to fit all the souvenirs we bought Julia's lamp some rugs colorful spices and hand-painted ceramics The owner of the Riad greets us warmly We treated ourselves to a small box of local pastries for the trip As we head to the airport we look out the window Trying to imprint the last views of Marrakesh into memory "What was the thing you liked the most " I ask "The desert " Marco exclaims "Colorful gardens " says Giulia " For me food and markets " adds Anna As the plane takes off we look down at Marrakesh growing smaller beneath us We carry with us not only souvenirs but memories that will last a lifetime And even though we are going home a part of us will always remain in Morocco waiting for our return