Post by Ella First of all, we feel a bit thrown off by how smooth the travels were. Both flights (ABQ to ORD then ORD to AMS) departed early and landed early. Passport control in Amsterdam was efficiently fast. We were able to immediately catch a train to Den Haag (The Hague, our final destination)…
Author: Ella
Sampling Scandinavia and then some
We are off again. We feel like this trip will be quite a contrast to our last adventure – Morocco. This time, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway. Stay tuned. We will start posting shortly after arrival.
Addendum: Home is ever so sweet.
Yesterday, our Riad owner delivers us to the Casablanca airport (named Mohammed V) airport after a lovely breakfast. The Riad owner, by the way, has told us about Mr. Peacock. You can’t cage him up or he will wither and die. And a female needs to be out with him so he will spread his feathers…
Airport Oasis
We are close to wrapping up our Moroccan journey. We left Marrakech this morning by train. Shared a compartment with a young couple plus baby from Montreal. Turns out they will be on the same flight as we tomorrow morning. And then transferred to a local commuter train in Casablanca which took us directly into…
Oh whoopee, a three museum day
Dar Si Said: Museum of Regional Handicrafts, emphasis on carpets, lives in an 18th century palace. A small one. As you might guess, lots of tile,a few fountains and arches. There were explanations in Arabic, French and English, of the different regions and how the carpets differed from region to region. Musee Tiskiwin Marrakech: Moroccan…
From rooftop to rooftop
Day 2 in Marrakech and we’ve successfully navigated the Medina again. High five for these two old folk. Breakfast, where else? The rooftop terrace. A study session in our room. Between google maps and our paper map, the route looks clear. Sort of. We wind around for 20 minutes and come to our first goal….
Marrakech madness
Oy, into the chaos we plunge. We arrived in Marrakech this afternoon. Our last day with Ali and now we are on our own for the remainder of our time in Morocco. About a 4 hour drive, including one stop for tea and a police checkpoint where Ali got pulled in for speeding. Believe me,…
If you can find your room…
Grubb thinks it’d be fun to chart the path to our room. From the entrance into reception, pick up the key Back across reception and up to the next level, thread through salons Out to a terrace, walk across, turn left, walk a little farther Then turn right, step up into a hall and continue…
Seagulls never sleep
In Taghazout, the crashing of the surf was our night music. Here in Essaouria, the continual cawing of the seagulls drowns out anything else. Except for the music on the square. We are not far from the fish market where the gulls are on an endless quest for discarded fish parts. Leaving windows open last…
Villa Maroc, the hideaway
Villa Maroc has many nooks and crannies, hidden staircases, and levels of suites and salons. For us, it is delightfully unique. Grubb tracked our path from outer door to our room. He will post that. I will try to do justice to the room. The door (up 3 flights of narrow stairs) opens onto a…
Another day, another Villa
I stand on our terrace at the Munga Guest House in Taghazout for one last look. There is a thick mist and the beach below is stirring. A tractor hooks a small boat and ferries it across the sand to the water for a casual fisherman. Chaise lounges with umbrellas are being set up in…
Surf city
Taghazout is off the beaten path for most. A surfer town with a surf shop every 20 feet. Meant for surfing. You can take surf lessons with a yoga session thrown in. Malibu on the Atlantic. My shoes have gotten a lot of attention. Instead of sandals, I wear my water shoes, otherwise known as…
And to the sea we go
This morning, the hotel in Tafroute with its mountain view looks gorgeous. But we are coast bound. To Taghazout, the Moroccan surf capital. Ali swoops by at 9:00 to collect us, dressed for the coast sporting a California T shirt. He has ditched the desert attire. First, Ali says, we will go see the painted…
From Sahara to mountains
Monday Just another sunrise in the Sahara. I feel a surprising tug on my heart. I don’t want to leave. But we pack our bags and the moment we’ve zipped them shut, 2 young men are at our door to take them to the car. We are heading west, to Tafroute in the anti Atlas…
Chillin’ in the Sahara
Sunday. It’s sunrise, we stand on a small dune outside our tent facing east. Bashir brings us chairs and coffee as the sun slowly crests the horizon. We wander down to the dining tent where breakfast is available. Spicy omelet, yogurt, assortment of Moroccan breads and jams, fruit, coffee, orange juice. All served. No buffet…