Gaudi Wonderland

Wow! Words and pictures don't even come close to revealing the wonders of Gaudi's marks on Barcelona. We have slowly been making our rounds to see some his buildings and monuments around the city. Yesterday it was the Casa Batlló part mansion, part dragon and part...

Last night in Morocco

Our last day here has been pretty low key. Gord, unfortunately has food poisoning; I think it was the date that didn't taste right. He has been laying low with a pussy cat for most of the day. When I asked someone at the hotel what the cat's name was I was...

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Snake Charmers and Movie Stars

Hotel Sherazade, Marrakech Marrakech is a city of contrasts where everything comes together. Even within Djemaa El Fna, the main square in the Medina, snake charmers and acrobats share space with VIPs here for the International Film Festival. Apparently Catherine...

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Extreme Clean

EssaouiraAn update on the Hammam healing:Well my skin is starting to heal. All the sanded pores on my tummy have tiny scabs now- I think that's progress. My hands and fingernails are still quite orange from the henna but at least I'm getting used to it. It is...

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An afternoon at the Hammam

Hotel Riad Nakhla, EssaouiraI am glowing. This afternoon I arranged to meet a local woman for a traditional hammam. Our first stop was at the spice market where she bought cloves, henna, a lemon and other mysterious ingredients. Then we wove through the medina until...

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Castles Made of Sand

Hotel Riad Nakhla, Essaouira"Castles made of sand slip into the sea eventually."The locals here will point out a sand covered Kasbah at the end of the beach that they claim inspired Jimi Hendrix to write the song. In reality he released the song before he ever came to...

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Suerta Loca

Hotel Suerte Loca, Sidi IfniWe came out of the mountains and down to the coastal town of Sidi Ifni, which has only been a part of Morocco since 1969. Prior to that, it was a Spanish enclave. Much of the town was constructed in the 30's and as a result it is full of...

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The Ameln Valley in the Anti Atlas Mountains

Hotel Salama, TafraoutThe sun returned today and we had a terrific hike through the Ameln valley. Our first stop was in a village where you could visit a traditional house that is now a museum. After a tour and tea our host insisted he dress me up as a Berber...

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An evening by the fire in my slippers

Hotel Salama, TafraoutIt can rain here too and it certainly is right now. The country side around here is mostly bare granite, so when it rains heavily it comes streaming down the mountains. Dry stream beds and roads turn into gushing rivers in minutes. We are on day...

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Public Transport Part Two

On Route between Tarudant and TafraoutOk forget everything I said before. I spoke too soon. Right now I want to be traveling in one of those land rovers. I HATE BUSES! We got up at 5:30 to catch a early bus only to sit on it for two hours with no sign of it ever...

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Public Transport

TaroudentWhen we head off in the mornings on our travel days we never know exactly how it will work out. Buses, especially the modern comfortable ones leave early in the morning and are often full. Most trips involve an assortment of grand taxis, mini buses and larger...

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Ait Ben Haddou

La Rose de Sable, Ait Ben HaddouNow we know where all the tourists are, we certainly haven't seen many anywhere else. They do however, have good reason to come here. It is considered the prettiest and most heavily ornamented of the Ksour and UNESCO agrees. While it is...

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Tea with carpets

We were not going to buy carpets. "No really, it's too early on the trip and they are too heavy to carry," I said as I slipped a wad of bills into my purse; well you never know. Ok so it turns out we are push-overs. Going to have tea, "and just for looking at...

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