On 4th March 2020 I was enjoying my last day of a week’s holiday to Cyprus. I was visiting the archaeological site at Paphos and I got to thinking about designing my very own ancient city…
Posted in Africa, Europe, France, History, Morocco, Spain, Travel, Turkey, World Heritage
Tagged Arles, Athens, Colosseum, Didyma Turkey, Ephesus, Hadrian's Wall, Hierapolis, Mérida, Rome, Volubilis
Still no travel plans so continuing to look back, this time to Morocco in North Africa…
Posted in Africa, Beaches, Literature, Morocco, Postcards, Travel, World Heritage
Tagged Atlas Mountains, Essaouira, Fes, Marrakech, Volubilis
On 25th January 2016, I was on my third and final day in Essaouira.
“The camel and his driver — each has his own plan.”
African Proverb
The day started badly and it was my own fault. Entirely without question my own fault. After an excellent breakfast in the Riad Chakaris the plan was to visit the beach.
This meant walking once again past the fishing port and this morning by chance straying into the boat building yard. I was admiring the boats when a man appeared and beckoned me over. I wasn’t sufficiently alert and wandered across and he invited me inside a wooden picket fence to take a closer look.
To be fair he gave me an informative ten minute tour of the yard but then at the furthest point from the fence he asked me in a rather threatening way for 200 dirham (about £15). I said no way but he was big and smelly and intimidating and blocked my way. I stood my ground but even so eventually handed over 50 dirham which was still too much and money that I would have preferred to give to a street beggar rather than a thief. Lesson learned!
Posted in Africa, Beaches, Cathedrals, History, Literature, Morocco, Natural Environment, Postcards, Travel, World Heritage
Tagged camel rides, Cleethorpes Beach, Culture, Essaouira, Jimi Hendix, Lanzarote, Lawrence of Arabia, Life, Lost Manuscripts, Samuel Johnson, Seven pillars of Wisdom, The French Revolution: A History, Thomas Carlyle
In 2016 our post Christmas travel was to Morocco. On 25th January we were in the port of Essaouira on the Atlantic Coast…
It was once the most important ports in West Africa where there was a monopoly in trade with Europe for spices, precious metals, sugar and molasses and in the slave trade to the Americas. Later it was overtaken in importance by Casablanca and Agadir but today it remains a lively, thriving fishing port and the local centre of the boat building industry.
Posted in Africa, Arts and Crafts, Food, History, Hotels, Morocco, Postcards, Travel, World Heritage
Tagged Culture, Essaouira, Essaouira Fishing Port, Essaouira Men at Work, Fishing, Life
On this day in 2016 I was in the Moroccan city of Essaouira on the Atlantic coast…
I really need to be careful about making bold statements because upon returning from Morocco in December 2011 I said that I would never return there. This is what I said…
“I enjoyed the experience of Fez, the Riad was excellent, the food was good, the sightseeing was unexpected and we were treated with courtesy and respect by everyone associated with the Riad but I have seen Morocco now and I think it may be some time before I return to North Africa as we resume our travels through Europe.”
Well, now I have to eat my words because our first overseas trip in 2016 was to Essouria on the Atlantic coast of Morocco.
Posted in Beaches, Food, History, Hotels, Morocco, Travel, World Heritage
Tagged Culture, Essaouira, Life, Market Shopping, Morocco Souk, Morocco Taxi, Sunset Essaouira
In my last post I took you to Disney and World Showcase at EPCOT. There are eleven countries showcased at the theme park and some time ago I wondered why it was those particular eleven and speculated on an alternative selection.
Click on an image to scroll through the Gallery…
Posted in Africa, Athens, Cathedrals, Europe, Food, France, Greece, History, Ireland, Italy, Literature, Morocco, Natural Environment, Postcards, Spain, Travel, United Kingdom, USA, World Heritage
Tagged Culture, Disney World, EPCOT, Epcot and ethnicity, Florida, Life, US visitor statistics
The blue is called Majorelle and is made from pigment found only in the Moroccan soil and he must have been especially fond of it because as well as the house the garden was full of large pots all painted predominantly in this colour and contrasting nicely with others in orange, yellow, red and green.
Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favourite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing your link in the comments’ on Norm’s site, anytime between Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American Eastern Time).
Posted in Africa, Arts and Crafts, Europe, History, Hotels, Literature, Morocco, Postcards, Travel, World Heritage
Tagged Africa, Fashion, Life, Majorelle Blue, Majorelle Gardens, Marrakech, Morocco, Photography, Yves St Laurent
There was only one way out of the warren of alleys so we had to follow the same route again back through the anarchic streets and to the hectic roundabout where the traffic situation had not improved and even the policeman had given up and left his post but his didn’t seem to matter at all because he wasn’t being very effective anyway.
We were a bit confused and the free tourist map wasn’t a big help but we were confident that we were making steady progress towards our first intended destination of the famous big square in the heart of the city, the Djemma el Fna.
Click on an image to scroll through the Gallery…
Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favourite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing your link in the comments’ on Norm’s site, anytime between Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American Eastern Time).
Posted in Arts and Crafts, Food, History, Literature, Marrakech, Morocco, Postcards, Travel, World Heritage
Tagged Africa, Djemma el Fna, Life, Marrakech, Marrakech Doors, Morocco, Photography, The Souks Marrakech
The Moroccan Tea Gardens are difficult to find and involved a long drive along a dusty track until we arrived at what seems at first sight to be an oasis in a thirsty plain. Getting in is easy enough but I worried about getting out again when the iron gate was closed firmly behind us with a firm jailhouse rattle.
Click on an image to scroll through the Gallery…
Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favourite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing your link in the comments’ on Norm’s site, anytime between Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American Eastern Time).
Have Bag, Will Travel 