Spain: San Sebastian, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, & 3 Michelin Star Restaurant ABaC Barcelona

Spanish Fly: The Journey Home from Morocco, by way of Spain 

SAN SEBASTIAN - BILBAO - BARCELONA 

This past summer I made my virgin voyage to Africa, with a tour of Morocco that took me through the Atlas Mountains, the Saharan desert, and coast to coast. It was an extensive road trip that covered at least a dozen cities and towns, 9 of which I blogged about. But sometimes, you can have too much of a good thing. As they say in France (and Morocco) - c’est l'embarras des richesses. After 10 days of being on the road, spending each night in a different town or city; and eating enough tagine, cous cous, and lamb to last a lifetime; I couldn’t quite head straight back to the grey skies and gravy of England, could I? I needed a transition destination - a holiday to recover from a holiday, if you will - in a country that was different enough to be interesting yet familiar enough to ease me back into reality. So I spent 5 much-needed days in Spain: decompressing and recalibrating in San Sebastian, Bilbao, and Barcelona. As one does...


November 30, 2018

The Santorini of North Africa? The seaside town of Essaouira is the antithesis to everything I had yet experienced in Morocco.


The Santorini of North Africa? The seaside town of Essaouira is the antithesis to everything I had yet experienced in Morocco.

THE MOROCCO DIARIES, PART 10 of 10 - ESSAOUIRA

My tour of Morocco was approaching its zenith. After a week on the road that took me in a circle from the coast across the High Atlas Mountains, the final city to be discovered (before ending where I started, in Casablanca); I was ready for a laidback day and night in the coastal city of Essaouira. Although only a couple of hours’ drive from Marrakech, the atmopshere of Essaouira is a world apart: the seaside town is uncrowded and calm - here, the only crowds are of seagulls. Then there are the city’s colours. Everything is blue here; from the vibrant cobalt doors and window shutters to the turquoise taxis that linger around the gateway to the Medina. The Medina itself, an 18th century Unesco Word Heritage site, is a fine example of European military architecture in North Africa. With its strong European influences, a constant refreshing salty breeze, and next to no crowds; Essaouira was a serene scene that was unexpected but very welcome.

MUCH MOROCCO


November 09, 2018

How Argan Oil is Made - From Tree-Climbing Goats to Women's Cooperatives in Morocco


Grease me up, buttercup!

THE MOROCCO DIARIES, PART 9 of 10: THE ARGAN OIL ROUTE FROM MARRAKECH TO ESSAOUIRA

Argan oil. Blessed liquid gold. The darling of the beauty industry - nourishing, lightweight, and versatile. Ladies in the know use it on their skin, their cuticles, in their hair. Myself, I’ve stopped washing my waist-length hair with conditioner, instead using argan oil on the mid-to-ends to keep my tresses happy. I knew that the best argan oil comes from and is native to Morocco, but I had only the vaguest idea of how it is harvested and produced. So it was rather a treat to visit a women’s cooperative and see the traditional methods used to produce this precious ingredient, buy my beloved argan oil (and other) products straight from the source, as well as witness for myself the legendary tree-climbing goats of Morocco.



November 05, 2018

My 4½ Things to Do with 24 Hours in Marrakech, Morocco



4½ Things to Do with 24 Hours in Marrakech

THE MOROCCO DIARIES, PART 8 of 10: MARRAKECH, MOROCCO

At last, I had arrived in Marrakech. The iconic city that I had mistaken to be the capital of Morocco. A colourful, cacophonic, chaotic cauldron of sights, sounds, scents; and of course, souks. Rabat may be regal, Casablanca may be cosmopolitan; but Marrakech is the city that endures in the imagination of those yet to visit Morocco mine included. Alas, I had only a day to soak up the best of what this famous city had to offer. Although I daresay my attempt proved to be fruitful - from shopping in the souk to languishing in one of the most luxurious hotels in Marrakech. Should you, too, find yourself in Marrakech for the first time with just a day to spare, this guide is for you. These are my 4½ Things to Do with 24 Hours in Marrakech.


November 02, 2018

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