tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21624244122927508292024-03-12T20:13:33.649-07:00Blue Odyssey Morocco BlogBlue Odysseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806990423819322967noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162424412292750829.post-80201688312130901262017-06-30T08:41:00.000-07:002018-10-10T15:23:14.362-07:00Magical Marrakech<div class=" " id="CategoriesList_MediaPost__0_0" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 630px;">
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<div class="font_9" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #33424e; font-family: avenir-lt-w01_35-light1475496, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">After a long flight we finally arrived in Marrakech. It had been over 30 years since Perry was here during his student days in Europe and he was eager to see what had changed. Right from the start it was clear that things had improved dramatically in terms of infrastructure. The airport had just opened 2 months before and was air conditioned, modern and efficient - not words often associated with African airports! The drive into town revealed clean streets and newly paved roads with modern building dotting the route. Once we reached the walls of the old town things started looking more authentic. The red city walls still guarded the inner medina where the buildings had not changed much in hundreds of years. We passed the famous Mamunia Hotel where the stars all stayed in the 60’s and came to one of the outer gates where we disembarked and walked the last bit into the pedestrian only street. The architecture reminded one of a fortress with high crenelated walls, narrow winding streets, low slung buildings (none more than 2 stories as dictated by law). Soon we had manuvered our way to our “riad” (traditional home). </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: start;">We were welcomed into the inner courtyard after winding through some narrow passageways which keep the cool air in. The decoration was charming with large carved lanterns, a small pool, and lots of green plants in the open sky center of the building. We were served the traditional Moroccan mint tea which was flavorful and refreshing. We were then shown to our room which was tastefully appointed with nomadic carpets, beautiful carved furniture, a four poster bed, and a gorgeous ensuite bathroom all overlooking the inner courtyard one floor below. After a quick shower and a change of clothes we descended to a fabulous home cooked meal consisting of a platter of appetizers and tagine (also the name of the clay pot which this specific dish is cooked in). Our tagine was full of spices and fresh flavors with tender lamb, fresh vegetables, potatoes and rich juices to soak up the accompanying bread. A great culinary start to our journey. Dessert was fresh orange slices with cinnamon sprinkled over them which was a perfect way to round out the meal. We took a short stroll to the nearby historic square called Jemaa el-Fnaa where we watched the full moon rise over the Koutibia Mosque’s minaret which is a famous landmark. Snake charmers, food stalls, storytellers all served to liven the atmosphere of the square and we felt the thrill of experiencing an ancient living culture come alive before our eyes. As we drifted in and out of sleep that night we heard the calls to prayer echo through the ancient streets in the early morning hours and knew we weren’t in Kansas anymore!</span><br />
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<div class="font_9" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #33424e; font-family: avenir-lt-w01_35-light1475496, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The next day our local city guide, Mohammed, met us and heaped us plan our day according to our interests. We started off on our walking tour in the early morning and made our way the covered markets and alleys reminiscent of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar but in a more lively open street scene. Our first stop was a fantastic example of Moroccan architecture where the founders of the city established the royal tombs of the tribe of Siad. As we walked among the tombs we witnessed amazingly intricate carvings of wood, ivory, mother of pea</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">rl and more all inlaid into geometric patterns in the roof and walls. The cool inner chambers gave a nice break from the summer heat outside in the well tended gardens full of wonderful scents like orange blossom and rose. Next it was off to the Jewish quarter called Mellah where we witnessed craftsman plying their ancient trades such as leatherwork, jewelry and much more. There were even some synagogs still standing. Walking through the old medina gave us a real sense of the living history of Morocco. Many tribes have come and gone followed by Arabs bringing Islam, Spanish and Portuguese pushing back, and later French colonization. One still feels the French presence here from the language to the legal system. Morocco gained its independence in 1956 and has a king who actively rules the country.</span></div>
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Blue Odysseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806990423819322967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162424412292750829.post-75143600603006604072017-06-29T08:45:00.000-07:002018-10-10T16:31:09.036-07:00Argan Oil and Essaouria - Castles made of Sand<div class=" flex_vbox" id="comp-j4buu4kf_SinglePostMediaTop_MediaPost__0_0_def_6" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; flex-direction: column; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0.01em 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
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After an exhilarating stay in Marrakech we headed to the Atlantic Coast to the town of Essaouria where a steady sea breeze keeps the town cool evening summer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpNy5c5M1r_76VN4W_UrEmBW6XRuyMxBXbWx77zcMFR8acC-BvIWgoSwO1dIJH_5mZi7T-yl8OXk0BgTKWfcM-9TEb4y2LpVWARtklnoZzSVGcq3Jcs7X-H-q315r6Gw28fMmeIRehs2s/s1600/150821437-this-photo-taken-on-august-26-shows-goats-climbing-up.jpg.CROP.promo-large2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="920" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpNy5c5M1r_76VN4W_UrEmBW6XRuyMxBXbWx77zcMFR8acC-BvIWgoSwO1dIJH_5mZi7T-yl8OXk0BgTKWfcM-9TEb4y2LpVWARtklnoZzSVGcq3Jcs7X-H-q315r6Gw28fMmeIRehs2s/s640/150821437-this-photo-taken-on-august-26-shows-goats-climbing-up.jpg.CROP.promo-large2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goats climbing argan tree </td></tr>
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En route we passed fields of irrigated palms, enormous olive trees, and the local star - the Argan Tree. For those of you not familiar with the oil of the argon nut it is one of the most sought after skin care products in the globe. We stopped in a women owned co-op to see how the oil was extracted using the traditional method of grinding stones.<br />
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The oil is then used in a multitude of ways including infusions with orange blossom (our favorite) as a skin cream, as a food product mixed with almond oil called Amlou (think nutty Nutela), and much more. After stocking up on various delightful products which will come in handy in the desert environment, we continued on to the coast.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grinding argan nuts in traditional stone mill</td></tr>
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Arriving into laid back Essaouria was like traveling back into the 1960s. It was totally laid back with street artists playing music on funky banjos, tie dye head wraps, and a cool beach scene with kite surfers screaming up and down the waves along the beach front. The old town is contained within a walled city and unlike unruly Marrakech these streets are laid out on a grid pattern so you can’t get lost. It is a small town full of artisans, restaurants, hammams, bakeries and cafes. We checked in to our lovely “riad” which was built around a historic courtyard and set out to find dinner.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aLi0TDXI_tE/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aLi0TDXI_tE?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="320"></iframe>As most of you know, we are foodies but we eschew the trendy restaurants in favor of low key, preferably home cooked meals. Essaouria is renowned for its wonderful fresh seafood and we soon encountered numerous fancy restaurants with beautiful settings and high prices to match but we just weren’t feeling it so instead we walked to the old port outside the city walls and lucked into a wonderfully simple shack where locals and a few travelers were dining on freshly caught fish cooked on site over mesquite grills. It was just a simple place with plastic tables and chairs set on the ramparts by the sea with a breeze blowing in. The catch of the day was displayed in ice crates and choices included sea bream, sole, crab, shrimp, and calamari. We selected our favorites and the staff weighed them on the spot - $35 for 3 people including fries and a drink. Soon we were feasting on the most tender white sea bream, crunchy blackened grilled calamari, sweet shrimp, and were seated at a shared table with some other travelers. One of the magic things about travel is the serendipitous experiences one has - we met a couple from France and a half British half German solo traveler who by chance had grown up in the diplomatic quarters in Istanbul. We hit it off immediately and soon were exploring the town together in search of gelato (scored some great home made flavors) and then discovered a totally cool roof top bar overlooking the city that was low key but had live music and great atmosphere. We sat overlooking the city sharing travel stories and listening to wonderful local music called Gnawa which emanates from Africa. The rhythms were hypnotic and the band wore these great fez hats with a ball attached t a string on top so that when they swirled their heads to the beat the ball went round and round their heads. What fun!<br />
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Blue Odysseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806990423819322967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162424412292750829.post-30608174750170816642017-06-28T08:51:00.000-07:002018-10-10T15:46:37.848-07:00Trekking in the High Atlas<div class=" flex_vbox" id="comp-j4buu4kf_SinglePostMediaTop_MediaPost__0_0_def_6" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; flex-direction: column; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0.01em 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toubkal<br /></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #33424e; font-size: 14px;">We left the breezy coast behind and drove into the stunning high Atlas mountains to the base of Mt Toubkal, the second highest peak in Africa. </span></div>
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Here we lodged in a small mountain village in a traditional lodge made of stone. Up on the terrace we had great views of the valley below and the snowy peaks above.<br />
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />We enjoyed a delicious home cooked meal of clay pot chicken and vegetables followed by fresh watermelon. the next morning we set off on an easy trek up the valley through groves of walnut trees following a rushing mountain stream. It was so peaceful and green - like a garden in paradise - the temperature was just perfect. We stopped by a local home for lunch where we enjoyed on of the best meals of the trip featuring the local specialty, rfissa (msemen bread with lentils and chicken cooked with turmeric).<br />
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After lunch we made our way back through the village to the mountain stream and back too our lodge where we enjoyed a crisp bottle of local Moroccan rose which was quite nice - thank to the french colonial presence there are some very good wines here in Morocco. We met some nice travelers at our lodge that evening and shared a meal with them as they told us about their epic 2 day trek to the summit of Toubkal. Good fun!<br />
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Blue Odysseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806990423819322967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162424412292750829.post-67985804049960816382017-06-27T08:47:00.000-07:002018-10-10T20:25:06.337-07:00Into the Sahara<br />
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<span class="inherit-font-size" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We started exploring the Sahara Desert by a 4x4 vehicle, driven by a fabulous local guide named Tata. He took us for a fun drive into the deep sand to reach our nomadic camp set at the base of the dunes. The sky darkened and a fresh rain lightly fell on us as a refreshing welcome to this magical spot. </span><br />
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<span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We dined in the large bedouin tent on delicious tagines and local dishes and then we were serenaded by a great musical group playing drums, dancing and singing. Later we fell into our spacious air conditioned tent (can you believe it!) and slept deeply dreaming of caravans and spice traders.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_J-zMLOLFORIfpo-YAbKj4L4IOShQBJ0gYtkpDSv4fvkHm_pnKrhuWRXJVF8wnN5ccIMtHeiLSRWMyu2KSj-VVe6u7a00uoO_PV6-2ScuaMlzuYK-ptGUQtpS-tpJ3_5ObV3O4ZOeQqj5/s1600/46535378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="1024" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_J-zMLOLFORIfpo-YAbKj4L4IOShQBJ0gYtkpDSv4fvkHm_pnKrhuWRXJVF8wnN5ccIMtHeiLSRWMyu2KSj-VVe6u7a00uoO_PV6-2ScuaMlzuYK-ptGUQtpS-tpJ3_5ObV3O4ZOeQqj5/s640/46535378.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside our tent @ Sahara<br /></td></tr>
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<div class="s_heNoSkinPhoto" data-content-padding-horizontal="0" data-content-padding-vertical="0" data-exact-height="346.6845703125" id="innercomp_txtMedia15g0" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; clear: both; display: block; font-size: 10px; height: 348px; margin: 10px auto; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; vertical-align: baseline; width: 618px;" title="">
<div class="s_heNoSkinPhotolink" id="innercomp_txtMedia15g0link" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; display: block; height: 348px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 618px;">
<div class="s_heNoSkinPhotoimg" data-style="" id="innercomp_txtMedia15g0img" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; height: 348px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 618px;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #33424e; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We awoke before dawn to set out by camel into the Sahara Desert so we could watch the sunrise unfold across this vast landscape. As we left our tents we brushed the sleep from our eyes and looked to the stars above. There’s nothing quiet like the stars viewed from a desert landscape. They shine so brilliantly that they actually light the ground beneath one’s feet. We crossed the camp to our awaiting camels and met our nomadic guide, Hassan. Hassan showed us the ropes and soon we were heading across the sand dunes in the early morning light. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWL8AWaztZQRhn0D_ysKLhYwJ1R9YhD3LgmCnyZkr4RXVkiuljfSrQsfvs6gWAeOiZG-uaxZKgqiqfOKNkweroiwrX7KA0Lq1LxmnYknQOC6RXPKtakO52ejCCZIswV1ff-Gnfwnh4b1Q/s1600/69f21e_9eec7c960424432a9775c5e5d40be1c5_mv2.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="618" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWL8AWaztZQRhn0D_ysKLhYwJ1R9YhD3LgmCnyZkr4RXVkiuljfSrQsfvs6gWAeOiZG-uaxZKgqiqfOKNkweroiwrX7KA0Lq1LxmnYknQOC6RXPKtakO52ejCCZIswV1ff-Gnfwnh4b1Q/s320/69f21e_9eec7c960424432a9775c5e5d40be1c5_mv2.webp" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 10px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
<span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The landscape before us was fascinating. Undulating sand dunes rose from the valley floor towards the High Atlas Mountains in the distance. The shapes, the snaking ridge line, the solitude, the silence, the light, all combined to create a mesmerizing atmosphere. The rhythmic back and forth atop the camels’ hump, lulled us into a trance. It was like we were starring in our own version of Lawrence of Arabia. We looked the part as well with our turbans and scarves wrapped around our heads in the local style of the Berbers.</span></div>
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<img alt="" data-type="image" id="innercomp_txtMedian1wimgimage" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/69f21e_a192f03e3ad244b3a99b4a09819c2338~mv2_d_3264_2448_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_618,h_464,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/69f21e_a192f03e3ad244b3a99b4a09819c2338~mv2_d_3264_2448_s_4_2.webp" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; height: 464px; margin: 0px; object-fit: contain; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 618px;" /></div>
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<span class="inherit-font-size" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">When we reached the base of Erg Chebbi, one of the largest sand dunes in the region, we disembarked from our “ships of the desert” and kicked off our shoes as we began the trek towards the summit in the early morning silence. At first, the footing was solid and we made good progress on the compacted sand as we followed the ridge line skywards. Soon the sand became powdery and more difficult to negotiate but we made steady progress as the sky illuminated with pre dawn light. The sand felt wonderful under our bare feet like a powdered dust one sprinkles over french toast. </span></div>
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<div class="s_heNoSkinPhotoimg" data-style="" id="innercomp_txtMedia1olximg" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; height: 464px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: 618px;">
<img alt="" data-type="image" id="innercomp_txtMedia1olximgimage" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/69f21e_b9d32ad844594f0098caafbc17fea060~mv2_d_3264_2448_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_618,h_464,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/69f21e_b9d32ad844594f0098caafbc17fea060~mv2_d_3264_2448_s_4_2.webp" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; height: 464px; margin: 0px; object-fit: contain; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 618px;" /></div>
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<span class="inherit-font-size" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jordan shot ahead and was soon at the summit urging us onwards to greet the rising sun. When the sun finally rose above the horizon, the entire range of sand dunes took on a pink hue followed by a deep golden tone. The valley below us came alive as the sun’s rays hit the green palm leaves in the river bed miles beneath us. </span></div>
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<span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A wandering dog suddenly appeared amongst the dunes and soon joined us as we mounted our camels for the return journey to camp. We marveled at the small plants that were able to take root in the desert sand despite the lack of water. Here and there we found green plants and straw colored grass which the camels feed on as they cross the desert. </span><br />
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<span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">When we reached camp, a sumptuous breakfast awaited us including fresh preserves, crepes, wood fired bread, local olives, fresh eggs and strong coffee. It is amazing how much you can accomplish before 7 a.m.! </span></div>
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<span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">After breakfast, we bid farewell to our hospitable camp staff and jumped into a 4x4. We sped across the desert keeping our momentum to power through the deep sand. Soon we arrived at a nomadic encampment where we were quickly surrounded by excited children. The kids knew that our guide, Abdelkader aka Tata, had a bag full of goodies and a good natured tug of war soon ensued with the kids vying for the position to shoot their small hands into his bag of goodies. After the chaos, we were welcomed by a family who had established their temporary shelter high on a ridge overlooking a dry riverbed. Life here is tough, water must be drawn from a well over a mile away and carried back to the camp. The headman of this encampment had two wives and eight children to support and their only source of revenue were the goats they were raising in this barren landscape. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Sahara guide Tata took us to visit a family<br /></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #33424e; font-size: 17px;">Next, we travelled to a nearby village, Khamlia to meet a group of local musicians. Their history is fascinating as they are former slaves from Ghana, who gained their freedom and established a settlement in this remote corner of Morocco. Their music is called Gwana and they are famous for their music festival which takes place each year in July. We were welcomed into their music chamber and they were soon playing an assortment of local drums, castanets, guitar, etc,… They wore traditional dress and danced as they played their rhythmic tunes. Once the music got started they invited us to join them in their dance and we had good fun learning the local steps. You can listen to their music on our <a href="https://www.blueodyssey.com/fullscreen-page/comp-j4bqm8h6/ba439f3b-88c1-462d-a129-c1c1ef07da23/0/%3Fi%3D0%26p%3De4imu%26s%3Dstyle-j8yyyot4">website.</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 17px;">Our next stop was at a local woman’s house in Merzouga where we were treated to a cooking class. Our hostess was named Naima. She was well educated and spoke fluent English which was a bit of a surprise considering how remote her village of Merzouga was. She had a dual degree in English and Sociology but her real talent was in the kitchen. She showed us how to make a delicious local dish called Madlfuna also known as Berber pizza. This dish consists of sautéed turkey breast, roasted almonds, onions and spices which are then laid into dough which is placed in a wood fired oven in the courtyard. The bread rises like a balloon as the dried palm leaves fueled the fire. Soon we were feasting on this tasty dish at her table as sipping on the ubiquitous mint tea. She also showed us how to make carrot salad and roasted eggplant appetizer. Dessert consisted of fresh dates from the local palms and sweet melon. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Berber family cooking for us</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Sahara guide Tata<br /></td></tr>
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Blue Odysseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806990423819322967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162424412292750829.post-45822222641225539722017-06-26T08:49:00.000-07:002018-10-10T20:34:22.957-07:00Valley of the Kasbahs and Carpets<br />
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<span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Bidding farewell to the beautiful High Atlas mountains we drove down through the famed route of the kasbahs which follows the ancient trade route from the Sahara Desert to the souks and markets of the royal cities. The ksar, a group of earthen buildings surrounded by high walls, is a traditional pre-Saharan habitat. The houses crowd together within the defensive walls, which are reinforced by corner towers. Ait-Ben-Haddou, in Ouarzazate province, is a striking example of the architecture of southern Morocco. This is a Unesco World Heritage Site. As you can imagine the scenery was spectacular with mud and brick fortresses set atop rocky outcrops overlooking oasis of palms dotting the river bed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Our drive revealed isolated palm groves, stark dry river beds, and low mountains on the horizon. En route we passed an area famous for movie sets where film studios have been established to film major motion pictures like Lawrence of Arabia, Cleopatra, Gladiator and many more. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyw1SnCh9GflcJKufYoGRcXx4cPAP0zS2navd_2GL4hVrkF_2s5e1abyvjDzInfqFQS9p5LjSlC7bcROXEIMbPNM1MZnhpSNomyjQDwD3xxa-EWSDVDWb7zxea7G589-HqllP-GMj8SaJl/s1600/kasbah3.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="561" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyw1SnCh9GflcJKufYoGRcXx4cPAP0zS2navd_2GL4hVrkF_2s5e1abyvjDzInfqFQS9p5LjSlC7bcROXEIMbPNM1MZnhpSNomyjQDwD3xxa-EWSDVDWb7zxea7G589-HqllP-GMj8SaJl/s640/kasbah3.webp" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then we stopped at a weavers' cooperative and purchased a gorgeous indigo tribal kilim (flat weave) for Jordan to reward him for his excellent grades this year. It was fun to see how the locals spin the wool, use natural dyes to color it, and then weave on the loom. </div>
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<span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Saffron would be used to create yellow colors and henna would be used to create red colors. Blue was created from indigo and green was gotten from wild mint, while burgundy was derived from pomegranate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">The Berber people believe in the positive energy of Baraka to ward off evil energies or spirits. When a vintage Berber rug was crafted, it often has symbols woven into it to infuse protective powers in the carpet.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBmJk7HjJrOc-WAu4OBf75n3RjI3AsDTkcOSlZlarFKp1qhS5D5pg5gDJa6yUNJEfvVaHsGZkdtUQL8-m4At5ZOyyCz3vY1YiuhLiO36zpiQCQwfHy0kwrmq4bsdo-PD6zGNJDBYdtevZ/s1600/kasbah7.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="630" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBmJk7HjJrOc-WAu4OBf75n3RjI3AsDTkcOSlZlarFKp1qhS5D5pg5gDJa6yUNJEfvVaHsGZkdtUQL8-m4At5ZOyyCz3vY1YiuhLiO36zpiQCQwfHy0kwrmq4bsdo-PD6zGNJDBYdtevZ/s640/kasbah7.webp" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">The Moroccan Berber people of North Africa have a long and illustrious tradition of making fine hand-woven rugs and carpets. The Berbers, who also call themselves Amazigh, or Imazighen in plural form, are descended from pre-Arab inhabitants of North Africa who are known to have lived in the region since prehistoric times. Today, they are found in scattered communities across much of the region, including Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Niger, Mali and Mauretania.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #33424e; font-size: 16px;">Having one of the largest Berber populations, Morocco is among the most prolific producers of Berber carpets today. Each of the about forty-five Berber tribes scattered across the country has its own distinctive design as well as weaving and embroidery style. However, all the different carpets of the different tribes share two common characteristics: simplicity of design and richness of colors, especially red and saffron.</span><span style="color: #33424e; font-size: 16px;">Traditionally, Moroccan Berber carpets have been woven more for their utilitarian purpose than as decorative pieces. The carpets made by Berber tribes that live in the Atlas Mountains region are thick with a heavy pile, whereas those made by tribes that live in the desert are light and flat woven. The Berbers and other nomadic Moroccans use the carpets variously as bed coverings, sleeping mats, burial shrouds, saddle blankets and for self-adornments. </span><span style="color: #33424e; font-size: 16px;">www.blueodyssey.com </span></div>
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Blue Odysseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806990423819322967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162424412292750829.post-47288587385900878242017-06-25T08:57:00.000-07:002018-10-10T20:49:13.162-07:00Fascinating Fez<div class=" flex_vbox" id="comp-j4buu4kf_SinglePostMediaTop_MediaPost__0_0_def_6" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; flex-direction: column; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0.01em 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
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Ziz Valley</div>
<div class="font_9" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #33424e; font-family: avenir-lt-w01_35-light1475496, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<div class="font_9" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #33424e; font-family: avenir-lt-w01_35-light1475496, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Leaving our desert camp we travelled north towards Fez into the famous Ziz Valley which is a paradise of palm trees that create a lush oasis following an ancient river path across this desert landscape. Our local guide, Tata, took us to a wonderful local market and then to visit two women’s cooperatives that we will support with our tours - one was a facility where they processed local dates into jams, syrups, and other products. This was supported by Slow Food. The other was a reed weaving center where they created beautiful baskets and household items. After a short walk in the palm groves we arrived at Tata’s house where we feasted on roast chicken and fresh veggies from his garden. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #33424e; font-size: 16px;">Later we drove to the mountain town of Ifrane where we met our wonderful travel partners Tom & Fazia. It was amazing to see how their home town was so similar to a European mountain town with chalet style architecture surrounded by cedar forests. We took a nice walk through the cedar trees and took in the fresh mountain air. We continue to be amazed by Morocco’s diverse landscapes from desert to sea, mountains to oasis, and forest to river valleys. All along the route we are finding historic medinas, kasbahs, caravansaries and more. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #33424e; font-size: 16px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9qwy1NKV_4rHa5scptZF6OEMtuEeZPdTIH0yjRdw765qycOeLN0qlyT0-ghUDocDRSkh3IPdAR5I1J5dc02eQAKBcqczC3ZNhrhRcWW7saZFz1pzFJGgOWrFY8GLS5ceGNWHtQTOfqxw/s1600/69f21e_e9b8799ceec14e37b6a97b88d8847681_mv2_d_2448_3264_s_4_2.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9qwy1NKV_4rHa5scptZF6OEMtuEeZPdTIH0yjRdw765qycOeLN0qlyT0-ghUDocDRSkh3IPdAR5I1J5dc02eQAKBcqczC3ZNhrhRcWW7saZFz1pzFJGgOWrFY8GLS5ceGNWHtQTOfqxw/s400/69f21e_e9b8799ceec14e37b6a97b88d8847681_mv2_d_2448_3264_s_4_2.webp" width="298" /></a></span></div>
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</span><span style="color: #33424e; font-size: 16px;">Eventually we reached the ancient capital of Fes which boasts the largest walled medina in the world. A short walk within the magnificent city walls led us to our secret gem of a hotel (Riad) which featured a small pool in a lush garden in an open courtyard surrounded by beautifully decorated walls with mosaic tiles and carved plaster in the traditional Andalusian style. Dinner was in the garden and we were treated to the local specialty, pastilla, which is a delicious flaky crusted pastry filled with spiced chicken, chickpeas, and sprinkled with cinnamon. Delicious!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZK7W3edIYTSKEHcct2pq__-8WywHHft52AX93bouB4296d9zJtdkbaTT4zEKPQ4bg-1N0DN-NU9GknlLUzLX1_VX7BX8NRz4rbeAJTR5LsP_8QalGFcOi8YJyKJhJwD4AFK5xka1inEC2/s1600/69f21e_bcaac9435f4a4c8197612e07f7c91e5b_mv2.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="290" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZK7W3edIYTSKEHcct2pq__-8WywHHft52AX93bouB4296d9zJtdkbaTT4zEKPQ4bg-1N0DN-NU9GknlLUzLX1_VX7BX8NRz4rbeAJTR5LsP_8QalGFcOi8YJyKJhJwD4AFK5xka1inEC2/s320/69f21e_bcaac9435f4a4c8197612e07f7c91e5b_mv2.webp" width="239" /></a></div>
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<div class="font_9" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #33424e; font-family: avenir-lt-w01_35-light1475496, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Our guide, Aziz, met us the next morning and took us on a a wonderful exploration of the inner medina including an amazing former koranic school with gorgeous tiles, carved wood and plaster ceilings and walls. We visited the children’s library that we will support with our tours and then peaked into the great mosque and royal palace where we were not allowed entry. The street are full of craftspeople and it really is a living culture with metal workers, stone carvers, leather tanners, and more working in the streets and selling their wares. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYLNfO7pFoh14pj05kau_fEMgmbaR2ZkoL9yRcDuajHFD2KUX56Ov1ITg_Gl9y1CWZY9nuU_Vm2N6suSilQCpZRlX40H8ZKb-73VVrDXe7QDO5vUPOB2hMh-xyDDlxbxFgd5RfBKycB8Lb/s1600/69f21e_1b4d14bd958a4e0c860bfd409b534cee_mv2_d_2448_3264_s_4_2.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYLNfO7pFoh14pj05kau_fEMgmbaR2ZkoL9yRcDuajHFD2KUX56Ov1ITg_Gl9y1CWZY9nuU_Vm2N6suSilQCpZRlX40H8ZKb-73VVrDXe7QDO5vUPOB2hMh-xyDDlxbxFgd5RfBKycB8Lb/s1600/69f21e_1b4d14bd958a4e0c860bfd409b534cee_mv2_d_2448_3264_s_4_2.webp" /></a></div>
<div class="s_heNoSkinPhoto" data-content-padding-horizontal="0" data-content-padding-vertical="0" data-exact-height="386.40000000000003" id="innercomp_txtMediabyk" style="border: 0px; color: black; float: right; font-size: 10px; height: 387px; margin: 10px 5px 10px 18px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; vertical-align: baseline; width: 290px;" title="Our guide Aziz, translating the script">
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<span style="color: #33424e; font-size: 16px;">We visited a superb pottery workshop where we witnessed the full process of producing the stunning tiles and pottery pieces we have been seeing along the way. Another example of the living tradition and culture that is still thriving in Morocco. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5hsU8fhj79CYtj8D63mzzS3t6D3ToUJg7tT35RgQ2sEzmEHkADeuFUQKzThT-dom89ciUikj2mFGxSXstbP5UUg1TgKDFgSqCFTY8pcX-YXfEvJgROw37IHFtKij-0PtpVXVZ5qSMb3c/s1600/69f21e_118d99e894dd4fddb5f0de22d122055b_mv2_d_3264_2448_s_4_2.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="630" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5hsU8fhj79CYtj8D63mzzS3t6D3ToUJg7tT35RgQ2sEzmEHkADeuFUQKzThT-dom89ciUikj2mFGxSXstbP5UUg1TgKDFgSqCFTY8pcX-YXfEvJgROw37IHFtKij-0PtpVXVZ5qSMb3c/s640/69f21e_118d99e894dd4fddb5f0de22d122055b_mv2_d_3264_2448_s_4_2.webp" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shopping for a leather jacket</td></tr>
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<div class="s_heNoSkinPhoto" data-content-padding-horizontal="0" data-content-padding-vertical="0" data-exact-height="472.5" id="innercomp_txtMediapdt" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; clear: both; height: 473px; margin: 10px auto; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: static; vertical-align: baseline; width: 630px;" title="We visited the famous tannery in Fes and Jordan bought a beautiful suede jacket from Mohammed. :)">
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In the evening we dined at a wonderful restaurant set in a historic riad. The food was some of the best of the entire trip - fresh salads of buffalo mozzarella, quinoa, beetroot and goat cheese followed by fresh sea bass, roasted duck, and grilled lamb which we shared family style. A nice deep Moroccan red wine complemented the meal. </div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Shopping was amazing in Fes. The whole medina is filled with artisans and craftsmen. We visited the famous tannery (yes, the smell is not pleasant but they give you a sprig of fresh mint that you can smell as you look at the tannery). There are beautiful leather shops next to the tannery. Jordan saw a suede jacket and we found ourselves bargaining with Mohammed. Jale showed her bargaining skills honed at the Grand Bazaar and ten minutes later we became friends with Mohammed. He showed us photos of what he has been cooking and we found ourselves talking about food while Jordan was trying on the jacket.</span></div>
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Blue Odysseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806990423819322967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162424412292750829.post-56829916969138469332017-06-23T08:58:00.000-07:002018-10-10T21:01:41.970-07:00Cooking Class in Fez<div class=" flex_vbox" id="comp-j4buu4kf_SinglePostMediaTop_MediaPost__0_0_def_6" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; flex-direction: column; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0.01em 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">In Fez, the streets of the medina are filled with food. All the residents come to the food section of the souk every morning to buy their daily groceries. They know the butcher and the baker by name, ask how the family is doing to the green grocer. As you are walking in the small alleys, you give way to the baker carrying breads. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Fresh herbs are sold next to argan oil and olives. This is heaven for anybody who loves to cook. I took a cooking class here at Cafe Clock with Maidja Souad, a wonderful woman chef. Souad speaks Arabic, English, French and Berber; pretty much like all Moroccans. After talking about kids, family, and cooking, Jale and Souad went to the souk to buy fresh herbs, vegetables, lamb and freshly baked crepe like flatbread called msemen, </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWt-EoB80jWq3WoEmmdsHvm4U_BwhVX9Cc0sviVuxORPJ03Jv0C_ndrTeslulQdGTJHg4JwCO-u1nrDWqwjMjN87fnbyJ_Y52j4IjEqarbhtsQ8NiWiZfWmcq9a9Rbxk_Kg14TK5I-Bok/s1600/69f21e_3174f4b020604af980854fe413cc671b_mv2_d_3264_2448_s_4_2.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="479" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWt-EoB80jWq3WoEmmdsHvm4U_BwhVX9Cc0sviVuxORPJ03Jv0C_ndrTeslulQdGTJHg4JwCO-u1nrDWqwjMjN87fnbyJ_Y52j4IjEqarbhtsQ8NiWiZfWmcq9a9Rbxk_Kg14TK5I-Bok/s1600/69f21e_3174f4b020604af980854fe413cc671b_mv2_d_3264_2448_s_4_2.webp" /></a></div>
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<div class="font_8" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Watching Souad talk to everybody at the food souk was fun. She was joking with the butcher one moment and the next she was telling the grocer to give her the best zucchinis. She talked about several dishes we'd prepare together as we filled our baskets with dates and veggies. </span></div>
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Souad told the henna lady about me, and two minutes later she had henna on my hand! I waited for ten minutes for henna to dry and then Souad put sugar water on it, then washed it. My henna was ready.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjMxVC00lAzmc57IUwv2PbInObrNXZ57UZXnnR4bqGA-Hoo8D_s6YnLZGtyuKMJlmxU_z4Ed6XV0SVYCUCtTTLsjw1sR7Tyvwd8wWi_-YzTTs4BHFV3MnsdUuyYEOWzzr-YZJtTysuozL/s1600/69f21e_83f824a213c44fdaa64313c6dc3734a8_mv2_d_3264_2448_s_4_2.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="290" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjMxVC00lAzmc57IUwv2PbInObrNXZ57UZXnnR4bqGA-Hoo8D_s6YnLZGtyuKMJlmxU_z4Ed6XV0SVYCUCtTTLsjw1sR7Tyvwd8wWi_-YzTTs4BHFV3MnsdUuyYEOWzzr-YZJtTysuozL/s400/69f21e_83f824a213c44fdaa64313c6dc3734a8_mv2_d_3264_2448_s_4_2.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almond cookies with orange blossom water</td></tr>
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After shopping and joking with the grocers and bakers, we came back to Cafe Clock to start the cooking class.</div>
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I chose to learn 3 items at the cooking class: harira soup, couscous with seven vegetables and lamb, and macaroon with orange blossom water (my favorite).</div>
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Harira Soup:</div>
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This is comfort food for Moroccans. It's traditionally served at Ramadan to break the fast. For 4 people</div>
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1 cup cooked chickpeas</div>
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1 cup vermicelli</div>
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5 tomatoes</div>
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1 medium onion</div>
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1 cup chopped celery</div>
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1 cup finely chopped parsley and cilantro </div>
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1/2 cup corn flour</div>
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1 tsp ginger</div>
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1/2 tsp turmeric</div>
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2 tsp olive oil</div>
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2 tablespoons tomato paste</div>
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salt and pepper </div>
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In a large pot, add 1 liter of water. Blend tomatoes, onion and garlic and add them into the pot. Add all spices, tomato paste, olive oil, herbs and cook for 20 minutes. Then add chickpeas, vermicelli and corn flour. Stir well to thicken. When cooked, take it off the fire and add some coriander. You can serve with with chopped cilantro, parsley and a wedge of lemon.</div>
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Here is the seven vegetables couscous we cooked together.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_Dn5MwrDLP-5MME2xyrmqvC80Q7VI3-kG8w0csLkRbQxp07G5-SSlUJ3TRMxJZIr-0xNbbDNzePmy5WY-8P3GmHG4kyt3paNB9JjQOUEWFi61lI5p_ajRA9i211nW2PdKYCgBNwpcUuf/s1600/69f21e_c67d4443e75c4939873838fdc7772778_mv2_d_3264_2448_s_4_2.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="630" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_Dn5MwrDLP-5MME2xyrmqvC80Q7VI3-kG8w0csLkRbQxp07G5-SSlUJ3TRMxJZIr-0xNbbDNzePmy5WY-8P3GmHG4kyt3paNB9JjQOUEWFi61lI5p_ajRA9i211nW2PdKYCgBNwpcUuf/s640/69f21e_c67d4443e75c4939873838fdc7772778_mv2_d_3264_2448_s_4_2.webp" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">couscous with seven vegetables<br /></td></tr>
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<div class="font_8" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It was a wonderful cooking class where I learned a lot about this fabulous cuisine. Souad and I shared cooking techniques and laughed a lot. This is one of those experiences where you feel like there are people similar to you at the other side of the world. I will definitely be working with her when I send my guests to Fez.</span></div>
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Blue Odysseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806990423819322967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162424412292750829.post-337437658692326762017-06-20T08:59:00.000-07:002018-10-10T21:03:56.750-07:00Meknes<div class=" flex_vbox" id="comp-j4buu4kf_SinglePostMediaTop_MediaPost__0_0_def_6" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; flex-direction: column; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0.01em 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<br /><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Meknes is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco, located in north central Morocco and the sixth largest city by population in the kingdom. Founded in the 11th century by the Almoravids as a military settlement, Meknes became capital of Morocco under the reign of Sultan Moulay Ismaïl in the 17th century, son of the founder of the Alaouite dynasty.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Sultan Moulay Ismaïl turned Meknes into an impressive city in Spanish-Moorish style, surrounded by high walls with great doors, where the harmonious blending of the Islamic and European styles of the 17th century Maghreb are still evident today. </span><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The gate in the photo above is Bab Mansour which is the most famous of all in Meknes. The city walls are 30 miles long and there are 20 gates. Along the top of the gate, the Arabic inscription describes Bab el-Mansour's virtues with a confidence befitting of the king. It reads: 'I am the most beautiful gate in Morocco. I'm like the moon in the sky. Property and wealth are written on my front.'</span></div>
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Blue Odysseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806990423819322967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162424412292750829.post-42348083781837552502017-06-18T09:00:00.000-07:002018-10-10T21:12:56.080-07:00Volubilis, ancient Roman city and the town of Moulay Idris<div class=" flex_vbox" id="comp-j4buu4kf_SinglePostMediaTop_MediaPost__0_0_def_6" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; flex-direction: column; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0.01em 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_nGJ7pHOeS2APn1H_7Sw2O9W0iZAYe_NOrEwxS39JGdShZ2NwNiAqBdHTMzfohtDzQC7EJYeadAzCZagFW1agp4fbGYyRnoK7EdwYDuVYnX-qwjgcWnIgyPBMcpZUmrwxxGCQnsMQ76A/s1600/perryjordanvolubilis.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="630" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_nGJ7pHOeS2APn1H_7Sw2O9W0iZAYe_NOrEwxS39JGdShZ2NwNiAqBdHTMzfohtDzQC7EJYeadAzCZagFW1agp4fbGYyRnoK7EdwYDuVYnX-qwjgcWnIgyPBMcpZUmrwxxGCQnsMQ76A/s1600/perryjordanvolubilis.webp" /></a></td></tr>
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<div class="font_9" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #33424e; font-family: avenir-lt-w01_35-light1475496, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="inherit-font-size" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A short drive from Fez took us past olive groves to a wonderful ancient Roman town called Volubilis where we walked through the well preserved ruins including the agora, arched temples, and royal gate. </span></div>
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Volubilis is a partly excavated Berber and Roman city in Morocco situated near the city of Meknes, and commonly considered as the ancient capital of the kingdom of Mauretania. Built in a fertile agricultural area, it developed from the 3rd century BC onward as a Berber settlement. It grew rapidly under Roman rule from the 1st century AD onward and expanded to cover about 100 acres with a 1.6 miles circuit of walls. The city gained a number of major public buildings in the 2nd century, including a basilica, temple and triumphal arch. Its prosperity, which was derived principally from olive growing, prompted the construction of many fine town-houses with large mosaic floors.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYuvvDoJ-QFh_c4wuYLmhyX4ryxpF54UISCWXzU8nnHn0ngYcANLm9xdvPm19E-zA9QIswpdY9yD0gFvBZeuiEelWirjzSLlGuv2f9UZEaibUCf_e12uXUgzN8OyMDMCIL-XtLFspGEP89/s1600/volubilis2.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="630" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYuvvDoJ-QFh_c4wuYLmhyX4ryxpF54UISCWXzU8nnHn0ngYcANLm9xdvPm19E-zA9QIswpdY9yD0gFvBZeuiEelWirjzSLlGuv2f9UZEaibUCf_e12uXUgzN8OyMDMCIL-XtLFspGEP89/s1600/volubilis2.webp" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYE-dhLerrmLTffLQjQPYHlF4lSCasZwNDKpI7DJ_ekXK6ul_ijzNTDjwUFstTn6-TUVbijNU2D_DM5dj2AHJCdoziVEA17v_L_QUDno8BkvzMI7vKmAGi1XsoblIL0xvsE8wRQob91g8/s1600/volubilis4.webp" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 16px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="630" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYE-dhLerrmLTffLQjQPYHlF4lSCasZwNDKpI7DJ_ekXK6ul_ijzNTDjwUFstTn6-TUVbijNU2D_DM5dj2AHJCdoziVEA17v_L_QUDno8BkvzMI7vKmAGi1XsoblIL0xvsE8wRQob91g8/s1600/volubilis4.webp" /></a></div>
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<span class="inherit-font-size" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span class="inherit-font-size" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div>
<div class="font_9" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #33424e; font-family: avenir-lt-w01_35-light1475496, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One of the highlights were the stunning mosaic tile floors which had images of fish, mythical creatures like minotaurs, and more. The local museum had a great collection of artifacts from the city as well. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmxzHsrMjPO2ppzFckQGspoPBaw4N0p1u_SRUY1tGU3swA9SIcvwuRrkxjJJ-2Y_3-w1fxc8vo7Pyu50mbn_KkTPSMFtKMOdhiVq9Q8gBpOOlJnRVjJbBh7YuL0ojuS9rDd94ZdSaUlUa/s1600/volubilis5.webp" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 16px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="630" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmxzHsrMjPO2ppzFckQGspoPBaw4N0p1u_SRUY1tGU3swA9SIcvwuRrkxjJJ-2Y_3-w1fxc8vo7Pyu50mbn_KkTPSMFtKMOdhiVq9Q8gBpOOlJnRVjJbBh7YuL0ojuS9rDd94ZdSaUlUa/s1600/volubilis5.webp" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #33424e; font-size: 16px;">Volubilis is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed for being "an exceptionally well preserved example of a large Roman colonial town on the fringes of the Empire". <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKMR3iQiU06oTWIgs2i1tZpjQV39l_xD3sCSCtGYvHAO4kfYw8eRhAWdEpbay6N2S2vWoxXpS7fvQCOmM0woNeXGGQ2w_FqcDRDiCTDcfPTNWeDuMnIl6vCYZ4SKnCchNUs4704PTjUt9/s1600/moulayidriss.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="630" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKMR3iQiU06oTWIgs2i1tZpjQV39l_xD3sCSCtGYvHAO4kfYw8eRhAWdEpbay6N2S2vWoxXpS7fvQCOmM0woNeXGGQ2w_FqcDRDiCTDcfPTNWeDuMnIl6vCYZ4SKnCchNUs4704PTjUt9/s640/moulayidriss.webp" width="640" /></a></div>
</span><span style="border: 0px; color: #33424e; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Next we visited the nearby</span><span style="color: #33424e; font-size: 16px;"> holy town of Moulay Idriss which holds a special place in the hearts of Moroccan people. It was here that Moulay Idriss arrived in 789AD, bringing with him the religion of Islam, and starting a new dynasty. In addition to founding the town named after him, he also initiated construction of Fez, continued later by his son, Moulay Idriss II.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #33424e; font-size: 16px;">We enjoyed a home cooked meal at a local house where they hosted us on the open roof terrace overlooking the valley to the Roman ruins below. Another superb meal with crisp fresh vegetable salads made with onion, tomatoes, roasted eggplant, carrots, beets and more followed by freshly grilled and spiced meatballs and wonderful fresh hot bread. </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTOSKBuwFV3GQY6WIIL8g6HUCkXmOOHdf76FdlUibuVmtaGCr1J00ps4JJ8WJyy7MhAXZcMe2q3Gz3uDlRkE0r2DP5eJQL2fF26Xcg_19OKmn83i5i_qUayG7xtRKThbxHVcWqLUQns77/s1600/moulayidriss3.webp" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 16px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="630" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTOSKBuwFV3GQY6WIIL8g6HUCkXmOOHdf76FdlUibuVmtaGCr1J00ps4JJ8WJyy7MhAXZcMe2q3Gz3uDlRkE0r2DP5eJQL2fF26Xcg_19OKmn83i5i_qUayG7xtRKThbxHVcWqLUQns77/s640/moulayidriss3.webp" width="640" /></a></div>
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Blue Odysseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806990423819322967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162424412292750829.post-56737867367827391552017-06-15T09:04:00.000-07:002018-10-10T21:31:27.892-07:00Rabat<div class=" flex_vbox" id="comp-j4buu4kf_SinglePostMediaTop_MediaPost__0_0_def_6" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; flex-direction: column; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0.01em 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Rabat was a nice surprise. It's the youngest of Imperial cities and the capital since 1912. Thus it has the biggest palace, wide boulevards, beautiful gardens and, of course, a medina. </span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span>
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<br /><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>
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<div class="font_8" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">During the dinner, Ali told us about the building next door. It is an old riad and he just bought to renovate it. We told him that we'd love to see it. He will be connecting these two riads once it's finished. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This riad of course needs a lot of work and we are sure Ali will do a fabulous job renovating it. It was amazing to see the old tile work called zelij and the woodwork still in good condition. It has 4-5 room with a nice courtyard in the middle. Just beautiful. </div>
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If you want to read about buying and renovating an old riad in Morocco, I recommend the following book: <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">The Caliph's House</span> by Tahir Shah<br />
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<span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">We walked through medina towards the beach and saw the locals getting ready for a picnic on the beach. It was "iftar" time (breaking the fast at sunset). It was wonderful to see hundreds of picnic tables being prepared, locals bringing hot tagine just out of the oven, freshly baked bread to the picnic. As the muezzin started chanting, iftar dinner started. After dinner, some of them played guitar by the sea and some of them played soccer.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">This is a typical sign in Morocco: Arabic, Berber and French. Most Moroccans' mother tongue is Darija which is Arabic highly influenced by Berber, French and Spanish. Then when kids go to elementary school, they learn Classic Arabic. In third grade, they learn French. Most of them learn English in middle school or high school. It was amazing to see that almost the whole population from street vendors to teachers were polyglots.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Blue Odysseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806990423819322967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162424412292750829.post-30523331228537895382017-06-14T09:06:00.000-07:002018-10-10T21:38:47.355-07:00Chefchaouen<div class=" flex_vbox" id="comp-j4buu4kf_SinglePostMediaTop_MediaPost__0_0_def_6" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; flex-direction: column; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0.01em 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<br /><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">We arrived in Chefchaouen after driving through a beautiful valley filled with olive and fig trees. Ramadan was coming to an end and locals were already traveling to see their families; their cars filled with fruits purchased at the roadside vendors. The abundance of fruits and vegetables was wonderful. We often stopped upon seeing locals selling fruits right in front of their farm, and with the help from our wonderful driver Redouane, bought bunches of freshly picked plums and cherries. </span></div>
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We learned that Chefchaouen is often abbreviated as “Chaouen”. We saw so many pictures of this town before the trip and we were looking forward to seeing streets painted in every shade of blue. We arrived in the early evening and as we were walking to our hotel, we could smell and hear the dinner preparations coming from the houses. </div>
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<div class="font_8" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Once checked into to our hotel, we went to the rooftop terrace to see the view of the town. It was the time to break the fast and muezzin started chanting from the mosque right next to our hotel. People had dinner tables ready at their terraces and it was wonderful to witness locals breaking fast. </span></div>
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<div class="font_8" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The next morning, we met our local guide and explored the town; narrow streets, keyhole doors, mosques, lamp posts, everything was painted in every shade of blue. It was a small mountain town and very laid back compared to Marrakech and Fez. Together with our guide, we explored the small medina, Kasbah and Ras-el Maa (head of the water) where local women gather by the stream to do laundry.</span></div>
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Tucked away in Africa’s northernmost mountain range, the Rif Mountains, Chefchaouen was founded in 1471 by Moulay Ali Ben Moussa Ben Rached El Alami, it served as a Moorish fortress for exiles from Spain. Over the centuries, the city grew and welcomed Jews and Christian converts alike.</div>
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Chefchaouen's powder-blue buildings mirror the cloudless Moroccan sky - but religious rather than stylistic reasons are behind the design choice. Jewish teachings suggest that by dyeing thread with tekhelel (an ancient natural dye) and weaving it into prayer shawls, people would be reminded of God’s power. The memory of this tradition lives on in the regularly repainted blue buildings.</div>
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Our guide stopped at a communal bakery where locals bring cookies to be baked. They pay a nominal fee to have these baked in a wooden oven. The baker offered us some and they were delicious. These were special cookies baked for Ramadan.</div>
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That evening was the end of Ramadan and the streets were very lively; kids running around, people doing last minute shopping. In the morning of Eid (end of Ramadan) locals wear new clothing and celebrate by offering sweets and cookies.<br />
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Blue Odysseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11806990423819322967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2162424412292750829.post-85656909621930645772017-06-13T09:09:00.000-07:002018-10-10T22:21:42.149-07:00Tangier<div class=" flex_vbox" id="comp-j4buu4kf_SinglePostMediaTop_MediaPost__0_0_def_6" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; flex-direction: column; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0.01em 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">After Chefchaouen, we drove north to the Mediterranean coast of Morocco. It was the first day of the Eid celebration (end of Ramadan fasting) so the streets were lively, cafes were filled with people. The whole coast was dotted with summer houses and resorts all the way to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Thirty minutes before Tangiers, we saw the Tanger-Med port which is one of the largest ports in Africa and the Mediterranean. Across the Gibraltar Strait, only 7 nautical miles away was Europe. It was fun to catch a glimpse of the famous Rock of Gibraltar.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Once in Tangiers, we visited the Cave of Hercules where the mythical figure, Hercules, used to rest after finishing his 12 labors. It was packed with tourists and locals as it's a big tourist attraction.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tangiers is located on the Maghreb coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. We drove through La Montagne, an exclusive suburb of royal palaces and villas, and over the pine-covered headland to the Cap Spartel Lighthouse.</div>
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Today was our son Jordan's 14th birthday. The wonderful staff at Riad Shams prepared an amazing dinner for him and got a delicious chocolate cake.<br />
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Our wonderful driver Redouane gave hime a fun gift. Moroccan are warm and generous people.<br />
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Tangiers was the birthplace of the famous 14th century traveller Ibn Battuta. He was a medieval Moroccan traveller and scholar, who is widely recognised as one of the greatest travellers of all time. He is known for his extensive travels, accounts of which were published in his Travels (Rihla). Over a period of thirty years, Ibn Battuta visited most of the known Islamic world as well as many non-Muslim lands. His journeys included trips to North Africa, the Horn of Africa, West Africa, the Middle East, India, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and China.</div>
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Ibn Battuta said "“Traveling—it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” We ended our travels in Morocco at Tangiers' Ibn Battuta Airport. We loved exploring the medinas, kasbahs, Sahara, Morocco's mountains and beaches. We got excited opening the doors of our riads, wondering what's waiting us in its courtyard. We met wonderful locals along the way; guides, drivers, chefs, homechefs, camel guides, shopkeepers, and many more. We made so many friends in Morocco and can't wait to return to accompany our tour groups there. Until next time <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; color: #cb2026; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">maʿ al-salāmah</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cb2026;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">www.blueodyssey.com/morocco</span></span><br />
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