travel beyond the obvious
The Riad El Yacout sits outside the medina wall near the gate of Bab Boujeloud. Along the one side the scene is dominated by a large construction site that is becoming a new hotel. This Read More …
Fès has been famous for its fine leatherwork for 1000 years. Even today the medina features locally-made leather items. Most prominent of these may be the gaily-colored babooshes – the pointed toe, open heel shoes Read More …
The ancient medina of Fès is said to be the largest urbanized area in the world that prohibits motor vehicles. (There were a few motorbikes around, so it didn’t seem completely non-motorized.) In some parts Read More …
The El-Attarine Medersa (the Medersa of the Spice Sellers) was founded in 1325 by Sultan Abou Said. A medersa is a place of learning – it is a college that teaches subjects like science, law, Read More …
The Cascades d’Ouzoud is the largest and most dramatic waterfall in Morocco. You may think, as a co-worker of mine did, that this isn’t saying a lot (Morocco isn’t generally associated with waterfalls). But that Read More …
Meknès became an imperial city in 1672 under the sultan Moulay Ismail. He built the city’s imposing walls and enormous palace complex, using this city as his base throughout his 55-year rule. Indeed, this city Read More …
Often overlooked by tourists in their hurry to reach Fés, Meknès is a perfect introduction to Morocco. The historic medina is of a manageable size and scale; the few remains of the imperial city are Read More …
I’m from Minnesota, so I’m pretty familiar with snow fences. Still, I was surprised to realize the sturdy structures arranged in neat lines across the broad valley were snow fences. Winter must be really intense Read More …
Although dramatic, the Cascades d’Ozoud mostly draws Moroccan tourists. Few foreign visitors do more than stop for a few hours as a day trip from Marrakech or along the way to somewhere else. For that Read More …
The countryside west of Marrakech is known for its argan trees. These small scraggly trees produce seeds with an oil that is high in vitamin E, anti-oxidants, and essential fatty acids. It is touted as Read More …
We scope out our dinner options as we explore the city, or rather, I looked up at some point, saw umbrella-topped tables perched at the edge of a roof, and decided that was where I Read More …
“There was a door to which I found no key: There was the veil through which I might not see.” Omar Khayyam More Essaouira posts All Morocco posts
Visitors to Essaouira have two basic lodging choices: in the medina or on the beach? We stayed in the medina, which gave us an ideal base for exploring the city. We enjoyed our stay at Read More …
We are on our way to the Cascades d’Ouzoud. It has been a long day of travel that included spectacular sights: the Ait Benhaddou kasbah, the Glaoui kasbah at Telouet , and the Tizi n’Tichka Read More …
The seagulls own the harbor in Essaouira. There is no escaping their aggression, except to surrender, to leave the water’s edge for the relative safety of the medina. I read somewhere that Alfred Hitchcock got Read More …
It has been a long day of driving and sightseeing and now there is only an hour or two left before sunset. We are more than ready to check into our hotel and collapse over Read More …
The stark contrast between the average tourist and the life of the average Moroccan is often on display in popular tourist areas like Marrakech, but it can be seen anywhere. This was the scene in Read More …
It is late in the day, and we are following a nondescript van along a quiet rural road when we realize there is a hand sticking out of the back door. This is probably a Read More …