Month: September 2022

We met in one of the hotel meeting rooms to meet the new people who joined us in Rabat for the main trip. Mostafa also explained our itinerary and logisitics. One rule: no discussion of American politics Apparently two people almost came to blows in a political ”discussion.” We’re on vacation. Let’s leave that behind.

A new couple from our group has been on 58 OAT trips! They continue to be quite fit and the fellow, an Army veteran, still flies a plane . His wife is Native American. I don’t have their names yet.

We got on the bus and did a driving/ walking tour of Rabat. The first stop was the Royal Palace

After seeing the Royal Palace, we visit many ancient monuments, such as the Chellah and the Hassan Tower, where guards protect the remnants of a royal maussoleum. . We go to the casbah to see the beautiful views of the Atlantic.

The new opera house and new roads show that the city of Rabat is progressing nicely into the 21st century. The opera house, known as the Grand Theatre of Rabat, was designed by Zaha Hadid Rchitects, who also designed the coffee shop at the Serpentine in Kensington Gardens, which we visited last week. Her style is very distinctive.

We had lunch near our hotel and spent a bit of time at the contemporary museum near by Our Welcome Dinner was served in a beautiful restaurant in the medina.

I apologize for the scantiness of this post. I would love to expound in depth about these monuments if you have the time and inclination, google them for more details. We are currently in a beautiful, traditional riad in Fes and thogh the architecture is magnificdnt, it is difficult to see and the internet keeps fading on me.

I am feeling much better. Thanks for your concern.

I leave you with this Moroccan cat, who is helping out in the kitchen.

I felt a little queasy and nauseous yesterday even though we all have been taking precautions in our food choices. I didn’t eat dinner and got sick about midnight. I had tea and toast for breakfast and only did the first part of the morning walking tour. I’m glad I did

Within a three minute walk from the hotel is St Andrews, and even though it is Anglican and part of the diocese of Gibralter, eight miles across the Mediterranean, it is a very ecumenical congregation. The graveyard is filled with expats who spent their lives here.

We signed the condolence book for Queen Elizabeth.

I went back to the hotel to rest for an hour while the others walked in the area. I was picked up by the van driver at noon and took some great pictures from the van.. We met up with the others and went to the train station.

I wish that I’d taken more pictures of the inside of the station because it was ultra modern, with lots of restaurants, including McDonald’s and Starbuck’s. Ann and I joined Mostafa for lunch. I had mint tea and a cheese sandwich.

Our train trip took an hour and a half and then we were in Rabat. Our van driver drove the luggage. His drive took four hours.

We are picked up by our driver with our luggage and go to the centrally located Le Diwan hotel We meet in the lobby for a stroll of the neighborhood

We meet up with some young Moroccan kids who discuss with us life in the country and hopes for the future About the king, one says, ” He’s better than the last one!”

We return to our hotel to unpack, rest up a bit and prepare for dinner. I’m eating lightly.

I didn’t photograph the main course fish dish. I ate only a little bit of it. We didn’t eat the fruit and the soup was a puréed vegetable. The almond cake was delicious but rich so I only had a few bites.

Six more travelers arrived for our main tour which officially begins tomorrow. Two are from Colorado and four are from New Mexico but they’re not traveling together. We will do our tour of Rabat tomorrow and have our welcome dinner at a fancy restaurant in the kasbah.

More to come

The name of this city evokes the exotic Come with me to the kasbah! Or is that Algiers?

Our journey began this morning as we climbed in our trusty van and rode through the town of Chefchaouen. The modern city has people going through their daily routine. The little girl is waiting fot her ride to school.

Note to family: yes, there’s a soft drink called Hawai and it’s actually quite tasty..

We are definitely looking at a country in transition, as spacious new roads replace the old, yet there are still people who walk or ride a donkey to work.
This third world country is in the process of development and today’s journey took us to the other extreme: the super rich.

Who are the super rich of Morocco? According to Mostafa, they are politicians and drug dealers. As we drove along the coast, the villas reminded me of the posh estates on Maui or the Big Island.

We stop to see a very new and modern container port, where cars from France are brought to Morocco. Mostafa is delighted at the progress of his country.

We eat a late lunch at a lovely restaurant with seaside views.

We arrive in Tangiers and do a driving tour of the city. This is the spot where the Mediterranean sea meets the Atlantic Ocean!

We check into our hotel, which suffered through the pandemic but has a great bathroom, wonderful shower, very comfortable bed and a large balcony with a view!

And as night falls, this weary traveler settles in to rest up for another day. Tomorrow we travel by train to Rabat and we eight travelers join up with six others on the main tour. Our pre-tour has ended .

We paused for a picture before leaving for the UNESCO World Heritage city of Tetouan, looking rested and ready to tackle new adventures. I didn’t take a photo at the end of our journey, as we straggled out of the bus Thank goodness for air conditioned buses

We saw an Andulusian white village, a modern city with the Royal Palace, and a market with artisans honing their crafts and a Jewish synagogue..all in one place.

This first city view could be in Andalucia, in southern Spain, but it not. Many Spaniards came here in the 1500s to reconstruct their lives.

We strolled the streets of the modern city, passed the Royal Palace, on our way to the winding streets of the medina, where vendors were selling foods and services.

This store sells the modest school uniforms you see here, in different colors.

We tasted prickly pears, which was a real treat, as we’re only allowed peeled or cooked fruits or veggies

We visit a small synagogue, visit the Jewish Moroccan husband and wife caretakers and discuss the life of a Jewish Moroccan in a Muslim country. We’re told that the two cultures work side by side without conflict, having lived together in peace for 500 years, and that there’s a strong sense of community within the two cultures. There is a police presence on the street to guard against any unforeseen occurence. Unfortunately the population of Jews doesn’t support a congregation Why? As with all religions in the States, attendance is down. This couple showed us the torah and the oven for making matzo.

We wandered along the alleyways once more, on our way to a most unusual school.

As you can see, the buildings in Morocco are decorated with elaborate designs.To keep the arts alive, students are instructed how to craft these intricate designs in different media. Even though school started last week, the students aren’t yet ready to show us their work, so Mostafa showed us examples from past student work.

The work of the instructors is displayed in one of the exhibit rooms The school buildings are a work of art

After all this activity, we were tired and hungry, so we had a fish lunch at a restaurant with a view of the sea, and took the scenic route back to Chefchaouen.

There was time for a swim in the pool and we had our final dinner at our beautiful riad. I will miss this place!

Linda from Florida wishes you a good night!

Today was a long travel day. By the time we arrived at our hotel in Tangier, we heard the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Even though it is sad, it was plain that she was failing. I’m listening to the TV coverage on France24, which seems like the only channel available.

I’ll try to catch up tomorrow morning. It’ll be a quiet day.

Another day! We had breakfast in the lovely dining room and I ordered scrambled eggs. What a treat! After the meal, I took photos of the dining room and other picturesque spots around the riad. We left at 9:30 for our visit to the country.

We met and walked to the other side of town to pick up our bus.

It took us about an hour and a half to arrive at our destination.

Mohammed showed us how to make mint tea The man of the household has this responsibility. After tea we went to the garden to pick vegetables for our lunch.

Mohammed is wearing the traditional hat for those who live in the area.

Once back inside, the cooking begins with several volunteers.

This couple met at a religious festival and it was love at first sight, according to Mohammed. The second time they met was when he offered a proposal of marriage to her family. He built their modest home with the help of family They now have two daughters. Their life is a simple one, blessed by Allah. The fruits and vegetables from their garden provide income. The OAT people also provide them income for hosting travelers like us.

The girls seem very independent and happy. The oldest one went to her second day of first grade when we were there. She came home from school at noon. .There are eight students in the combo first and second grade class. The village provides education through high school, but students must move to a bigger city for any other post- secondary training, such as university or trade school.

We returned to our hotel mid afternoon for a bit of free time and I washed my hair, a long overdue task! What an exhausting ordeal!

At 5:00 we had a lecture by Fatima, who told us about life as a Muslim woman. She has a BA in English and an MA in tourism. Unfortunately I did not get her photo.

She discussed the role of women in today’s society.. The country is very progressive with birth control and offers abortions as needed for rape or incest. Her views seemed more liberal than Mostafa’s views but both admitted that their young King was very modern and that Morocco served as a role model for more conservative Muslim countries.

Several group members climbed the trail at 6:30 to watch sunset from the top of the hill , but I stayed, did some retail therapy, people / cat watching and chatted with a young artist I liked his work and bought some magnets from him..

I returned to my room to edit photos and see the sun set over the pool.

At 8:00 we left for a surprise home visit! Mostafa’s in-laws live in town, and his wife and baby were there, so we stopped by for mint tea, treats, and a chat.

The two blondes are both Lindas – Linda from Florida with the black capris and Linda from Windsor, CA in the jeans. Both are traveling solo and are a delight!
The father- in- law is making tea with Karen and Dave from Delaware.

What a day! To end the evening Ann and I finished off our first bottle of wine on my balcony over the pool.

It’s now 6:35 am and my alarm is set for 7:00 We leave at 8:30 for an optional tour of Tetouan. We’ll be having lunch gazing at the ocean, we’ve been told.

Our road trip from Casablanca was by freeway, which isn’t free, but there were many miles covered on local roads. Here are some people I encountered on our journey:

Time to get up! We will explore the village more and go to a farm for lunch

Welcome to Morocco!

It’s almost Tuesday and I haven’t had the time to write for a few days. Here’s a recap:

Saturday we visited the country home of Sir John Soanes, known as one of the greatest English architects ( think Bank of England). Some of you may have visited his museum / home in London, but there’s also another home that was very important to him. He longed to get away from the pressures of the city and found a place in the country called Pitzhanger Manor, where he could spend more time with his family. He had two sons, whom he hoped would follow in his footsteps as architects, but neither did: one turned out to be quite sickly and the other was a party animal. Sadly, he sold the home and lived full time in the city but the building is now being brought back to its former glory with the help of preservationists.

The building has become a gallery space and joins Walpole Park in Ealing.

That evening we ate at a nearby Italian restaurant and met two sisters from Sweden. We had quite a lively conversation

Sunday was our leaving day but we had time for a quick excursion. We decided to visit nearby Kensington Palace.

The visit was divided between the following: the Queen’s State Apartments, the King’s State Apartments, Victoria, a royal childhood and Life Through a Royal Lens. All were fascinating. I especially enjoyed the photo exhibits of the royal families, through the ages, especially the current one. Victoria’s doll house was intricate and it was fun to play pretend cards in one of the salons Can you imagine wearing those outfits, especially before modern plumbing?

This last photo was chosen by the Queen herself to share with the public, as shes always been an avid photographer.

Our lasr stop? Dessert!

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee seemed like the appropriate time to indulge in this tasty morsel called Victoria sponge cake, with blueberry frosting.

We raced back to the hotel, got our bags, got a taxi and were off to the airport!! Actually, we took the taxi to Paddington station to catch the Heathrow Express train to the airport.

Our flight to Casablanca was for 6:15. We entered an almost empty terminal 4, had a celebratory libation, and got on the plane. After we landed, we were greeted by Samir, who arranged a driver for us . We are joining the pre-tour of the Overseas Adventure Tours Moroccan Sahara Odyssey , staying overnight in Casablanca. We got on the road this morning to the blue city of Chefchouan

We’ve been on the road most of the day and saw dramatic changes in culture. We arrived late afternoon Our guest house, called a riad, is gorgeous Check out the view from my room. We’ll be here three nights. We did an orientation tour and had dinner in the center of town.

More to come!

I can report that we had a good night’s sleep. I woke at 3:00 AM Friday morning but the next thing I knew it was 7:30. I finished the post and we had breakfast, then had a bit of free time to relax . Ann did Wordle in two tries! I didn’t know she also played the game. I worked on the New York Times spelling bee.

I’m so fortunate that Ann decided to join me and that we decided to meet in London, because she lived here during and after her university years and knows the city well. She looked up the bus map and was able to direct us to the best way to get there. We only had a short walk to catch the bus for our 11:45 Royal Tour.

We were to start at the Queen’s Gallery, then go to the Royal Mews and finish up with a visit the State Rooms inside Buckingham Palace. As in Paris, we were able to ” jump the queue” because she brought her walking stick, which, as it turned out, was very convenient for our sightseeing..

But the best laid plans…you know the quote. We didn’t account for the 11:00 military parade or the crowds of tourists when we arrived there!

We mingled among the crowd of tourists to find the ticket office, where we picked up our tickets and began our visit to the Queen’s Gallery. We thought that the selection would include pictures from the Royal Collection, but were surprised to discover that there was a special exhibition about the culture of Japan. We were given free audio headsets with commentary and went on our way.

The exhibition dealt with the arts of Japan but also showed the relationship between Japan and the UK over the years. We were allowed to take photographs in this exhibition.

Our second stop was to the Royal Mews, where we saw the Royal Stables, harnassing rooms, and a wonderful collection of carriages. The crystal coach, made in Australia, was a sight to behold, and the coronation carriage was over the top in terms of size and opulence.

Our last visit was to the state rooms inside Buckingham Palace. No photography was allowed.

The massive structure and opulence of the building, designed by John Nash, is difficult to imagine unless you’ve been there to experience it in person. The fact that there is actually a family living there adds to the experience , as the viewer can see that it is not merely a historical monument but a family home and state house, where activities such as garden parties, visits of dignitaries and entertaining others goes on.

The tour ended outside in the garden and we immediately stopped by the cafe for tea for Ann, a sparkling lemon drink for me and cakes for both of us .Touring can be tiring.

The exit from the palace to the real world of contemporary London took us through Buckingham Palace gardens, where we admired the flora, fauna and water features.

We found a bus that returned us to our neighborhood and hunger overtook us The charming Italian restaurant owner beckoned and we checked the menu. We couldn’t refuse. I had lamb shanks, Ann had sardines, and we split a tiramisu.

We talked about our day and chuckled about the items at the gift shops, which were at all three venues, of course. The merchandising was clever, tasteful , and not cheap. Proceeds from the sales at the gift shops help to maintain and preserve the palace.

Tomorrow? We’re not sure. Perhaps a museum? We also have to prepare for our next journey. We’re flying away to our next destination Sunday.

I started today at 6:30 AM CA time and I’m ending it at 10:30 PM. Tomorrow is September 2 What’s wrong with this picture? I’m in London

I was driven to the airport by my local driver Larry who said it would take an hour. Rush hour and school traffic made me doubt his word but Larry knew the short cuts to the Bay Bridge and on the freeway, I felt as if I were on the Indy 500 race track I closed my eyes, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. We left at 8:30 and pulled up to the International Terminal at 9:35! I was amazed that I wasn’t road kill and also realized that this was the beginning of possibly more drama. Travel days are exhausting.

SFO International terminal was quiet. I’d already checked in online and uploaded my passport so a friendly United employee got my boarding pass and tagged my bag. Security took five minutes.I chilled out at the United Club lounge and had a sandwich, grapes, chips and a mimosa. Boarding was swift and efficient.

New United aircraft have a small section called Premier Plus. It’s not nearly as nice as business class but there’s quite a bit more legroom and its own excellent cuisine. Yes, I was pleasantly surprised too. We sailed smoothly through the air as I finished my airplane novel and watched several episodes of Hacks, a Jean Smart series from HBO Plus. We landed early.

Went through passport control quickly after our long hike from the plane. The plane landed at 6:30 AM By 7:45 I got into the Heathrow Express train and by 8:00 I was meeting Ann at Paddington station. we walk to the hotel. She’d arrived the day before from Cornwall. after putting my bags in the room, we went to our hotel breakfast, then I got organized in the room while she took a walk.

We’re staying in Kensington so it made sense to see the gardens, which were close to our hotel at Lancaster Gate. We explored the gardens most of the afternoon and enjoyed perfect mid 70 degree walking weather.

Yes, it’s Peter Pan, who now will speak, thanks to a QR code that’s displayed on the fence. Brilliant!

We had a break to see the Serpentine Gallery, get some light refreshments, then wend our way back to the hotel.

We rested a bit, then decided to drop by the neighborhood pub for dinner.

This neighborhood pub, the Mitre, around the corner from the church, was quite lively though we managed to find a spot in a quiet room, away from the crowds.

It’s taken me hours to get this post written, because of slow internet and wonky photo delivery. Many photos were upside down or sideways I quit at midnight and am finishing up before breakfast. It’s now Friday September 2.

Today we visit Buckingham Palace for a royal day out. Unfortunately the Queen is in Scotland but we will no doubt find interesting company.

To be continued.