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Rejuvenate

    Africa & The Middle East Travel

    Morocco on my Mind

    Chapter Eleven

    Location: Morocco

    Morocco on my mind. We’ve been in Morocco for 15 days and in Asilah for a week already and I am enchanted.  And so very relaxed.  Morocco is just about everything I could have hoped for.

    View from Our airbnb

    Except warm.

    No, in November Morocco is not warm.  I’ve layered up a lot, buried myself under blankets and comforters at

    Tea by the fire

    night, and cuddled up by a roaring fire in the evenings.  But it’s actually nice.  It’s sunny during the day, and comfortable and dry and we know we have heat and humidity coming up in destinations in the near future, so we are enjoying a bit of “winter” in North

    Moroccan Harira soup

    Africa.

    Morocco on my mind.

    Casablanca was “meh”, Chefchauoen was “bright”, Tangier was “confusing” but Asilah – ahhhh Asilah.  I will never forget you.  We are right on the ocean where the crashing waves lull us to sleep.  Where our morning coffee and breakfast is served on the terrace with the wind and salt air cooling our coffee mugs.  We walk on the beach each morning, with the resident camels, and wander the quiet “off-season” historic medina.  We visit the mercado with the locals, no other tourists around and we are both

    Mercado

    Latifah makes Couscous

    accepted and stared at by the amazing variety of residents of this region.  Asilah has been a spectacular, laid back, relaxed place to recuperate and regroup  on the Grand Adventure.  Exactly what the doctor ordered.

    Of course our perfect Airbnb plays a major role in how happy we are here.  Not only is the space perfect but it comes with Latifah, our personal chef and housemaid who is talented, kind, funny, and one of the hardest working people I have ever met in my life.  We have not eaten out at all during our

    View from our room

    time in Asilah – we have instead allowed the talented Latifah to pamper us beyond reason.  And I am so happy.

    Morocco on my mind.

    Our friends from California Sarah and Steve arrived two days ago and they too are loving Asilah and Latifah and we all are learning to cook the incredible Moroccan cuisine together.  Expect a blog soon about the cuisine of this amazing country.

    Two weeks in and still two weeks to go.  We relax

    Beautiful spices

    here in Asilah for a few more days and then we pick up the pace again; four days in Fez where we have a lot planned, five days on a tour that includes the desert and then three days in Marrakesh.  Feeling satisfied and welcome, enchanted and enthralled in this colorful, ancient and fascinating world.

    Morocco on my mind.

    Europe Travel

    Favorite Things – My Camino

    Marking the Halfway Point

    Location: Camino de Santiago

    All my senses are on overload on the Camino. I don’t want to miss anything!  The scenery, the sounds, the people, the food, the wine. Amazing all.

    But this is an ordeal. Forty days and forty nights!  I’m halfway there and already I’m having trouble remembering things I don’t want to forget!

    So at the halfway point here is a list remembering my favorite things;

    Just below Orisson day one

    Day one as we climbed from Saint Jean Pied de Port to Orisson the  sview was breathtaking and I knew we were in for a real treat.

    The summit day two

    By the next day, soaking wet and exhausted reaching the summit and finding hot coffee there. Heaven in a cup.

     

    A very difficult descent one day outside of Pamplona as we came down off the Alto Del Perdon.  One of the hardest things I’ve ever walked.  Exhausting but I did it!

    Alto Del Perdon

    Being serenaded at 6:30am in Puenta La Reina is possibly my most favorite moment so far.  A beautiful way to begin our day.  We felt so blessed.

    Historic Puenta la Reina

    Roman bridge

    Walking on the 2000 year old remains of a Roman road and Roman bridge just outside of  Cirauqui made me feel very insignificant in the whole scheme of things.

     

    The section of the Camino that wandered through the vineyards for days, so beautiful and peaceful and historic as we went from ancient village to ancient village.

    Wheat fields and vineyards

     

     

    Tortilla potata

    Spanish omelette.  Also known as Tortilla Potata.  I am in love with this National Food of Spain and could (and do) eat it everyday.  I must learn how to make this.

    The Meseta

    The Meseta.  Geologically my favorite area so far.  Here the villages are in the valleys but the Camino rises and falls from the valley to the plateau and it is gorgeous.  Often providing a Vista of the trail as far as the eye can see.

    Salad Mixta

    Salad Mixta – my answer to daily veg.  I’ve learned to order the Mixta that does not come with the Pilgrim dinner because then it arrives chock full of so many delicious things like beets and asparagus and egg and olives.

    Burgos Cathedral

    The Cathedral in Burgos  in a word, stunning.  I’ve seen a lot of cathedrals in my travels and this one could possibly be the finest.  Just awesome and inspiring.  I highly recommend  a visit if you are in Spain.

    Monastery San Anton ruins

    I loved how the Camino unexpectedly passed right through the arches of the ruins of the 12th century hospital of  the Monastery of San Anton.  Meandering down the tree-lined street then coming around a bend it was such a beautiful sight to see.

    Early morning light

    There are other things too – moments both poignant and humorous.  Drinking wine from a fountain at 9am on the path.  Stepping aside to let a giant draft horse saunter by.  Walking before dawn and watching the sun rise behind you.  Getting lost and retracing our footsteps to get back on track.  Talking to people from all over the globe and learning their story.  Walking in silence next to my husband as the fog lays still in the fields and the birds wake up with a song.

    Halfway to Santiago.  A walk of a lifetime.

    Buen Camino!

    257 miles walked. 232 to go!