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Laureen

    Africa & The Middle East Travel  --  Food & Drink

    Eat Morocco

    Chapter Eleven – The Flavors of Morocco

    Cumin, paprika, garlic and saffron.  You can smell it in the air.  Onions, harissa, citrus and dates.  Wherever you are, Morocco’s flavors and smells will make your mouth water and your tummy growl.  This colorful country is a feast of flavors and colors and tastes unlike anywhere I have been.  You just can’t get enough.

    Lemon and olive Chicken Tajine

    We’ve been in Morocco for three weeks now, and we still have more than a week to go.  We have learned some of tips for the cuisine of this North African nation that has

    Grilled lamb chops

    been a crossroads for thousands of years.  From cultures near and far the Moroccan cuisine developed into the flavor-filled mix of vegetables, meat and spices we know today.  The Berber’s long history in this region, combined

    Spices

    with the Romans, the Vandals, the Phoenicians, and later the Jews, the  Spanish, the Brits and French, certainly makes for a unique combination of cultures and flavors.

    Farm to market produce

    Today Morocco stands independent under King Mohammed VI, and the delicious food is a proud tradition as seen in the medinas and restaurants, street food and homes through out the cities and rural regions of Morocco.  Seafood on the coast; beef, sheep, goat, chicken and even camel makes an appearance in the interior; and the ever-present olive can be found at breakfast,

    Grilled fish

    lunch and dinner.

    We had a very special experience during our ten days in Asilah on the Atlantic Coast.  Our airbnb in Asilah came with a full-time cook, a sweet and talented Moroccan woman named Latifah.  She fed us the

    Latifah making couscous

    most remarkable meals during our time there and we were spoiled beyond reason.  We learned a lot about the cuisine, watched her cook and asked her so many questions.  She took us to the market with her and helped us understand the foods she was

    Latifah serving pastilla

    making for us.  What a remarkable opportunity this presented and we were so grateful.  We wanted to stuff her in the suitcase and keep her forever!  So through Latifah we learned the cuisine.

    There are some surprises too – like the flavorful fava bean and garlic

    B’sara soup

    soup called B’sara served for breakfast.  Not a dish found on restaurant menus but if you ask it can be made for you.  We did just that, wanting to try it and the proprietor gladly made it for us even though it was lunch time and well past the normal morning hour it is usually eaten.  It tasted much like a split pea soup but spicier and very satisfying.

    Another surprise is the pastilla – a completely

    Women making the filo on round griddle

    unexpected sweet and savory “pie” resembling spanakopita but filled with nuts and dates, chicken or pigeon, sweet and savory spices and baked then sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.  It can’t decide if it’s dinner or a dessert, but it is delicious and unusual all at once.  The dish is created with a super thin filo type pastry made by hand by artisans in the

    Latifah unveiling the tajine

    markets using a very surprising shaped cooking shaft that the thin dough is placed on for just a few seconds to let it cook.  Pastilla is usually reserved for special occasion meals, but can be found in most restaurants serving tourists.  We were very lucky to have a special one made for us by Latifah.

    More well-known are the bubbling tajine dishes cooked and served in their unique crockery.  Tajine can be made from many things including lamb,

    Lamb and dried fruit tajine

    beef, chicken and vegetables and the best part is usually the wonderful rich broth at the bottom of the pot.  My favorite ones were the chicken olive and lemon and the lamb, dried fruit and nut.  These two are also favorites among locals and its easy to see why. I had them multiple times and each time it was delicious.

    Couscous

    Another well-known dish is Couscous.  But the couscous we know back in America is very different from what we have enjoyed here in Morocco.  In fact, making couscous is a major undertaking and is reserved for Fridays, the holy day in Morocco.  We spent much of one day watching Latifah make us a remarkable (and gigantic) couscous feast that included chicken, carrots, zucchini, potato and turnips and of course the couscous itself.  A special steamer is used to steam the couscous over boiling water – a most unusual and time-consuming preparation.

    Harira soup

    Dried figs and dates

    When all is said and done this lovely and colorful pile of deliciousness is topped with a flavorful broth that has been simmering and reducing for hours.  It just really is a special meal and poor sweet Latifah had a real workout in the kitchen on this day.

    Grilled meats on a stick, similar to such things in other countries, can be found at restaurants and street vendors.  Known as Brochette’s,  popular varieties are lamb, chicken and beef, as well as ground lamb, but my favorite was a lime-marinated fish brochette I had in a restaurant.

    Brochettes

    While in Asilah by the sea we had a great opportunity to sample the local seafood.  Latifah made us the most amazing selection of grilled and fried fish including sardines and dorado served with a delicious green chili sauce and lemon. Simple and sublime.  We also had anchovies in lemon, octopus salad, rich and delicious fish soup and tiny deep-fried sardines.

    The country is teeming with the freshest and most colorful produce that makes its way into every meal. All of these goodies are locally grown and pesticide free, usually harvested with hours or days of your purchase.  Unlike the United States, rarely are things in the market being shipped in from other countries. My favorite was the persimmon, pomegranate and tangerines – hands down the best of those I have ever had.  A walk through the market is a kaleidoscope of tomatoes, radish, squash, plums, grapes, pears, oranges and lychee, as well as a never-ending variety of nuts and beans and grains.

    But there is one thing I have not yet elaborated on  – the key to all of the distinctive Moroccan foods we have savored over the past three weeks.  The spices.  Moroccan cuisine has developed through a magical mix of spices, in a region abundant with the finest.  In the markets  you find the colorful choices piled beautifully on display while Moroccan grandmothers sniff and purchase

    Fresh mezze salads

    the savory wonders.  Most common in dishes are salt, pepper, ginger, turmeric (often referred to curcumin), saffron, paprika, cumin, cinnamon and white pepper.  A special spice blend known as Ras El Hanout is a blend of dozens of spices and is unique to individual shops and regions.  Ras El Hanout means “best of the shop” and will include cardamom, nutmeg, anise, mace, cinnamon, ginger, pepper, turmeric and often other “secret” spices.

    I’m taking away from Morocco a real gift in this cuisine, an excitement to try new flavors and techniques I’ve learned here.  I wonder why there aren’t more Moroccan restaurants back home and encourage you to get out and find the flavors of Morocco wherever you can.  Because there are so many amazing things about this country – but if you can’t visit – at least eat Morocco.  You won’t be disappointed.

    Reading Wednesday

    Reading Wednesday – Delicious Food

    Delicious Food by James Hannaham ⭐️⭐️

    I tried to love this book.  I really did.  I couldn’t figure out why I did not enjoy a book that had been showered with so many awards – dozens of awards.

    But I just didn’t feel the love.

    I have been struggling with my book choices lately. An unfortunate streak of just so-so novels has kept me away from writing my Reading Wednesday blog.

    Delicious Food popped up several times both in my Kindle recommendations and my Goodreads recommendations, based on other books I’ve read.  So I was sure I would like it.

    This story of family, racism, betrayal, murder, addiction, kidnapping, mutilation and ultimately forgiveness and redemption, could not hold my attention – surprisingly.

    It’s a lot of pain and tragedy to pack into one novel, and Hannaham’s use of the narrative of Eddie the son, Darlene the mother and a third character the “drug” is well done and a clever way to see the story from several angles.  Parts of the book were fascinating, but only parts and I found myself skimming.  A sure sign I’m struggling.

    Delicious Food, only two stars for me.

     

    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  --  Food & Drink

    Barcelona Cooking Class – Eat Local

    Chapter Ten Final Days

    When in Barcelona – eat! And if you can – cook!  Because the Catalan cuisine is simple, seasonal, fresh and fabulous and a day cooking in a Spanish kitchen makes for a great memory.

    I researched many options for cooking classes in

    Frutes de boca

    Barcelona. There were a lot. But I chose the Barcelona Kitchen, the cooking school housed in the Mercado de la Boqueria, for its class choices and menu.

    Since I’ve been in Spain for two months and

    Seafood so fresh it’s still moving.

    traveled through multiple regions, I’ve tasted a variety of regional dishes as well as regional takes on national favorites. In Catalonia, the region where Barcelona is the largest city, food is celebrated every day and regional pride in the local Catalan cuisine is evident everywhere you go.

    Catalan cuisine is not about heavily spiced or sauced dishes.  Rather it is about the best, freshest and

    Fresh picked today

    most local ingredients. Right now in October that means frutas de boca (fruits of the forest) which includes a variety of mushrooms, snails, nuts and seeds. October is also bountiful in tomatoes, squash, fruit, greens, root vegetables, peppers, potatoes, onions, figs, and much more.  Combine these ingredients with seasonal fish, shellfish, meat, fowl, and the unforgettably delicious Iberian jamon (ham) and you have yourself the makings of a special feast.

    Stock simmering.

    Add a little Spanish wine and as the Catalonians say Bon Profit! Muy Bien!

    My class, led by Lena, began with a tour and shopping trip for our ingredients through the Mercado de la Boqueria, Barcelona’s famous and fabulous market. Here we learned about many of the products and producers from eggs to olive oil and saffron to cuttlefish.

    Making the Crema Catlana

    Back in the kitchen we set to work for three solid hours cooking and preparing five of Catalan’s favorite dishes; Tortilla – egg and potatoe omelette like pie (the national dish of Spain that sustained me daily on the Camino), Seafood Paella (the only

    Finished Paella

    way Catalans eat Paella is seafood), Pa amb Tomàquet – Catalan Tomato Bread, Gazpacho – cold tomato soup, and Crema Catalana – a delicious dessert similar to creme brûlée but better!

    I was surprised at the amount of time the tortilla takes to make but I loved it. I also really enjoyed making the Paella from scratch including the stock which simmered and reduced on the stove for more than an hour. It was rich and delicious.

    The beautiful Gazpacho

    The Gazpacho was incredible, easy and fast. Unlike our chunky style at home this cold tomato soup was creamy and smooth using the food processor and adding lots of olive oil to emulsify it. Perfecto!

    Our class enjoying the feast

    As usual, I loved learning from a local and cooking this incredible cuisine.  Spain has been many things to me over the past two months, including delicious!

    Our time in this sweet country is ending and we move on now to Chapter Eleven – Tunisia, Morocco, Namibia and South Africa. But Spain will always hold something very special for us and we will definitely be back.

    Muchos Gracias Mi Amigos.  Fabulous!

    Europe Travel

    Beyond the Camino – The Adventure Continues

    What’s Next?

    For the last few days I’ve been trying to process my feelings about completing the Camino de Santiago Adventure. It’s a big task. Not sure I can do it in just a few days. In fact not sure I can do it at all.

    Our Camino journey is just one incredible adventure on our Grand Adventure world tour. We are so lucky to be leading this life and sometimes, like now, it’s good to stop and really absorb our own reality.

    (Note – many people are asking where we go next. Check the end of this blog for upcoming adventure details)

    What have we learned?  I think we learned some valuable things, but we also reconfirmed things we already knew. For instance –

    We learned how amazing the human body is. Even in our Fabulous Fifties our bodies did not fail us. It was about day 12 when one morning I got up to get ready to go and my body acknowledged it. I think that morning my body said “Oh – I get it. You intend to do this long walk EVERY day. Okay now I understand. I can do that. Let’s go.”

    We reconfirmed our mental need to have a day off or a do nothing day from time to time. These days I believe make living a full-time travel life possible. Otherwise the mental fatigue of the Grand Adventure really takes a toll.  After awhile in this travel life you don’t feel the need to see and do every monument and tourism hotspot. Just enjoying putting your feet up and relaxing becomes a cherished and fabulous day.

    (Note – did you know you can click on any photo in our blogs and Pin directly to Pinterest? Give it a try!)

    We learned what an amazing and wide range of people it is who tackle a Camino walk. We met some fascinating people from all over the world, many who will live in our memories forever. I can’t think of any other experience we have ever had where it included so many people from so many cultures speaking so many languages but all sharing the same goal. That was a wonderful and inspiring lesson- one our world leaders should learn.  We are all in this together.

    And yet we reconfirmed how much we enjoy each other’s company and most of our time was spent just us on the trail doing what we do best – being together. After almost 35 years of marriage we got that down.

    While news of natural disasters unfolded in our online news services we were blessed with great weather, spectacular scenery, countless sunrises and sunsets and vast and varietal geography reminding us what a remarkable planet this is and how we need to nourish and care for it. And we need to do it now.

    While I spent time taking and editing photos or writing and editing blogs – Arne spent time tracking and calculating data. And boy did he collect a lot of data to share;

    41 days

    489 mile

    1,355,229 steps

    224 walking hours (37 walking days and four rest days)

    2 days of rain 39 dry days

    55 Euro per day lodging and 45 euro per day food

    47,400 Feet elevation gain overall

    Longest day 19.5 miles. Shortest day 5 miles.  Average miles per day 13.2. Average elevation per day 1280 Feet.

    Cheapest lodging g $24 Euro. Most expensive $100 euro.

    Not everyone can or wants to do a walking adventure like the Camino.  But if you have considered it I have this piece of advice – do it sooner rather than later.  Do it your way and don’t let others tell you what’s best. But most of all – do it.  Don’t spend your life thinking about it and regret later that you didn’t get to it.

    We will continue to process within ourselves this experience and what this milestone means. But in the meantime, our Grand Adventure goes on.  We have planes to catch and new adventures ahead.

    We fly to Barcelona for a week before saying goodbye to Europe as our Schengen days have run out.  We have been in Spain almost two months- the longest we have spent in any country since leaving the USA.

    (Note – other than Reading Wednesday I’m going to take a week off from blogging while in Barcelona.  Watch for a blog from Tunisia next)

    So where to next? Here is the plan;

    One week in Tunisia to visit our friend Leslie and then a month in Morocco where we will be joined by our friends Steve and Sarah. Morocco has long been on my list and I can’t wait!

    On our 35th wedding Anniversary on November 27th we arrive for  a 12 day Adventure tour in Namibia before heading to South Africa for Christmas.

    On New Years Eve we fly to Sri Lanka for three weeks, then a quick five days in India and a week in Bangladesh visiting our friend Natalie before flying to the Maldives for almost a month.  We plan to relax and do nothing here.

    Next it’s a week in Guam (by way of Singapore) visiting our niece Bekah and her husband Davy.  Then three weeks in Australia and then three weeks in Bali and Lombok where we will be joined by our friends John and Carole.

    This brings us to the end of April at which time we plan to take a 26 day re-positioning cruise back to the USA for a two-month visit before heading off again. We look forward to seeing friends and family then.

    So there you have it.  Lots of great adventures and blogs on the horizon! As usual, thank you for your continued interest and support.  We are humbled and blessed and grateful each and everyday.

    It’s truly a FABULOUS life. Buen Camino

     

     

    Europe Travel

    My Favorite Things

    Second Half – My Camino

    Location: Camino

    The Camino odyssey is almost over. One more sleep. I’m conflicted about it coming to an end. What an amazing experience. I want to remember all the special moments and my favorite things of this journey.  There are so many and my brain is overfull!

    You might remember I wrote a blog discussing my favorite things from the first half of the journey. So here today, with only one day to go, are some special memories from the second half.

    Leon Cathedral

    Leon – by the time we hit Leon our bodies were in the groove and we were feeling great but we still enjoyed a day off in this town. The ancient city and the wonderful food and wine of Spain made Leon

    Puenta de Orbigo

    a great memory

    Possibly my favorite historic site of the whole Camino was the spectacular Puente de Orbigo bridge with its 19 arches that inspired the story of Don Quixote.

    I loved the little town of Rabanal del Camino where

    Sunrise over Rabanal

    we went to vespers in a crumbling ancient church and then watched the sunrise the next morning over the village as we hiked up to Cruz de Ferro.

    Cruz de Ferro

    Cruz de Ferro was a touching moment. Monumental in reaching it, and emotional too. A quiet and spiritual place for many pilgrims.

    The incredible

    Astorga left and Ponferrada right

    cathedral in Astorga and the castle in Ponferrada both were unforgettably beautiful and ancient.

    We didn’t need a day off

    Villafranca

    physically but are glad we took an extra day in the great valley village of Villafranca where I soaked my feet in the Rio Burbia on a gorgeous sunny day.  We also had a fabulous and memorable authentic Spanish meal here.

    Ever since our very cold and wet crossing of the

    Moonset in the Galician Mountains

    Pyrenees on Day Two we have been prepared to get wet crossing the final mountain range into Galicia.  But Mother Nature has been so kind to us and our ponchos have stayed in the pack.  Our two day crossing of the Galacian Mountains could not have been more spectacular.

    Portomarin medieval town undeewater

    The historic village of Portomarin and the story of how they moved the town and flooded the valley for a reservoir during the 1960’s was fascinating.  Because of Spain’s drought the reservoir was empty and the remains of the medieval village visible.  One of the craziest things I’ve ever seen.

    Traversing Spain on foot gives a unique opportunity to live and breathe the unique and varied cultures of this country. Learning about the indigenous Basque people as well as the surprising ancient Celtic history of Galicia has been just fascinating.

    The same goes for the variety of scenery and topography we have conquered and enjoyed.  Mountains to plains, forests and seas, Spain is a wealth of beauty blessed by Mother Nature.

    We have also learned so much about the vast

    Grapes – one of Spain’s biggest crops.

    Spanish agricultural life, and it has been a unique and beautiful time to walk through Spain, as corn and grapes and wheat and beets and nuts and so much more are harvested from this rich land.

    And so our journey ends. Tomorrow we arrive in Santiago. I’m not sure how I feel about it coming to an end. I know I will need a few days to process it – and then I promise to share some final thoughts. But until then, one more day. #onemoreday

    Buen Camino!

    477 miles walked. 12 miles to go.

    Europe Travel

    Sunrise Sunset – 41 Days The Camino

    My Camino

    Ô, Sunlight! The most precious gold to be found on Earth.

    We came prepared to withstand all weather and for our preparedness we were blessed by the sun.

    Sunset from Acebo Day 29

    The poncho has been out only twice in forty-one days and nights. The coat only during early morning chill. Our days have been golden and except for two, dry.

    Sunrise in Ventosa Day 11

    Our journey has taken us over mountains, across rivers, and through rolling plains and vineyards. Past ancient cathedrals and over roads and bridges traversed by thousands before us over the ages.

    Sunrise Puente La Reina Day 5

    Moon set leaving Viduedo Day 36

    Calzadilla de Los Hermanillos sunrise Day 23

    And the sun shone. We watched it rise in all its glory, brightening our path and showing us “the way”. We watched it set in a pink halo, kissing the earth at the end of another miraculous day.  And on one most incredible morning high on a mountain we watched the harvest moon set and the sun rise simultaneously. Glory hallelujah.

    Sunset in Linares Day 34

    Sunrise over Villafranca Day 33

    Sunrise. Sunset. 41 days and nights on the Camino de Santiago. Our time is waning. The days are getting shorter. Fall is in full swing. It was summer when we started – now a different season as we make our way west, closer and closer to Santiago de Compostela. A handful more walks.  Our goal in sight.  Our walk of a lifetime – a memory to cherish.

    Three days to go

    Miles walked 447.  42 to go.

    Buen Camino!