февр. – апр. 2023

Morocco and Portugal 2023

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21 февраля 2023 г.
Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 1
вторник, 21 февраля 2023 г.
⛅ 26 °C
Высота: 22 м
Сингапур Sungai Ayer Gemuruh 1.352127, 103.9870131°21’8” N 103°59’13” E
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Singapore transit
21 февраля 2023 г., Сингапур ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
We started with a daytime flight to Singapore, then 9 hours in transit before we head to Munich.

Fortunately Changi Airport has enough attractions and facilities to keep you amused for that long, including a butterfly garden and sunflower garden.Читать далее
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John Kalaitzis That is very cool
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Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 2
среда, 22 февраля 2023 г., 16:51
☁️ 10 °C
Высота: 549 м
Германия Munich Central Station 48.138942, 11.55733548°8’20” N 11°33’26” E
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Mooching in Munchen
22 февраля 2023 г., Германия ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
After a smooth 13 hour flight, we arrived in Munich at 7am to a temperature of -2. We caught the train to the city and were lucky that our hotel room was ready, so we dropped the bags and headed for a day's walking around Munich.

We spent most of the day in the old town, following a trail of caches through town. Lunch was classic tourist - overpriced alfresco in the main square (Marienplatz), consisting of wurst and sauerkraut. But what a setting!

We went for a short walk in the local area before tea at our hotel.Читать далее
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John Kalaitzis Brilliant!
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John Kalaitzis Looks a lot more modern!
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John Kalaitzis Ah yes, I remember this as a 17 year old
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John Kalaitzis Why?
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Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 3
четверг, 23 февраля 2023 г.
⛅ 8 °C
Высота: 912 м
Германия Neuschwanstein Castle 47.558688, 10.74804747°33’31” N 10°44’53” E
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Royal Castles
23 февраля 2023 г., Германия ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C
Today was a full day tour of two of the royal castles of Bavaria, located close to the Austrian border, about 90 minutes from Munich.

Linderhof Palace is the smaller castle, the only one of King Ludwig II’s castles which he lived to see completed. He liked to be alone and built the castle with no provision for guests. He also liked to dine alone and out of sight of his servants, so had installed a table that was lowered through the floor with a crank mechanism so it could be set in the room below, and raised when ready, ensuring no interaction with his servants. The table is still in working order, the only one of its kind in the world.

After Linderhof we visited Oberammergau, home of the famous Passion Play, held every 10 years since 1634.

We had a stand-up wurst lunch, before we visited Neuschwanstein Castle. It's often referred as a "fairy-tale castle" and was the model for the castle on the Walt Disney logo. Every room is elaborately decorated and filled with ornate furniture. Built on a rocky outcrop overlooking a valley, the best view of the castle is from Marienbruke, a bridge spanning the gorge behind the castle.

Tours of the castle start every 5 minutes, with a maximum of 65 people per tour. Tickets must be purchased in advance, as it's a 45 minute walk from the ticket office to the castle entrance... and if you miss your allotted timeslot, you can't join another tour, and no refunds are given.

After a long day and much walking, we arrived back in Munich at 7pm and grabbed some takeaway on the way back to our hotel.Читать далее
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John Kalaitzis I had it my head that the passion play was performed only every 10 years? I'd be useless at quizzes!
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Darren and Janetoops, that's been corrected now 🙄
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John KalaitzisI was full of self doubt. Glad it's all been cleared up now :)
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Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 4
пятница, 24 февраля 2023 г.
☁️ 11 °C
Высота: 460 м
Германия Polln 48.269537, 11.4703148°16’10” N 11°28’13” E
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Dachau, and Olympic Park
24 февраля 2023 г., Германия ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
After a hearty breakfast we caught the local train and bus to Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, approximately 16km north of Munich.

Dachau was the longest operating concentration camp, established by Hitler in 1933 to house political prisoners. It was designed to accommodate 2,600 inmates, but when it was liberated in 1945, 32,000 prisoners were present.

There's very few original buildings now standing, the notable exception being the crematorium. Mass killings didn't occur at Dachau, but overwork, overcrowding and poor diet led to high levels of illness and death.

After lunch we returned to the central train station, then caught a tram to Olympic Park, site of the 1972 Olympic Games. We got good views of the area from the top of Olympic Mountain, one of the highest points in Munich with 360 degree views of the city. Our visit was cut short when it started raining, but not before we found one of the best caches we've ever seen, built into the geodetic reference marker on top of the hill.

Dinner was at a traditional Bavarian restaurant, pork knuckle and beer beef goulash 😋Читать далее
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John Kalaitzis Oh goodness!
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sam and bruce yum, warm and hearty!
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Darren and Janet👌
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Путешественник that pork knuckle looks delicious
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Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 5
суббота, 25 февраля 2023 г.
🌧 2 °C
Высота: 291 м
Германия Augustinerkloster Nürnberg 49.454435, 11.07544649°27’16” N 11°4’32” E
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Walking Nuremberg in a flurry of snow
25 февраля 2023 г., Германия ⋅ 🌧 2 °C
We checked out of the hotel early today ready for our 9.18am fast train to Nuremberg. It's a popular route, with 50 trains a day making the 160km journey.

We arrived in Nuremberg at 10.25am, and was surprised at how few people were on the streets. Turns out shops don't open until 11am on Saturday, so the streets were almost deserted.

We spent the day walking around the old town, inside and along the city walls, a medieval defense constructed between 11th and 16th centuries. Approximately 4km of the original 5km are still standing.

The old town is full of beautiful buildings, churches and squares - looking around you would never know that 90% of the old town was destroyed in one day by Allied bombers in 1945.

It snowed off and on for most of the day, so we stopped a number of times for coffee, snacks and a long lunch!Читать далее
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John Kalaitzis That is very special
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John Kalaitzis Is that one of your walking people symbols being followed by a goose, that I spy?
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Darren and JanetWe thought that initially too! It's the logo for a burger chain, Hans Im Gluck (Hans in Luck), named after a Brothers Grimm fairytale. We can confirm they make very good burgers 😁
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Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 6
воскресенье, 26 февраля 2023 г.
⛅ 2 °C
Высота: 354 м
Германия Großer Dutzendteich 49.431088, 11.11809449°25’52” N 11°7’5” E
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Rally Grounds
26 февраля 2023 г., Германия ⋅ ⛅ 2 °C
More snow and bitterly cold wind this morning, so we rugged up and caught the train to the former Nazi Party Rally Grounds, aka Zeppelin Field (named after the landing of one of Count Zeppelin's airships there in 1909).

From 1933 the area was used by the Nazis Party for their annual party rally, with up to 200,000 attendees. During World War II it remained largely intact. On April 22 1945, the US Army held its victory parade at the main grandstand, and after the ceremony the swastika atop the building was blown up. In 1967 the pillar galleries were demolished because they were unsafe. The shortened grandstand remains, with the area still used for an annual motor racing event and cultural events.

Across the lake from Zeppelin Field is Congress Hall. This huge building was to provide undercover seating for 50,000 people, and would have been almost twice the size of the Colosseum in Rome. The outside looks complete, but the interior is an unfinished shell, 39m in height. Construction work was abandoned in World War II and it remains unfinished today.

We walked back to the city via a number of caches and had dinner at a local restaurant.Читать далее
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John Kalaitzis Crikey!
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Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 7
понедельник, 27 февраля 2023 г.
☁️ 3 °C
Высота: 309 м
Германия Nürnberg Imhoff’sche Grabkapelle St. Rochus 49.447412, 11.06035449°26’51” N 11°3’37” E
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Pencils and Plague
27 февраля 2023 г., Германия ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C
We began the day with a trip to the Faber Castell pencil factory, in the hope they had a tour running. Unfortunately they didn't, and their museum was also closed today, so we had to settle for a visit to the shop and a walk around the grounds and surrounding woods.

On the way back to the city we passed the Nicolaus Copernicus Planetarium (also closed on Mondays 🙄), but had more luck at St Rochus Cemetery. The cemetery was created to bury the victims of the plague of 1517–18. To avoid spreading the disease, city authorities decided to build the cemetery some distance from the city, so St. Rochus is located outside the old city wall. It's an unusual cemetery where most of the graves are low, stone coffin shapes. Among the notable burials are Franz Schmidt (the city executioner who left a diary detailing the 361 executions he performed during his 45 year career), and composer Johann Pachelbel (Canon in D)

In the late afternoon we popped into the supermarket for supplies, had another walk around the city, and had dinner in our room.Читать далее
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Путешественник That is the best gate design I've ever seen!
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Darren and Janet😁
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John Kalaitzis Did you find any broken pencils? They would be pointless!
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Darren and Janet🤣🤣🤣
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Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 8
вторник, 28 февраля 2023 г.
☁️ 7 °C
Высота: 116 м
Германия Frankfurt am Main 50.113556, 8.68666550°6’49” N 8°41’12” E
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Nuremberg to Frankfurt
28 февраля 2023 г., Германия ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C
After breakfast we had a couple of hours up our sleeve before our train to Frankfurt, so we left the bags at the hotel and went for another walk along the city's historical mile.

We ended up in the main market square at Schöner Brunnen (Beautiful Fountain), a 19m tall fountain in the shape of a Gothic spire. It was built in 1385 and has two brass rings embedded in the fence said to bring good luck to those who spin them.

We purchased some local gingerbread and pastries for the journey and made our way to the train station.

The 2 hour trip to Frankfurt was comfortable and smooth, with the train less than a quarter full.

We grabbed a pork steak sandwich from the food vans near the station and walked the 2km journey to our accomodation via a number of caches.

Our accommodation is only metres from the last remaining section of the Staufenmauer, the city wall originally constructed in 1180.

As we are staying in a self-contained apartment, dinner was dine-in, after a visit to the supermarket to purchase supplies.Читать далее
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John Kalaitzis Great shot!
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John Kalaitzis Indeed it is beautiful!
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John Kalaitzis Love their railway architecture
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Darren and Janetit's rapidly becoming our favourite too!
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John KalaitzisI can see why.
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Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 9
среда, 1 марта 2023 г.
☀️ 9 °C
Высота: 118 м
Германия Römerberg 50.110335, 8.68203650°6’37” N 8°40’55” E
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Bridges of Frankfurt
1 марта 2023 г., Германия ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C
We spent the day crisscrossing the Main River, first visiting the old Jewish Cemetery on the way to the Sachsenhausen district, famous for its apple wine bars and half timbered buildings.

We crossed back to the north and had lunch overlooking Römerberg, the old town square, site of royal coronations, Nazi book burnings and more recently Christmas markets. The distinct town hall buildings have been the seat of city administration since the 15th century.

Our afternoon walk took us back to the south bank, and a quick visit to the technology museum (mainly for afternoon tea in their cafe), before heading home via the Kleinmarkthalle, a fresh food market, similar to the Adelaide Central Market.Читать далее
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Путешественник Sunny weather! Finally!
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Darren and Janet😁
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Путешественник I wonder what the meaning is for all the rocks placed on the nameplates ...
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Darren and JanetThey use a stone as a symbol of lasting memory - flowers, though beautiful, will eventually die, but a stone will not die, so the memory goes on forever.
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Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 10
четверг, 2 марта 2023 г.
Высота: 474 м
Марокко Medina 31.628223, -7.98384631°37’42” N 7°59’2” W
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Frankfurt to Marrakech
2 марта 2023 г., Марокко
After catching the underground to the airport, we flew out of Frankfurt at 11am for a 3.5 hour flight to Marrakech.

Our first sight of Morocco was a patchwork of brown and green fields from the plane window, with snow covered mountains in the distance - not quite what we were expecting!

After finding an ATM, and buying a local SIM card, the next challenge was getting a taxi. We'd read about the problems at the airport with taxi drivers charging inflated prices, so much so that the government has mandated the price to the city at 70 dirham (about $10)... and even put a sign up to that effect. Seems word hasn't got to the drivers yet, as prices on offer ranged up to 350 dirham! When we said we'd pay the advertised price, the taxi organiser found us a driver, but he took another fare with us... so at least he got 140 for that trip 🙂

Our accommodation is a traditional riad (courtyard house/hotel), very close to the main square, so our taxi dropped us on the outskirts of the city centre, and we walked the rest of the way through the busy lanes.

We went for a late afternoon walk and took an impromptu tour through the tannery. It was quite a sight and smell - and I can safely say it's not high on my list to do again 🙄

Dinner was at a local restaurant as the call to prayer was sounding, before a quiet night in the courtyard of our riad, avoiding the occasional shower of rain.Читать далее
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ПутешественникQuite a change from Germany!
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Darren and Janetyes, there's no ordered efficiency here!
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Daniel WilliamsDidn't want to get in the tannery like the amazing race then?
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Darren and JanetI don't think you'd ever get the smell of pigeon poo out 🤮
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Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 11
пятница, 3 марта 2023 г.
⛅ 20 °C
Высота: 465 м
Марокко Djemaa el Fna 31.62604, -7.98896731°37’34” N 7°59’20” W
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Marrakech meandering
3 марта 2023 г., Марокко ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
From our riad in the centre of town, we decided to walk the north of the city today. We headed through the maze of alleys to the main square, Jamaa el Fna, firstly in search of an ATM. It was a popular choice, as the queue at the main bank was lengthy - fortunately Mr Google told me there was another one in the next street, so we went there and were cashed up quickly.

First stop was the 12th century Koutoubia Mosque, whose minaret is the most visible landmark of the city.

We visited Cyber Park, a tranquil garden with an odd technology theme, before continuing into the suburbs. The streets were just as busy, but this was full of locals, not tourists. We had lunch at a small cafe and wandered the souks, who sell a large array of traditional textiles, pottery and jewelry, as well as the usual tourist trinkets.

We came back to the city via a number of caches (they're mostly in market stalls and shops so they don't go missing, so you have to ask for them... but it certainly breaks the ice with the shopkeeper 😁).

Dinner was a Dabachi Sandwich, a street food mixture of meats, cheese, egg and spices, barbequed together and served in a pocket bread.

We then wandered Jamaa el Fna Square, which certainly comes alive after dark with endless food and drink choices, stalls selling everything from clothes to carpets, souvenir sellers, snake charmers and sideshow games.Читать далее
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John Kalaitzis Crikey! I guess cash is still king?
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Darren and Janetyes, very much, no prices marked, all haggling
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John Kalaitzis The hi viz seems incongruous?
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Darren and Janetyes ..it's the only sign of OH&S we've seen... 🤣
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Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 12
суббота, 4 марта 2023 г.
☀️ 21 °C
Высота: 472 м
Марокко Medina 31.619672, -7.98498131°37’11” N 7°59’6” W
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Rock the Kasbah
4 марта 2023 г., Марокко ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Today's destination was the Kasbah of Marrakesh, a large walled district in the southern part of the city, which historically served as the citadel and royal palace of the city.

We began with a visit to the adjoining Jewish quarter, but were unable to visit the Jewish cemetery as it was closed for their sabbath.

The surrounding streets were residential with few people around, but we did stumble upon a community bakery where the locals bring their prepared loaves to bake. The bakers invited us in and gave us a sample straight from the oven.

Lunch was at a local eatery near Place de Ferblantiers, a palm fringed square with many tin and glass artisans, and heaps of tourists.

We bypassed the Bahia Palace as we'll be going there as part of our tour, but did visit the Saadien's Tombs, a complex of simple mausoleums and tombs, containing the remains of royalty dating back to the 1550s.

After a snack at a rooftop cafe, we walked back to our accommodation via the now busy laneways of the medina.

Dinner was a couscous tagine each, at a local Berber street cafe.Читать далее
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John KalaitzisI hope you rocked it! The Kasbah that is :)
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John Kalaitzis That does look good. Hopefully Porties will have this on the menu by the time you return!
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Darren and Janetwe can only hope so!
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Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 13
воскресенье, 5 марта 2023 г.
☁️ 24 °C
Высота: 461 м
Марокко Menara 31.614358, -8.01986231°36’52” N 8°1’12” W
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Menara Gardens and medina shops
5 марта 2023 г., Марокко ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
Menara gardens are located at the west of Marrakech, and a popular weekend destination for families. They were built around 1130 by the Almohad ruler Abd al-Mu'min.

They contain a pavilion, built in the 16th century and renovated in 1869 by the Sultan, who used to stay here in summertime.

The pavilion and artificial lake are surrounded by orchards and olive groves. The intention of the lake was to irrigate the surrounding gardens using an old hydraulic system which conveys water from the mountains 30 km away.

We walked both ways, with a stop on the way back for lunch, then explored the medina for a while, before a few hours relaxing on the rooftop terrace of our riad.

We ventured out for dinner, planning to eat local, but needed to find an ATM, so ended up in the main square. The first ATM we tried was out of cash, the second malfunctioned and ate the person in front's card, the third was only in French, but we were successful with the fourth! 😮‍💨

Dinner was a vegetarian tagine again, before enduring shoulder to shoulder crowds to get back to our riad.Читать далее
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John Kalaitzis Brilliant!
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John Kalaitzis Cucumber and papaya sadly missing?
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Darren and Janetyes, and the banana 😁
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Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 14
понедельник, 6 марта 2023 г.
⛅ 22 °C
Высота: 36 м
Марокко Maarif - Twin-Center 33.586008, -7.63592733°35’10” N 7°38’9” W
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Marrakech Express
6 марта 2023 г., Марокко ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
We caught the train today from Marrakech to Casablanca, a comfortable 2.5 hour journey.

The landscape started dry and brown, but the further north we went, the more lush and green it became.

Casablanca is the financial capital of Morocco, a bustling highrise city, and a far cry from Marrakech. Tourist attractions are limited in the centre of town, so we wandered the streets near our hotel.

First mission was lunch at a local shawarma shop (yiros/doner in a pocket bread) - this one was in the backstreets, has one item on the menu, and had a queue of locals hanging out the door (always a good sign). They make the bread in real time at the back of the shop, fill the warm bread with freshly carved meat and top it with salads. Delicious!

We visited the supermarket on the meandering walk back to the hotel, and had dinner at a pasta restaurant nearby.Читать далее
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John Kalaitzis Spectacular!
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John Kalaitzis Remarkably free of traffic
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Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 15
вторник, 7 марта 2023 г.
☀️ 20 °C
Высота: 23 м
Марокко Hassan II Mosque 33.608007, -7.63333933°36’29” N 7°38’0” W
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Casablah...
7 марта 2023 г., Марокко ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Given the limited tourism sites in Casablanca, we set our sights today on the coast and promenade.

The most prominent feature of the city is the Hassan II Mosque, built in 1993. It is the largest functioning mosque in Africa and is the 7th largest in the world. It has a capacity of 105,000 worshippers, 25,000 inside and 80,000 outside. It's minaret is the world's second tallest at 210 metres.

We then walked around the corniche to the second most famous attraction, Rick's Cafe, inspired by the 1942 film, but only built in 2004 by a former American diplomat to Morocco. Unfortunately for us, we couldn't go in because they don't allow patrons wearing shorts!

We had lunch at a restaurant housed in a former fort on the foreshore, before starting to head back to our hotel. Unfortunately on the way, while checking Google Maps, my phone was stolen by a bloke on a motorcycle who came up from behind and was gone in a flash. To cut a long story short, 3 police stations, 2 rides in a police car and many hours later, we still didn't have the phone. We're both fine, just annoyed and inconvenienced...Читать далее
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Путешественникnot good
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Darren and Janet❤️
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John KalaitzisThat's awful. Sorry to hear that.
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Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 16
среда, 8 марта 2023 г.
☀️ 20 °C
Высота: 25 м
Марокко Roches Noires 33.590411, -7.59287733°35’25” N 7°35’34” W
1 1
Casablanca rest day
8 марта 2023 г., Марокко ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Quiet day today after yesterday's unwanted excitement. All we had to do was move hotels in preparation for the start of our tour tomorrow, so we had a sleep in, lunch locally, then caught a taxi to our new hotel near the train station.

We purchased a new SIM card for Oliver's phone, had a relaxing mint tea at a cafe and a walk around the station precinct, before a shawarmer for dinner.Читать далее
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John Kalaitzis Wow!
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John Kalaitzis Wonderful!
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sam and brucegood luck for the tour!
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Darren and Janet👍already have our driver caching 🤣
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John KalaitzisOf course you do!
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Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 17
четверг, 9 марта 2023 г.
☁️ 21 °C
Высота: 32 м
Марокко Sāḩat al Millah 34.024157, -6.83204934°1’27” N 6°49’55” W
6 4
Road to Rabat
9 марта 2023 г., Марокко ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
We woke up to a cool, overcast day, and met our driver Souliman for a 9am departure to Rabat, a distance of only 90km.

We arrived mid morning to a city in complete contrast to Casablanca. Rabat is the capital of Morocco, neatly ordered, and known for it's mix of Islamic and French colonial architecture.

The skyline of the city is currently being transformed by the contruction of Mohammed VI Tower, a hotel and residential building. Started in July 2017, and due for completion this year, it will be the second tallest tower in Africa and is designed to be visible from a distance of 50km.

We met a local guide for a walk through the grounds of the Al Hassan Mosque, Hassan Tower, and Mausoleum of Mohammed V, and our first chance to introduce both driver and guide to geocaching, as there was a nicely hidden cache on the edge of the carpark 😁

We then visited the Kasbah, the original walled part of the city, and partook in mint tea and biscuits, before travelling to the Royal Palace, where the king resides when in Rabat. It's a sprawling 43 hectare site, where his 2000 staff all live on-site. Jobs at the Royal Palace are much sought after and often pass down through family generations.

After lunch we walked through the medina, across the road from our hotel, then back there again for tea after a walk around the local area.Читать далее
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John Kalaitzis Are those tram tracks I spy?
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Darren and Janetyou spot well! check your Messager feed 😁
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John KalaitzisThank you :)
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Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 18
пятница, 10 марта 2023 г.
Высота: 63 м
Марокко Wilaya 35.777111, -5.81045335°46’38” N 5°48’38” W
2
A little lighthouse keeping*
10 марта 2023 г., Марокко
Longer drive today, about 3 hours to Tangier, located at the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, just 14km from Spain.

Through it's history it has been under Spanish control, Portugese control and even English control - in 1662 it was transferred to the English crown as part of the dowry of Catherine of Braganza, wife of Charles II.

In the 1940s and 50s, as an international zone managed by colonial powers, it became a haven for artists, eccentric millionaires, secret agents and writers. It is now a modern, attractive city, with a fascinating mix of old and new - an ancient medina fringed by a modem harbour and corniche.

We ventured a few kilometres out of town to Cape Spartel, the most north western point of mainland Africa, and home to a lighthouse dating from 1864.

Nearby is the Cave of Hercules - mythology cites that Tangier was founded by Hercules and it was in these caves that he rested after completing the 12 labours set to him as penance for his sins.

The cave has two openings, one to sea and one to land. The sea opening, known as "The Map of Africa" is believed created by the Phoenicians in the shape of Africa when looked at from the sea.
The caves were was used as a brothel in the 1920's, and in 1995, British rock group Def Leppard played a concert in the cave.

*Naming credit to The Goodies 😁Читать далее
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Путешественникok
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John KalaitzisYes, remember the episode well, in fact, you might have showed it to us recently?
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John Kalaitzis It's a stretch :)
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Darren and Janetrush job by the Phonecians?
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Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 19
суббота, 11 марта 2023 г.
⛅ 20 °C
Высота: 708 м
Марокко Mosquée Espagnole de Chefchaouen 35.165594, -5.25564235°9’56” N 5°15’20” W
2
Into the Blue
11 марта 2023 г., Марокко ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
We left Tangier at 9am, early enough to beat any traffic (highly unlikely on a Saturday... even on a weekday nothing gets going until 11 am)

We stopped for morning coffee with plenty of other travellers at a cafe overlooking a dam. Tourism is slowly recovering here - there only are a handful of large buses getting around, but quite a few small vans like ours.

We travelled through the lush green crops of the Rif Mountains and arrived in Chefchaouen, the blue city, just before lunch.

Chefchaouen is traditionally an agricultural centre, also known for leather and textile handicrafts, but recently tourism has been the main income earner due to their distinctive blue buildings.

There are several theories as to why the walls were painted blue - one is that the blue keeps mosquitos away, or that blue symbolizes the sky and heaven and serves as a reminder to lead a spiritual life, or simply they were painted blue in the 1970s to attract tourists!

We met our local guide for a walk around the medina and Kasbah, including a stop for lunch of goat cheese, bread, pastries and mint tea, then walked to our hotel, just outside the medina.

After dinner in a rooftop cafe (for the record, beef tagine with prunes - and absolutely delicious), we walked up the hill behind our hotel to watch sunset over the city from the Spanish Mosque, a disused mosque built by the Spanish in 1920.Читать далее
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Путешественникwhat a beautiful place 😍
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Darren and Janetit certainly is!
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sam and bruce very arty!
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Darren and Janet😁
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Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 20
воскресенье, 12 марта 2023 г.
☀️ 26 °C
Высота: 623 м
Марокко Outa Hammam Square 35.169378, -5.26031335°10’10” N 5°15’37” W
2
Chefchaouen Hammam
12 марта 2023 г., Марокко ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
We have a full day in Chefchaouen, so a leisurely breakfast and a walk up to the cemetery was the only thing on the agenda for the morning.

We then ventured into the medina for lunch, before our 3pm massage and hammam, which means “the spreader of warmth” in Arabic. It is essentially getting scrubbed down and washed in a sauna. They believe that purifying the body goes hand-in-hand with purifying the soul, so after being washed while lying on a marble slab, you get rubbed down/exfoliated with a kessa glove (made of goat hair... think 120 grit sandpaper), then an all over body rub of black clay. We were left to marinate for 15 minutes before a final wash down.

We also had a massage from head to toe (literally), front, back and sides - she was very thorough, massaging places we didn't know needed massaging!

Dinner was at the same restaurant as last night, overlooking the hum of the medina as the sun set.Читать далее
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Daniel Williams Even the cemetery is blue
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Darren and Janetyep, they're sticking with the theme!
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John KalaitzisWhat a cracking spot!
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Darren and Janet👍
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Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 21
понедельник, 13 марта 2023 г.
☁️ 24 °C
Высота: 378 м
Марокко Volubilis 34.073024, -5.55530834°4’23” N 5°33’19” W
2 1
Roman ruins of Volubilis
13 марта 2023 г., Марокко ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
We travelled from Chefchaouen to Meknes, a distance of 194km. The journey took over 3.5 hours, as we could only travel at 60kph for most of the way due to the number of local buses, pedestrians, donkeys, sheep and tractors sharing the road.

We broke the journey with a visit to the local market at Zaggota. It is a weekly market, so people come from miles around to do their weekly shop, many by shared taxi with their roofs piled high with produce, or by donkey cart if they live closer.

We arrived at Volubilis early afternoon for a guided tour. Volubis is a partly excavated Roman city near the city of Meknes, founded in the 3rd century BC and abandoned in the 11th century AD. It remained largely intact until an earthquake in 1755. It was subsequently looted by Moroccan rulers seeking stone for building Meknes, until excavation and restoration during the time of French rule, 1912-1955.

We had lunch in the nearby town of Moulay Idress Zerhoun, before travelling onto Meknes for the night.Читать далее
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Katie Williams WHS clearly in action
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John Kalaitzis I think they could fit one tiny bit more on?
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sam and bruce we will pass on that thanks anyway!
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Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 22
вторник, 14 марта 2023 г.
☁️ 22 °C
Высота: 549 м
Марокко Hay Ezzaytoune 33.873561, -5.55141333°52’25” N 5°33’5” W
3
Meknes Medina
14 марта 2023 г., Марокко ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
We were met by the local guide for a 9am tour of Meknes. We drove to a lookout point over the medina, visited the Jewish cemetery, and the mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, the longest reigning Moroccan sultan (55 years), who allegedly had a harem of over 500 women and fathered more than 800 children, making him one of the most prodigious fathers in recorded history.

We then had a walking tour of the medina, which is undergoing much restoration work.

We drove to Fes in the afternoon, getting lunch locally near our hotel.

For dinner we had a local speciality, Pastilla - it's a Moroccan chicken pie, containing shredded chicken, saffron, egg and onion, with a crunchy topping of fried almonds sweetened with orange flower water, enclosed in a crispy pastry shell and garnished with icing sugar and cinnamon.Читать далее
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Путешественник looksinteresting
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Darren and Janetwas very nice, and very filling.
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John Kalaitzis That looks rather yum!
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День 23
среда, 15 марта 2023 г.
☀️ 27 °C
Высота: 354 м
Марокко Ennajjarine 34.062451, -4.97890434°3’45” N 4°58’44” W
1 1
Fes Fun
15 марта 2023 г., Марокко ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
We did a walking tour of the Fes medina today, the largest in Morocco, and the world's largest car free urban zone.

There are 300,000 people living in the medina, in 250 quarters - each quarter is self contained and has a mosque, Koran school, Hammam, fountain and community bakery.

The medina is made up of 9,600 alleys - no wonder they tell tourists to stay still if they get separated from their group and someone will come back to find you - don't try and find your own way out!Читать далее
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John Kalaitzis Good memory game!
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John Kalaitzis I'm sure that smelled lovely :)
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День 24
четверг, 16 марта 2023 г.
☀️ 27 °C
Высота: 712 м
Марокко Aqqa -n-Tilzat 32.105424, -6.47791332°6’20” N 6°28’40” W
2
3
How's the serenity...
16 марта 2023 г., Марокко ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
Longest drive of the trip today, 6.5 hours from Fes to Bin El Ouidane, in the Atlas Mountains.

Our first stop was Ifrane, the Switzerland of Morocco. The town is known for its alpine-style architecture and nearby ski slopes and forests. It's a popular holiday destination for Moroccans looking to escape the city heat. In the centre of town, a stone statue of a lion represents the last known Atlas Lion shot in the wild in this area in 1942.

Lunch was a traditional meal in a Berber family home, a meat and vegetable tagine... although I'm not sure the fries on top are traditional?? But it was all delicious.

We arrived at our accommodation near Bin El Ouidane at 5.30pm, a beautiful room overlooking the Ait Ouarda Dam, and a relaxing evening watching the sun set from our deck.Читать далее
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Путешественникwho knew you could ski in Morocco! great hotel view
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Путешественникlooksimpressive
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sam and bruce wow, thats a pretty special place to relax!
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Morocco and Portugal 2023 Darren and Janet
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День 25
пятница, 17 марта 2023 г.
☁️ 21 °C
Высота: 764 м
Марокко Oued Tiysakht 32.014643, -6.71988732°0’53” N 6°43’12” W
2 6 5 2
Ouzoud Falls and Marrakech Foodie Tour
17 марта 2023 г., Марокко ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Late start today with an 11am departure from the hotel, so plenty of time for breakfast and a walk before we were picked up.

We stopped at Ouzoud Falls for a walk around the top and bottom of the falls. It's a popular day trip from Marrakech, so was busy with locals and tourists.

The drive to Marrakech was a couple of hours, so we arrived in time to settle into our hotel, then head straight into the city centre for a foodie tour.

We started in Jemaa el Fna Square with a local guide, sampling a vast array of street food and local specialties, including juices, snails, soups and sweets, and finishing with a tangia - an urn shaped cooking pot with slow cooked beef and preserved lemon. We got back to the hotel at 10pm, not sure if we'll ever need to eat again!Читать далее
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Путешественникnot sure about the snail's they are huge, were they tasty?
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Darren and Janetthe broth was tasty, the snails not so much... a bit like chewy mushrooms!
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Путешественник😳😳😳
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