Portugal, Morocco and Spain

A 52-day adventure by Linda. Read more

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Trip start
March 31, 2023
Portugal, Morocco and Spain Traveler
Getting Ready
March 31, 2023 in Canada ☁️ 9 °C
Airports can be so sterile. Victoria is particularly blank. (Photo is Vancouver) However, it does offer a chance to get off the island on a new adventure. And here I go. First leg is a week with family. Then two weeks in Portugal, 2 weeks in Morocco and finally 2 weeks in Spain. I’m ready!

This was one of those cobbled together trips. I wanted to get back east to see my dad who’s health has been failing, but it has been just years. He is sharp and has a most outstandingly devoted wife, Chris, who keeps him moving. My sister, Robin, from Boston is coming down with her dog. My twin, Michael, will be visiting for part of the time with his son, Andrew, who I haven’t seen since he was about 14 years old. Long story. I last of the gang is my half-brother Jeremy and his family – wife Rebecca and two kids, Austin and Cameron. Should be lots of fun and maybe some drama.

Last fall, I got a call from my friend, Gail, who said she was going on a tour to Morocco with a couple of her other friends and invited me along. And why not? Sheryl wrangled a couple weeks of vacation to add a trip in between New Jersey and Morocco to Portugal with two friends from Sweden, Lennart and Kirsten. And finally, Gail and Stacey wanted to get to Barcelona after Morocco. Gail and I will do Sevilla, Granada, and Valencia too. Phew!

I am a little sad to be leaving my pretty new garden. I just love it. Changes the whole feel of the place. It also means living out of a suitcase for 7 weeks. Most travel with be 2 or 3 nights in a place. I gotta be organized or I will spend too much time futzing with my things coming and going. Packing cubes, my friends, packing cubes.

I’m also so happy to be traveling with Sheryl. She is the best traveler. It will be nice to wander around Portugal with her.

Thanks for coming with me.

*************

A veces, aeropuertos son estíreles. Victoria es blanco en particular. La foto es de Vancouver. Sin embargo, oferta una chance para salir la isla por un viaje nuevo. Ya me voy! La primera semana estará con mi familia. Entonces dos semanas en Portugal, dos semanas en Marruecos, y finalmente, dos semanas en España. Estoy lista!

Este era uno de los viajes construyó pedazo por pedazo. Me quería regresar al este así que pueda ver a mi padre quien ha tenido mala salud por algunos años. Él es listo y tiene la mejor y abnegada esposa, Chris. Ella se lo queda moviéndo a él. Mi hermana, Robin, de Boston vendrá con su perro. Mi mejillo, Michael, visitará para parte del tiempo con su hijo, Andrew, quien no he visto desde él tenía 14 años. Una historia larga. El ultimo de la familia es mi medio-hermano, Jeremy, con su familia – su esposa y dos hijos. Se debe muchísimo diversión y quizá un poco drama.

El otoño pasado, recibí una llamada de mi amiga, Gail, quien dijo que va a ir a Marrueco en tour con un par de amigas y me invitó a venir con suyos. Y por qué no? Sheryl negoció un par de semanas de vacaciones así que podemos viajar entre Nuevo Jersey y Marrueco a Portugal con dos amigos de Suecia, Lennart y Kirsten. Y por fin, Gail y Stacey querían visitar a Barcelona después de Marrueco. Gail y yo iremos a Sevilla, Granada, y Valencia tambien. Pues!

Estoy un poco triste porque voy a saliendo mi jardín nuevo y bonito. Justo me lo encanta. Cambia todo el sentimiento del lugar. Tengo que ser muy organizado en mi equipaje o voy a pasar tanto tiempo en empacando mis cosas ida y vuelta. Cubos de empacando, mi amigo, cubos de empacando.

Estoy emocionada viajar con Sheryl. Ella es la mejor. Estará muy amable a pasar tiempo consigo en Portugal.

Gracias por vendiendo conmigo.Read more
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Family Week
April 6, 2023 in the United States ⛅ 28 °C
After an impromptu night in Toronto (missed flight) and missed bag (3 days), I have spent a glorious week with family. My dad is still alive and kicking. Chris, his wife, takes the best care of him doing lots but not everything for him. My brother Jeremy got me at the airport, and I got to spend a full day hanging out with him, his wife and two kids. It was fun if a bit noisy. Nine and 12 year olds are like that.

My sister, Robin, joined us with Frankie (her dog) for dinner and the rest of my 3-4 day stay in New Jersey. The next day my real twin brother, Michael came down from New York to spend the day talking, sharing old stories and watching a movie.

It was so nice to see everyone but also strange. I think this is probably the last time I will see my dad. He is in failing health and has been struggling for years now. He can still tell those old man Jewish jokes (I did not get that gene). I still laugh. Chris took care of just about every single thing. I hardly made a sandwich. It is the way she shows her love. We already talk about “after”. It is going to be tough.

I felt guilty, but I took a Lyft from my dad’s to my mother-in-law’s in Atlantic City. It was frankly pretty inexpensive and shaved 3 hours off the trip. And I got to spend more time with Jeanne. She is delightful company. We spent time looking at old photos and walking down memory lane. Of course gossiping about the relatives too.

Fredda, Sheryl’s cousin, is the matriarch of the family and does all the holiday feasts. Her beef brisket is to die for. I ate too much. There were 18 of us including Fredda’s two kids and their spouses and kids, Jen and Ken (never remember the familial connection), and Sheryl and I. Fredda made a point of including LGBT community support as part of the Seder. I certainly appreciated the sentiment. She can be tough, but she is also very fierce about defending women’s rights and human rights.

Sheryl is just now polishing her mother’s samovar and candlesticks. Jeanne has 98 years of accumulation and all those things that she got from her grandparents and parents. I just hope I have her strength and cheerful spirit 35 years from now when I am her age!

On to Portugal tonight. Hopefully I will have my luggage when I land.Read more
TravelerThey lost your luggage….!? Thank goodness you got it back - can’t imagine embarking on such a long trip without all your stuff!
4/12/23Reply
TravelerThank god for the AirTag on my bag. I could locate it wherever it went. I could even track it on the move.
4/13/23Reply
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Lisbon Day One
April 7, 2023 in Portugal ☀️ 23 °C
It is gloriously warm here in Lisbon. We arrived after a not terrible overnight flight from Philadelphia and got into the Airbnb early. Unlike Air Canada, American Airlines actually landed early, and I got my bag immediately. The place has a lovely view of the ocean and sits across from a Monastery. The guy we rented from talked and talked. He thinks Putin is a nice fellow… In any case, he has a great spot.

We settled in, bought groceries, and then went to the National Tile Museum. The tile was beautiful, but I wasn’t quite sure what I was looking at. There were scant descriptions and maybe we were just tired. Mostly we just were soaking up the architecture, narrow streets and outdoor cafes. I’m soooo happy.

Kirsten and Lennart (our friends from Sweden) arrived by 6pm, and we went for some traditional Portuguese food. Loved it. It was also great to catch up with them. We hadn’t seen them since they came to visit us in Portland just after I retired in 2018. They are both engineers - Kirsten has retired and Lennart can’t seem to break the habit and is working one or two days a week. They are also both politically involved in the progressive and environmental parties in Sweden.

Even though I went to Costa Rica last year, I was in one place for most of the 7 weeks in a homestay. Here and the rest of my travels will be a few nights or even just one night stays. It is a different way to pack - being organized is essential. So far, so good.Read more
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Lisbon Day Two
April 8, 2023 in Portugal ☀️ 24 °C
My dogs are tired. We walked on what the book said would be a 4-hour self-guided walking tour that took us all day. Sheryl and I caught up on our sleep. Lennart went out to get some fresh bakery bread in the morning for our breakfast. Cheese, bread, butter and coffee. What’s not to love?

Across the street, the Sao Vicente de Fora and Monastery were amazing. The tile work, gold tapestry, and tons of narrative that went with it were great fun. We also went through the “flea market” nearby with both stuff you would find at any outdoor market and some art as well. I find that I love to look but don’t really want to buy. I’m hoping to find something that I just can’t live without but not on the first day.

The rest of the day we wandered from place to place on my already mapped out walking tour and decided not to actually go in to the places. They were swamped with tourists and not all that interesting. The tile on the outside of the buildings, and people-watching was a better bet.

We stumbled upon a museum of fascism and resistance on the location of a former prison where the Portuguese government tortured and jailed people from the 30s up through the liberation on April 25, 1974. A very long time. I couldn’t read some if it. They showed cells that had a bed and a little room, another with only a slab to lie down on and finally one that was too small to actually lie down in. The cruelty was terrifying and heartbreaking. They had copies of the resistance publications and stories plastered all over the walls. They also showed Portugal’s colonial reach and how these places finally achieved there independence. I’m glad we stopped in.

After, Kirsten who is a tiny little thing, insisted on gelato. Who am I to stand in her way? While in Rome, she had 4 gelatos in one day… We have work to do. Sheryl also found a wine tasting where you serve yourself from a dispenser. Very cool and nice selection of wines.

Sheryl took us on yet another wild goose chase to try to find the Botanical Gardens. After a couple of attempts, I finally used my google maps to find the entrance. We saw lots of heat-loving trees, bushes and some parrots too. It was nice to get off the beaten path to a garden.

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday so several of the things we wanted to see are closed. Sad face. But we will survive.Read more
TravelerGreat to hear about your current adventures. Love to all
4/9/23Reply
TravelerHaving oodles of fun.
4/9/23Reply
TravelerWhat a busy and fun day! Kirsten’s gelato excursions sound like my kind of itinerary…. 😋
4/12/23Reply
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Easter Sunday in Lisbon
April 9, 2023 in Portugal ⛅ 25 °C
We tried to scope out what was open and what was not before our trip, but oddly the info was not really available. We traveled by bus down to Belem to look at the famous tower (that was closed), Jerónimo Monastery (also closed) and waterfront. The outsides of the buildings were beautiful and the weather can not be beat. Sunny and just warm.

On the way, we discovered this little street that is famous for fado music with murals and stories on the walls outside. These narrow passages are so full of character and art and hanging laundry. This is what makes European cities so delightful.

The Museum of Contemporary Art was open, and I drowned myself in an exquisitely curated exhibit chronicling the many different modern and contemporary art genres. I loved how each piece related in some way either in juxtaposition or in concert with the piece before it. It told a story. I also noticed that this museum had more women artists represented. A nice change of pace from the usual all-male lineup.

I had my first Pasteis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tart). It is made by making a laminated dough for the crust and a rich custard that is charred on the top giving it a texture and flavour to die for. There was close by the “original” place to get them, but it is generally a madhouse. I have read it’s not really that good anymore. It’s hard to churn out hundreds or even thousands on a daily basis and keep up the quality. The one I had was sublime.

We found the Tropical Botanical Gardens nearby and walked around until we just couldn’t walk any more.

Dinner was take out from a traditional Portuguese place up the street. Everything seems to be “up” the street. So many hills to climb. We witnessed two knuckleheads almost get into a bona fide fistfight in front of the restaurant. Men are strange. They get all upset and try to use there fists to solve their grievances. Maybe it is cultural, but mostly I think it is just the testosterone.

Tomorrow we go birdwatching for half a day with a guide. I have done no studying of the birds here. I’m rusty with my binocular skills. It will be interesting.Read more
Traveler I love these paintings in the “windows”
4/12/23Reply
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Birding and Gulbenkian Museum
April 10, 2023 in Portugal ☀️ 23 °C
Our birding guide says we saw 70 bird species in 5 hours. I think it was more like 55 or 60. I have to check. WE SAW FLAMINGOS!!!! I love them. And, no, I didn’t take a picture. I rarely take bird pictures. They never turn out. We also saw storks, glossy ibis, lots of raptures and European birds. This will expand my life list by bunches. We were up just north of Lisbon in the Tagus area. The river is very shallow here so we saw many fisher folk digging clams and netting fish. Super fun.

The bus driver for the bird tour dropped us at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum. This ridiculously wealthy man left his extensive and exquisite collection of art to Portugal along with money to build a garden and foundation. The museum starts with art and artifacts collected from ancient Egypt and civilizations during the pyramids. It wends its way through Asian porcelain, textiles, and glass to Persian rugs and tile work to Baroque French furniture, tapestries and painting to Renaissance and Impressionist painting and sculpture to finally jewelry and fine gold pieces designed by René Lalique.

In addition to the seemingly endless supply of money to purchase everything, he had the most exceptional and beautiful eye. In each area of his pieces, the items were the most outstanding works in both quality and beauty. I was overwhelmed by it all. The gardens were equally sumptuous.

It is nice to have Lennart and Kristen with us to share our perspectives on the art and gardens. I love Lennart’s sense of wonder and Kristen’s obvious joy in it.

Tomorrow we are off to Coimbra.Read more
Traveler Ahh….birds of paradise, so also birds!
4/12/23Reply
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Coimbra
April 11, 2023 in Portugal ☀️ 22 °C
The train trip took 2 hours heading north to Coimbra, a small university town. It was only half a day here and already we have fallen in love with the city. We visited the old church built in the 12th century and updated through the 15th century with tile and art with Moorish and Spanish influences. It was clearly well taken care of and revered as it was in quite good shape for such an old building. The new church (although also very, very old by North American standards) was beautiful, but churches give me the creeps sometimes. All those depictions of a dead guy hanging from a cross by nails in his hands and feet plus the absolute misery imposed by the Catholic Church on people all over the world and in Europe. I can feel it in the walls of them.

We are staying in an Airbnb situated on a narrow pedestrian street. Everything from here is either up or down a long flight of stairs along corridors packed with little shops or quiet residences. The colours and balconies dressed with hanging laundry make is feel like a real city as opposed to a tourist town.

The university makes for lots of political graffiti and students yelling, carousing and even barfing in the streets. I’m thankful for the vibrancy but the roving drunk lads, not so much.

We have eaten quite well on this trip sharing great wine and traditional Portuguese foods. So far I have had goat, chicken, beef, lamb, grouper and several amazing vegetarian meals. The food has been great and the service has been very friendly. Even with my knowledge of Spanish, the menu items are usually a mystery. Portuguese is a close cousin of Spanish so I can often read the signs at museums and historical markers but I still miss a lot.

Tomorrow we have another day in this incredible town to explore more…Read more
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Coimbra Day Two
April 12, 2023 in Portugal ☁️ 14 °C
Our first rainy day. We made the most of it visiting the Museum National de Machado de Castro and Roman Crypts. We started with exploring the extensive ancient Roman crypts and halls - we got a bit lost - they were that big. From there the museum followed with ancient sculpture and relics. Next paintings, then paintings, then ceramics, then jewelry. It was never ending. We quit for lunch at noon not getting through to the last quarter. Our heads were full.

Our bellies were not. We ate at the museum cafe with a view overlooking the town. I was taken by the density of houses and the lack of cars everywhere. They just didn’t fit in lots of the alleyways. It afforded a sense of quiet and peace hard to obtain when you have to fight to talk above traffic. There are pastelerías everywhere you turn. Sheryl bought some almond tarts to share for dessert.

We had tickets to see a most important part of the old university - the Library. It was stunningly beautiful - however - we had exactly 10 minutes to explore the two library rooms with no possibility to take photos and no signs or other information about the library. We were frustrated that we just couldn’t really understand what we were looking at. Why were there some shelves empty of books? What was the significance of the place to the university and how was it organized? How did they access the impossibly high shelves? What were the symbols and representations painted on the ceilings all about? Etc. Honestly, it seemed overpriced and disappointing.

Connected were the halls for students to present their dissertations for their degrees with a court of scholars seated in the large hall. It seemed like it was deliberately designed for intimidation. This building was connected to the palace with beautiful tile work.

Even with the cloud and rain, we still walked and walked and walked the streets/alleyways getting periodically lost and returning back to the same squares. Tomorrow we leave for Porto. I see port in our future.Read more
Traveler Gorgeous, though! Also the ceiling and the tiles - a feast of color.
4/14/23Reply
Traveler Part of the intimidation….?
4/14/23Reply
Traveler wow, yes, intimidating, kind of like standing at an altar
5/7/23Reply
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Arriving in Porto
April 13, 2023 in Portugal ⛅ 15 °C
We took the train up to Porto for a long (relatively) stay - 4 nights. Train travel is so luxurious compared to flights. Arriving 15 or even 10 minutes before the train leaves and getting right into the heart of the city is a nice benefit. After dropping our bags at our AirBnb, we ate at yet another traditional Portuguese restaurant for lunch. It seems that the big meal of the day is lunchtime including soup, main dish, french fries, salad, dessert, wine, and coffee all for a modest price of just about 10 euros. I got a giant salad with tuna. I’ve been craving vegetables.

We arrived in time to take “The Worst Tour of Porto” conducted by this wonderful architect fellow who showed us the some quirky and “real” places in this city. A few highlights included how the tiles on the exteriors of the buildings were great for both the hot, dry climate of southern Portugal and the wet northern parts of the country. Designs were modified from old Moorish tile work. He spoke about the political expansion of Porto with the central area starting as a Roman walled city, then an expanded Medieval walled city, and then on to the larger area controlled by the Jesuits who once ousted converted all those monasteries and convents into municipal buildings. After the Roman’s ruled, their wall and road stones were used to construct homes leaving that history behind.

He showed us these homes that were called home islands - they took generally narrow homes and converted the alleyways that accessed the backyards to a narrow passageway with little homes with shared bathrooms. I would compare these to tiny homes of today. Of the 500 “islands” located throughout Porto, only 6 have been upgraded in the last 5 years. Slow going. These islands also shared a outside laundry area with pools of water, washing stones, a flow of water for rinsing and areas to hang laundry. In this climate, it works.

We also learned more about the rule of fascists in the 30’s through the first liberation on April 24, 1974 and the second liberation 30 years later when the country finally became a more stable democracy. It’s complicated. This is the kind of tour you would never get from a regular tour company. What a treat.

We finished the day getting into our lavish apartment with two floors, two suites each with its own bathroom and a beautiful garden. Photos to come. It was too late to get food so we shared the bottle of wine provided by the host and nibbles we have accumulated in our shopping travels. Plastic-wrapped croissants were involved.Read more
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Rainy Day in Porto
April 14, 2023 in Portugal 🌧 15 °C
It wasn’t supposed to rain much in Porto today but… tell that to the clouds. We started the day walking to the famous outdoor market. It was basically an over-priced food market with gorgeous looking flowers, fruits, vegetables, fresh fish and other specialty foods. We purchased meh little pies for lunch and left.

Afterwards we walked to the medieval wall and bridge over the river. It is fascinating to see all the very, very old and dilapidated buildings located in the center of the city that also has exquisitely appointed tile-covered homes. The rule is that a building has to become so bad before the owner has to right to tear it down and build something new in its place that will cost much less to develop. Housing here is not as much an issue of not enough dwellings, but the condition of the homes.

I do love the variety of building styles and ages. There is absolutely nothing like it on the west coast of the US and Canada. Old is 150 years. Here old is 1300’s. And the walls and roofs grow flowers. So charming. We walked down (again, everything is on hills - very steep hills) to the river’s edge and then back up again. My legs were tired.

It was now really raining so Kirsten, Lennart and I took a nap and hung out at the apartment and have some much deserved quiet time. Sheryl had the energy to walk around some more. Good for her. It was nice to have the garden to appreciate in the rain.

We found rabbit on sale and Lennart cooked up a delicious rabbit stew with actually tasty gluten-free spaghetti for dinner. We shared a lovely bottle of wine and watched some Netflix show about Street food. A perfect evening.Read more
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Last Full Day in Porto
April 16, 2023 in Portugal ☀️ 20 °C
It was finally hot. So what did we do? We walked all the way down to the water’s edge, all the way back up on the other side of the bridge to do an errand, down again to visit the Port place and then across the bridge again to climb up to our place. It is comical. We looked longingly up the rails to see that the funicular wasn’t running. There were trams, buses and trolley cars - all requiring a climb up or down. Porto people are tough.

First stop was the Crystal Palace Garden that housed a small museum with incredible items including gorgeous textiles, furniture and shells. Of course, we took impossibly narrow avenues and stairs to get there. We were rewarded with some spectacular views of the bridge and personal gardens squeezed into plots next to ancient houses.

There were a zillion tourists out along the river soaking up the warm/hot sun. We stopped in to the Museum of Port and watched this super interesting movie about the men in the 1930’s or 40’s who moved the port barrels from the grape-growing area down the Douro river. The currents getting the boats back up river were intense. It showed just how much physical labour was put into getting this precious cargo to the storage areas in Porto.

Lennart and Kirsten don’t really like port and neither does Sheryl. I like it if it is a good port. Sheryl scoped out the best place to go, and I bought a delicious half bottle of 20 year old white wine port, and we purchased a 10 year old red wine port to taste back at the AirBnB. I fear I am the only one who will enjoy it…

On the way back home, Sheryl and I dipped into the photography museum. There was a small but painful exhibit of photographs from the war in Ukraine. Heartbreaking. I couldn’t look directly at some of the images as they were of both murdered civilians and dead Russian soldiers left behind by Russian troops. The photos were housed in what looked like an old prison with bars on the windows and hefty iron gates.

I’m a little sad to say that we were all too tired to figure out dinner, so I used UberEats for the first time. Wow. That is dangerously easy to use.

Tomorrow we head out of town in a rental car to visit the northern edge of Portugal. I hope the driving is not as complicated as the hill climbing.Read more
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São Paio Jolda and Ponte de Lima
April 17, 2023 in Portugal 🌙 18 °C
There is a pool at the place we are staying for next four nights!!!!! After we arrived we choose one of the luxurious bedrooms, unpacked, and took a very, very cold dip in the pool. The place is a working farm with flowers, onions, garlic, beans, chickens, and grapes for wine. Our host gave us two of his homemade wines - one red and one white to try. Oh boy!

We started our day heading north in our rental car bidding farewell to Porto. While Porto is beautiful and has much to offer, it was outshone by both Coimbra and Lisbon. On the drive up, we stopped for lunch in Ponte de Lima which boasts being the oldest town in Portugal. It sits on Rio Lima, a beautifully clear and shallow river that defines this area. We walked across the bridge that was built in the 1200’s. The heat nearly melted us - it was a high of 28C or 82F. The Swedes aren’t used to hot.

We are going to be taking some walks in the mornings and wine tasting in the afternoons. At least that is the plan. I’m hoping to get another day or two in the pool or even swimming in the rivers around here if they aren’t any more freezing than the pool.Read more
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Ecovia and Sistelo
April 18, 2023 in Portugal ☁️ 24 °C
Today we hike along the Rio Vez. I love how different the landscape is from our Pacific BC and Northwest Pacific creeks. And the birds are new. I saw eight different species (that I could identify) and none of them are found back home. The European Robin is smaller and has the most lovely voice. Kirsten and Lennart recognized the Nötskrika (Nut Screamer) or what here is called in English Eurasian Jay. I found a picture on the interweb that I included here - not my shot. A little bit of home for them. They also recognized the plants and architecture of the riverside - like their home in Halmstad, Sweden. They have been teaching me a very little bit of Swedish. I really like the sound of it but can’t quite pronounce the words very well. Practice, practice, practice.

You could just feel the tensions of the city touring melt away along the trail. While I do love a good museum, public art and the mass of humanity, the peace and sound of the water calms my soul. It is also where Lennart is most at home and brings back memories of my long summer days in Swan Lake, NY. I got some good reflection pictures and a few of those quirky signs along the way.

We found a perfect swimming hole in the river, but the water was freezing. I couldn’t get my feet in without the tops protesting loudly. Kirsten was able to get all the way in but just for a moment. It was nice to just sit on the waters edge dipping my very cold feet in and out of the water wearing a bathing suit - in April. Sorry.

After our hike, we visited a small perfectly cared for town, Sistelo. There were very, very few people anywhere. We did spy two older women dressed all in black working, one with lambs and the other in the garden. I think this place gets busloads of tourists in the summer months. Not yet.

We tried to go wine tasting but it was stupid expensive. Twenty-five euro for tasting three wines at one winery; another was 75 euro for groups. The wine is nice but not that nice. We have been drinking four and five euro bottles that are quite good. We ended up buying about 3.5 lbs of chicken for four euro or about $4.40 USD or $5.90 CDN. In any measure, it was dirt cheap. As is the cheese here. We get big hunks for four of five euro.

Tomorrow more hiking in the national park.Read more
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Peneda-Gerês National Park
April 19, 2023 in Portugal ☀️ 23 °C
We hiked (again straight up) goat trails but really cow paths in a couple parts the national park in this northern part of Portugal. I must admit that the landscape was not all that beautiful to me. Also, I’m a bit over hiking only looking down at my feet to find my footing along the rocky paths.

But the views of the mountains and valleys were great. Granite rocks and tiny ancient towns were beautiful. Sheryl drove us through the town of Gaviera. Our economy-size car barely fit in the narrow alleyways and corridors of stone walls and buildings.

It didn’t help that we got lost a couple times. And it was too hot. I am not quite ready for 24C ( 75F). When we got out in the sun, it was just too hot, but the shade was too cold.

But we had some good wine and grilled steak for dinner and some interesting post-dinner conversation together. All and all, a good day.Read more
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Ponte de Lima and Guemaras and…
April 22, 2023 in Portugal ⛅ 16 °C
Our last two days in Portugal were exploring more of the riverside hike along the Rio Vez. Much of it was beautiful boardwalks. And we walked around the small very old and charming towns all over the area.

We cracked open the homemade bottles from our host. They were undrinkable. Sadly. We also bought a 2.30 euro bottle from a local shop that we didn’t bother opening. We couldn’t not purchase something from this local sweetheart of a woman.

I have eaten enough meat on this trip. Fish and meat are in everything and at every meal. Even the beans were cooked in bacon fat. Oy. We ate breakfast at “home” every morning which was lovely.

We visited a few churches in these old towns. I don’t quite get the total obsession with showing the torture and murder of Christ in nearly every corner of the church. Where are the beautiful stories of the kind and miraculous and merciful deeds he did? Seems like an odd emphasis. But what do I know? I’m Jewish.

It absolutely poured buckets on our drive back to Lisbon. And we hit rush hour. Long drive but good company. I have been tearing up all morning saying goodbye first to Sheryl and then Kristen and Lennart.

On to my next adventure! Morocco!Read more
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Casablanca - Day One Morocco
April 23, 2023 in Morocco ⛅ 21 °C
I’m in Africa! Again. It has been 32 years since I set foot on this continent - a lifetime ago. I met two of my travelling companions, Stacey and Anna-Ruth at the airport. Gail missed her flight from Paris - we hate the Paris airport. Stacey is retired and a seasoned solo traveller. Anna-Ruth and Stacey had this trip planned for 2020, and we all know what happened then.

Our hotel is quaint. The decorations are very, well, Moroccan. Comfy beds, plenty of space, not enough towels. It is a perfect place to get into the swing of travel here in Morocco.

We hired a very inadequate driver to take us around for a few hours to see some sights. He dropped us off at four places, and three of them were not where we wanted to go. So back in the van each time to get it right. The markets are mostly closed today because yesterday was Eid. It was Eid in Europe the day before - they follow a different calendar. Seems nonsensical.

We had lunch at Rick’s Cafe - like as in the movie Casablanca. This food was delicious if a bit spendy. We enjoyed the lavish meal nonetheless. It was nice to get to know a little bit about my new friends. I shared pictures of my garden and talked about Portugal. Stacey is retired and loving it. Anna-Ruth has not quite made the leap but is planning on it. And, of course, Gail retired and then took a job. Not a stellar retirement plan, but I think she is enjoying her job.

Once we ditched the driver, we took a walking tour that was designed to show off the mix of architecture here is Casablanca. It seems the Portugese controlled this city for a while and then the French. We saw tiles on buildings that were much like the ones we saw in all over Portugal. Old buildings are either knocked over, crumbling, or have been refurbished. These are interspersed with art deco, french and European influences too.

We happened upon a park teeming with families out enjoying the day after feast day. Lots of music, kids running around, and families strolling along. It was nice to be in a crowded place that was not a tourist place.

Tonight we meet our tour guide and get oriented. Here we go.Read more
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Portugal, Morocco and Spain Traveler
Casablanca Morning
April 24, 2023 in Morocco ☀️ 19 °C
Our guide, Mohammad, gave all 15 of us a briefing on the tour. I can mostly understand his English. We loaded on to our big orange bus to visit the Hassan II Mosque. It was magical.

Built by French architects with Moroccan design, it incorporates the shape of a Christian church, balconies for women’s prayer space like Jewish synagogues, and Moorish architecture and carpets for prayer on the floors. What struck me was the deep spirituality and beauty of this active mosque. No images of men, tortured or otherwise, to communicate the holiness of the sight. Quotes from the Koran carved into the pillars show devotion.

Below the grand hall, sits the washing fountains. The women’s and men’s areas are the same and of equal size even though the floor accommodates 20,000 men, and the balconies, 5,000 women. They wash at home usually before going to the mosque to pray. The fountains pour water only during special days to wash one’s hands, face, forearms, and feet. Everyday faucets provide washing stations for people coming from work before prayer on other days.

Built recently it hides its speakers and technology well. And the roof slides open to illuminate the space. As per the Koran, the mosque is built by the water and the portico faces Mecca. To guard against the corrosive sea air, the doors are made of titanium and ceilings of cedar. Lastly, the pillars of the baths are made with a mixture of plaster with egg white to act as a natural dehumidifier.

A must see if you come to Casablanca.Read more
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Portugal, Morocco and Spain Traveler
Rabat Afternoon
April 24, 2023 in Morocco ☀️ 24 °C
So, group touring. It has been a long time since I have travelled on a tour. I’m a little cranky about the herd and time limits. I’m guessing this is also just adjusting to everything from my Portuguese journey. I’ll be fine. I just need a minute.

Rabat is pristine. It is the capitol city and home base for the King. We visited the old (11th and 12th century old) medina and the King’s palace. Our guide for this part was nearly impossible to understand at times. I miss a lot.

What I learned was that the King is also the President of Morocco and does wield a fair amount of power. Unfortunately, he was in so we couldn’t go in to the palace.

It is fascinating to see these places and over the centuries the influences and strictures applied and imposed by each.

On one of our coffee breaks, there was a bus load of young Jewish men all decked out in their tallits and those curly sideburns which I can’t remember how to spell. My assumptions were that Jews would not be welcomed because of the strong Muslim culture. I think I might be wrong about that. A question to ask.

On our way to Meknes we passed by old walls, sheep and wheat fields, and as we get closer to Meknes, olive trees.Read more
TravelerMorocco signed an agreement in 2020 to normalize relations with Israel. Lots of Jewish groups are coming through as a result. Yes, once upon a time there were lots of Jewish people in Morocco until they got kicked out.
5/4/23Reply
TravelerInteresting history here.
5/5/23Reply
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Portugal, Morocco and Spain Traveler
Meknes and Roman Ruins
April 25, 2023 in Morocco ☀️ 25 °C
It is hot, hot, hot! Our driver is wearing a long sleeve shirt and quilted vest. We are sweating through all our clothes.

Much of Meknes is under renovations. We drove through the Jewish quarter - the new and old part. There are 200 mosques, three synagogues, and one Catholic church . Morocco received many Jewish people fleeing from the Spainish Inquisition and then again during WW II. The guides speak of how the people lived and live side by side in peace.

We visited a beautiful mosque where our local guide described that Muslims are buried laying on their side, facing Mecca. He also told us about the doors - big doors when it’s hot, and little doors when it’s cold. (That’s why, Bob)

The palace here is surrounded by three walls to guard against invaders. It seems different kings moved the capitols to make there mark and security was a big thing.

Next up a drive across the countryside for a picnic with food we picked up at the grocery store. My favorite.

Then we walked amongst some amazing Roman ruins with intact tile floors each with a story to tell and baths and kitchens and shop signs. Just remarkable. And crazy hot.

Right now we are on the road to Fes stuck behind an onion truck. We will have two nights in Fes to explore and also do our laundry.Read more
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Portugal, Morocco and Spain Traveler
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Fes
April 26, 2023 in Morocco ⛅ 22 °C
We had a full day with a local guide Rachid (I think that is how it is spelled). We wandered through the old Jewish quarter where Jews no longer live. When the French left in the 1950s, they moved in to their newer nicer neighborhood.

These small, cramped quarters are fully inhabited now by workers. I’m not sure how I would ever manage without a guide in this maze of alleyways, stairs and doors.

More mosques and exquisite plaster carvings, tile work and wood. It all runs together at this point, one more beautiful then the next.

Next we walked through the extensive market with, well, everything. Market fruits and vegetables, meat including camel, breads, nougat and spices. And then the myriad of crafts: fabrics, brass, leathers, ceramics, wood and any souvenirs you might like. I was delighted with the stuff but more the throngs of people buying and meeting friends, the old men sitting at stalls, and women collecting goods for dinner. Life.

The tannery was quite sad though. Skinny men were hip-deep in the vats for each step in the tanning process stamping the skins and pulling them out. A stinking, difficult and toxic job. The leathers was butter-soft and beautiful. I just couldn’t.

At the end of the day after a dip in the pool and a picnic dinner at our hotel bar, I was beat. Tomorrow is a bus day to to the desert.Read more
Traveler ummmmm, and the legs lower to the right....
5/7/23Reply
TravelerHahaha
5/11/23ReplyTranslate
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Portugal, Morocco and Spain Traveler
2
The Desert
April 27, 2023 in Morocco ⛅ 23 °C
The stars last night were brilliant. You could see them shine and twinkle with no lights to interfere. I didn’t think to get a photo. But I have it in my eyes.

I had woken up at 2:10am from sleeping in our small complex of traditional desert tents but with real beds and crisp white sheets. About 6 miles or 10k from the nearest town, it sported showers and flush toilets. Wahoo! We spied the other more posh tents nearby. They seemed rather antiseptic.

We hiked up the dunes to catch the sunset before dinner, but alas, the clouds foiled it. It was nice to trod barefoot up the soft, soft sand. On the way down, I found a full nearly-purple snake skin.

The tents were kinda hot at 10 when we crawled in to get some sleep; however, the momma kitten and her four babies had other ideas. They were definitely cute, but we didn’t want cute kitty pee all over our bags, so we attempted to flush them out. We were aided by this nice young man in a kaftan. I was only in my cloth tank top and shorts for sleeping, so he got quite the eyeful and then preceded to crawl around our beds (Gail and mine) to remove the critters. We joked that this is the only Moroccan man who will be in our beds this trip!

(Afterwards) I soaked my tank top with some water to sleep. It cooled me down nicely. Somewhere later in the night we heard the jackals howling.

I woke up in time to climb the dunes again to see the sunrise at 6:34am. Mr. Sunny did not disappoint. He turned the beigey pink sand into an orangeish glow.

After breakfast our bags were taken by jeep and we took the 10km back by camel. Mine was called Hamama. He was a good camel. At one point, too good. I was stuck riding behind one of our tour members who has been kind of a pain. She had a hard time staying centered on the saddle and the stress of it made her need her inhaler. She couldn’t get it out of her bag so the camel guy had to stop, get her off the camel and fix/adjust her saddle. When her camel kneeled down, mine did too. I was glad I was holding on cause otherwise I would have been tossed in the sand. She still couldn’t ride straight so I spent the last 20 minutes worrying (as did the camel guy) and telling her to straighten up. Oy.

That was yesterday and this morning. Thursday we stopped to visit a family of Macaques. They seemed to have a fairly decent gig with tourists feeding them peanuts and other things provided by vendors. These displays of wild animals as roadside attractions makes me sad.

Mohamed, our tour guide took us on a short but fast hike along a river that was mostly dry. I didn’t get much of a chance to stop and look at birds, but it was nice to stretch my legs and work a little. This is a familiar place for Mohamed and you could see it in his gate and body. This was home.

Another local guide took us through the grounds of the mosque. Same as always. Beautiful and peaceful. We had Berber pizza for lunch. It was good. Top and bottom crust with either a vegetable or meat (beef) stuffing. Nice change from tagine and couscous dishes.

Our lux hotel had a lovely and not too cold pool. I spent my morning swimming and birding (with limited success but lots of fun).

Overall, in spite of the heat, I’m loving the desert.Read more
Traveler Could not be more picturesque
5/4/23Reply
Traveler It was a delightful swim.
5/5/23Reply
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Portugal, Morocco and Spain Traveler
Tinghir Take One - The Cranky Post
April 29, 2023 in Morocco ☁️ 29 °C
We arrived last night to discover our room overlooked the parked buses at nearly eye-level to drivers loading and unloading baggage. The other side was a nice view of an abandoned Kasbah (gigantic private very old home). I’m not sure if it is our luck or a two women thing, but we don’t get the best rooms.

This morning we took a 5-hour hike which should have been four. One of our tour mates was very, very, very slow on the way up. It was frustrating to watch him stroll up, take another photo while the rest of us waited. This is the husband of the women who couldn’t keep her behind on the camel. Another person who was fine on the way up had her knees just really struggle on the way down. Our guide finally had three of us go ahead to meet up with our bus driver on the way down to join our non-hiking group for lunch. They had been waiting an hour for us already. The remaining three showed up another hour later. The group protested waiting another hour for the three latecomers to eat, so Mohamed agreed to get us back on the bus to the hotel.

I’m now stuck in the lobby waiting for Gail to return from a (hopefully) short visit to town. She has our only key and the manager is not here.

Ok, that’s my cranky Tinghir post.Read more
TravelerLinda was very nice not to be cranky to me when I showed up back at the hotel with an enormous mango, cold water - and our room key.
5/1/23Reply
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Portugal, Morocco and Spain Traveler
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Tinghir Take Two - A Happy Birthday
April 30, 2023 in Morocco ☁️ 20 °C
After leaving Hamama behind (my camel), we headed to Tinghir. Along the way Mohamed showed us some 8th century irrigation and water systems that bring water to far flung settlements. Some are still operating. The ingenuity is evident and maintenance kept up until recently are a testament to the people here.

Driving in to Tinghir with its enchanting pink adobe buildings surrounding a lush green valley was restorative. Flash floods keep the homes and buildings always up on the sides of the gardens.

We settled in to the hotel and then three of us went on a short walk/hike in the garden. Mohamed is a fount of information and a well-developed dad-joke sense of humor. It is a pleasure to get to know him a little bit. He has talked a lot about many cultural practices and family customs. The sexism is baked into the system, and I haven’t used proper pronouns for “my partner”. He may be fine with it, but he might not be.

Today we hiked up and over the spectacular Todra Gorge. Saw a Blue Rock Thrush at the bottom. Very pretty. At the top we had tea (thyme tea with a little sugar) with the elder of the family in their traditional camp. They live in this high canyon raising goats, sheep and rabbits for food. They are 16 in all. This man doesn’t know how old he is but Mohamed tells us that he has a grandson who is 65. That would make him close to 100 years old. His hands now tremble which reminded me of my dad. It was a lovely and very special visit with this very generous and welcoming family.

The hike took five long hours (see cranky post) but it was beautiful. At the very end just before we reached the restaurant for lunch, I saw a bird I was so hoping to see, a Hoopoe. I included a photo from the internet just so you know why it was sooooo cool to see it.

So….. in addition to the hike, today is also special because it is Gail’s birthday! She turned 64 - and has joked about being only one year away from Medicare.

Stacey arranged with Mohammed to get a birthday cake - chocolate as part of dinner tonight. Gail is so cute but quite oblivious to the plan. She has been thinking she doesn’t want to go with the group to eat and is not sure why Mohamed has told us to meet at 7:30pm for dinner as it isn’t on the trip itinerary. I have suggested we just go to the meeting with the group to get the plan for what will happen tomorrow. Teehee.

She almost didn’t go to dinner until Stacey gave her the hairy eyeball that she was coming to dinner. Much merriment and singing. And they spelled her name incorrectly - she was absolutely charmed.Read more
Traveler Looking good!
5/1/23Reply
TravelerAw shucks.
5/5/23Reply
Traveler Or wine cellar?
5/1/23Reply
TravelerMoroccan wine has not been too bad. White and rose are decent.
5/5/23Reply
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Valley of 1000 Kasbahs & Atlas Mountains
May 2, 2023 in Morocco ☁️ 29 °C
It was market day on Monday outside Ait Ben Haddou. You can get just about anything you want including live chickens, rabbits and pigeons. It looked funny to see the unlucky street pigeons in a cage waiting to be dinner. I purchased mortar and pestle made from a desert tree.

After a long drive through the Hollywood of Morocco (lots of movies have been filmed here), we went to the famous kasbah which just means a rich family’s house and complex. This one was built and owned by a Jewish Berber family. The views from the top were expansive.

Yesterday we had a lovely visit with a Berber family of the Atlas Mountains that served a traditional Berber tea. Enchanting visit and the cutest little boy who was loving the attention. The snacks were tasty too - almond, argon oil and beet sugar dip. Yum.

A late afternoon poolside with a sort-of gin and lemonade tonic surrounded by noisy birds was really nice.

Two long bus days. Tomorrow we head to the beach on the Atlantic.Read more
TravelerIn 1988 I traveled solo to the Atlas Mountains -- tricky in a wheelchair. I find it a very beautiful place. Full of fascinating and different people. I love seeing your photos.
5/4/23Reply
Traveler oh that kid is having a lovely time! lol
5/7/23Reply
TravelerHe was a real ham! He would stand on a short stump and wait for everyone to look at him and then he would jump - for the applause!!!!
5/11/23Reply
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Portugal, Morocco and Spain Traveler
Essaouira
May 4, 2023 in Morocco ⛅ 29 °C
Beach town - sort of. We had a quick orientation from Mohamed and then instantly forgot. It isn’t hard to figure it out. Ocean and modest-sized walled medina provide enough direction.

It was too cold to swim, so we took a long walk along the expansive sandy beach. After nearly two weeks on tour, it was nice to be left to our own devices to explore, shop, spy the locals and art.

And while I do love the flavours of Morocco, we were craving something other than tagine, cous cous, and pastilla. We found a really good Lebanese place. Hummus, pita, falafel, etc. and a pretty good Sauvignon Blanc. It cost all of $20USD. A splurge.

I have barely cracked my book but looking out the window’s the thing.Read more
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