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Europe 2025

Morocco, Spain, Portugal, and France - an 8 week expedition Baca lagi
  • Hola Ronda!

    11 September, Sepanyol ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    We were on the move again today heading to Seville. On the way we stopped at a small tourist town called Ronda. There were loads of tourists around and there were a couple of big draw cards in the town, being the amazing view from its cliff top location, the first bull fighting ring built in 1784, and the Puente Nuevo bridge across the Guadalevin River.

    Ronda is cut in half by a very deep gorge and in the early 1700s they built a bridge across it which collapsed a few years later. The current one was built in 1793 and has a dark history. During the Spanish Civil War 1936 to 39 political prisoners were tortured or thrown off the bridge to their deaths. It is an impressive bridge and a huge tourist attraction.

    We scored some lunch and walked around town for a bit.

    After Ronda we were on the road again to Seville. The landscape has really changed from the mountainous region of Grenada to the flat plains around Seville. It was also a lot hotter in Seville in the high 30 degrees.

    It was pretty late in the day so we had a dinner at the hotel. Tomorrow we explore Seville some more.
    Baca lagi

  • The Alhambra

    10 September, Sepanyol ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    The biggest tourist attraction in Grenada is the Alhambra. This is a beautiful Islamic style palace and fort built on top of a hill overlooking Granada.

    A quick history: Muslims arrived in the area in the year 711. The then Sultan started to build the Alhambra in the 13 & 14 centuries. By 1492 Queen Isabella had pretty much united all of Spain under one monarch and with one religion - except for the area the sultan ruled around Grenada.

    The Spanish laid siege to the fort and after about a year the sultan saw there was no hope and surrendered. He initially was moved to a small property on the other side of the Sierra Nevada mountains where he stayed for about a year before moving to Fez. This explains the similarities between some of the buildings we saw in Fez and the Alhambra.

    The Alhambra has been modified over the centuries with Charles V building a palace within its walls and Napoleon’s troops destroying some parts of the old Medina but it is still stunning and a much loved landmark. The photos tell you more.

    After a tour of the palace we had about a 15 min walk down the hill to the centre of town. After a siesta we walked around looking at shops and people-watching. Really like Grenada, it is very clean and easy to walk around.

    We had a group tapas dinner in a local restaurant.
    Baca lagi

  • Goodbye to Morocco

    9 September, Maghribi ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Finally some cooler weather. After days of being in the 30 degrees this morning was significantly cooler. Low cloud covered the tops of the peaks around Chefchaouen and there was a cool breeze blowing.

    We were on the move to the city of Tangier on the coast near the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. It was about a two hour bus drive through some stunning scenery. This part of Morocco is very mountainous compared to the southern area which is flat and dry.

    We went past a couple of large dams and wind farms before rolling into Tangier. We headed straight to the port to board the ferry that will take us to Terifa in Spain, about a 1 hour cruise.

    Some final thoughts on Morocco:

    - I was very surprised at how progressive it is and what the government is doing to drive the country forward.
    - The scenery and history is amazing
    - Walking through the various Medinas felt like you were walking through history
    - The people are very friendly and welcoming of tourists

    Things I didn’t like:

    - The traffic. Especially in the big cities. Country areas it is actually very good with a high profile police presence mainly targeting speeding. In the cities it is chaos!
    - The rubbish. The sides of the road and anywhere people walk is strewn with plastic bags/bottles/and any other type of rubbish imaginable. A real shame.

    Next stop: Spain!

    We caught the big car ferry across the mouth of the Mediterranean. It took about an hour and was very smooth. We cleared the Eurozone customs and hit the road. We have a new tour guide Victoria who is from Buenos Aries but now lives in Barcelona.

    We hugged the coast for a while and went past Gibraltar but didn’t stop. Our destination for the night is the city of Granada. We arrived quite late but initial impressions are that this is a very nice city. We are right in the middle of town with loads of shops around and we are high in the Sierra Nevada mountains so it is a lot cooler than Morocco.

    After some dinner took a quick walk before crashing.
    Baca lagi

  • The Blue City - Chefchaouen

    8 September, Maghribi ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    No one is really sure why a lot of the buildings in Chefchaouen are painted blue - some say to keep away mosquitoes, some say it was Jewish and Muslim refugees chased out of Spain symbolising freedom, others say it was done to attract tourists - whatever the reason it is quite a stunning town.

    We spent today walking around the Medina in the old part of town. It was no where near as big as the one in Fez but still big enough to get lost in and offered a huge range of stuff for sale. We took a heap of photos before taking a break about lunchtime to sit in the air conditioning at the hotel.

    After a short break a small group of us walked up to the mosque on top of a hill overlooking the town. A tough slog on a warm day (low thirty degrees) but the views from the top were worth it!

    Up on the hills you could see shacks (which is probably a generous description) where people lived and looked after their herd of goats. Not an easy climb up from the village, the mountains are very steep.

    The walk down was a lot easier and crossed the city’s traditional water source which was a stream running down from the hills. Today people hang out and splash about in the cool water. We had a very refreshing freshly squeezed orange juice at the bottom.

    Chefchaouen was a walled city originally and you can still see sections of the walls and a number of old gates. Overlooking the main square in town is the small fort or Kasbah built in the 1400s to defend against the frequent attacks from Europeans.

    Dinner was a tangier of chicken and veggies for Tracey and minced beef with veggies for me. Really good, very filling and we both ate plus had a couple of soft drinks for less than $15 Aussie! The food here is very cheap but alcohol is about what you would pay at home.

    Tonight is our last night in Morocco as tomorrow we head to the city of Tangier at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea to cross over to continue our holiday in Spain.
    Baca lagi

  • Fez to Chefchaouen via a Roman ruin

    7 September, Maghribi ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    We were on the move out of Fez early heading towards another of Morocco’s Imperial Cities - Meknes. This was the capital back in the 1600s and now is sixth largest city in Morocco.

    It is famous for a large gate that was designed by a Christian slave who converted to Islam. Morocco didn’t have African slaves but did have European ones. There is also a Mausoleum where the ancestors of the current king are buried. The Mausoleum is called the Mausoleum of Sheikh al-Kamel and is very ornate with lots of tiles.

    The gate is called the Bab Mansur al-‘Alj and was designed by Mansour al-‘Alj who also designed a number of other buildings in the city.

    This region is very agricultural with olives and citrus being the main crops. There were people everywhere selling oranges or watermelons on the side of the road. The soil is a lot better than down south around Marrakech and they get a lot more rain. That said there are a few unusual aspects - there are no fences between paddocks, and there is always a shepherd close by the numerous groups of goats or sheep we came across.

    After looking around we then headed for the Roman ruins at Volubilis. This was a Roman outpost on the south western edge of the Roman Empire. It was established around the third century BC and occupied for a few hundred years after that. It was severely damaged by an earthquake in the 18th century. Around the end of the 19th century it was formally identified and excavations began soon after.

    While not as big or perfectly preserved as Pompeii it was still very impressive and a lot less crowded. The guide took us around and showed us some of the key buildings. The Romans were very good a getting water to their settlements and had a system of aqueducts to take water from the mountains into the city.

    The French had excavated and rebuilt some of the key buildings but most of it is just a ruin.

    After Volubilis we headed to our final destination for the day, the blue city of Chefchaouen in the Rif Mountains.

    This a a very social-media friendly town with lots of its buildings painted blue. We arrived quite late so we dumped the bags and headed out to find somewhere for dinner. The main square was full of people hassling you to go to one restaurant or another but we followed Google and found a small restaurant away from the main square with a rooftop terrace and views across the town. To cap it off the food was pretty good as we watched the sun set.

    Tomorrow we explore a bit more.
    Baca lagi

  • Old town Fez

    6 September, Maghribi ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Today was a definite highlight. Apart from the fact it was nudging 40 degrees we saw some really interesting stuff.

    First up we went to the Palace. As with most palaces in Morocco you can’t get inside but the gates are huge and very ornate. This was followed by a walk through the old Jewish section of Fez. The Jews came to Morocco when they were chased out of Spain and a lot left after WW2 and moved to Israel.

    After the palace and the Jewish area we went up to a lookout to get a view across the city. Very impressive.

    There is a lot of mosaic tiles around Morocco and we went to one of the places where the tiles as well as dishes and other kitchen stuff is made. Great but not a lot cheaper than buying in Sydney.

    We then headed to the Medina. Amazing. Of course it is all hundreds of years old and it really felt like it. The passageways were narrow with some places you had to turn sideways. The Medina is part shopping mall and part residential area. Usually there was a shop below and the house above. Lucky we had a guide because there were so many twists and turns it would be very easy to get lost.

    The Medina is sort of carved up into sections with vegies in one area, meat in another, material and fabric in its own area, men’s clothes, women’s clothes, etc etc etc.

    Fez is famous for its leather and we visited a very old, very famous tannery located in the Medina. Yes the smell on a 40 degree day just added to the atmosphere! They give you a sprig of mint to hold under your nose and take you up a few floors to look out over the tannery.

    They explained the tanning process of washing the hides, then soaking in pigeon poo, then washing and scrubbing, soaking in vinegar, then dying and drying. People bring in and sell bags of pigeon poo and this is the source of the smell. Poo is used because it contains ammonia which softens the leather.

    They tan hides from camels, cattle, sheep, and goats with camel hide being the lightest and strongest.

    There were some high pressure selling trying to get you to buy something but we resisted. Prices were not that much cheaper than in Australia.

    We then wandered around a bit more, had lunch in a restaurant in the Medina (well away from the tannery) before heading back to the hotel to cool down.

    Dinner was a quiet one followed by a couple of beers. Interestingly a pro-Palestine protest marched past our hotel at about 10pm. Tomorrow we are off to Chefchaouen, the blue city.
    Baca lagi

  • Marrakech to Fez

    5 September, Maghribi ⋅ ⛅ 36 °C

    Today wasn’t the most exciting day. We had to travel from Marrakech in the south of Morocco to the former capital Fez which is in the north. It was about a 6 hour drive plus stops every couple of hours so we didn’t arrive until quite late in the day meaning I don’t have many photos to attach.

    Fez might be a bit higher but it sure was hot. It is meant to hit 40 degrees tomorrow which is not going to be pleasant.

    Interestingly the building colours changed again. We started with white in Casablanca, terracotta in Marrakech, and now a creamy white colour in Fez.

    On the drive up Soufiane was talking about the government and how it is trying to lift the living standards of all Moroccans. It is a monarchy and the King does have some powers but mostly it is the parliament that runs the country.

    Education is a big priority so all Government schools and universities are free. Kids have to attend school until they are 16 at least. Agriculture is a big part of the economy but while the north is fertile and gets good rain the south has been in drought for a few years so there are programs to support small farmers and help them with access to water.

    Renewable energy is a big focus with hydro, solar, and wind all being supported. If you want to add solar panels to your house or business the government will reimburse you the cost.

    Social housing is available as people move to cities or as cities spread out to what was farming land. They are setting the country up to be a technology hub with universities and tech-hubs supporting entrepreneurs wanting to launch businesses.

    Road and rail networks are being expanded with Africa’s first high speed train being in Morocco. The freeways we traveled on today were as good as any freeways in Australia.

    Car industries are being encouraged to move to Morocco as it offers cheap labour very close to Europe. Dacia is part of Renault and has factories in Tangier as well as Casablanca.

    So it seems the government is making all the right moves to support the country as it develops into the future.
    Baca lagi

  • Marrakech

    4 September, Maghribi ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We were up and about early heading into the old part of town. The way people show wealth and prosperity when you live in a desert is by having flash gardens with lots of water and there is a great garden in Marrakech.

    Next to the garden is the old mosque which was damaged in an earthquake in September 2023 so it is currently being repaired.

    After the walk through the gardens and looking at the mosque we headed over to the Saadian Tombs. These are late 16th century tombs that were hidden behinds walls and only rediscovered in 1917. There are a number of sultans and their family members buried here. This area was also damaged in 2023 so restoration work is ongoing.

    We then headed back into the kasbah in the old part of town to visit the Bahia Palace. This was built in the 1800s and is one of the few palaces open to visitors - and there were a lot of us! Just a note we have seen more westerners in Marrakech than in Casablanca!

    We walked around the various rooms and courtyards of the palace, all very impressive and very intricately decorated. The open areas were cool zones for greeting guests as well as other rooms for offices and private quarters. See attached photos.

    After the morning’s activities it was time for lunch - but we had to cook our own! We went to a cooking school and cooked lemon chicken in a Moroccan tangier with a salad. Not terribly hard and it tasted sensational!

    In the afternoon we chilled out for a bit as it was well over 35 degrees. Tomorrow we have a big day driving to our next destination of Fez so we scored some munchies from the local supermarket and then hit the hotel pool to cool down.
    Baca lagi

  • Casablanca and Marrakech

    3 September, Maghribi ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    As the name implies most of the buildings in Casablanca are white (casa = house, blanc = white) - or at least they were white once! Today our tour took us to some of the older and not so old parts of the biggest city in Morocco.

    We started at the Hassan II Mosque which we visited the outside of yesterday. This is the only mosque non-Muslims are allowed to enter and it is as impressive inside as it is outside. During Ramadan over 100,000 people can pray at the same time - about 25,000 inside and the rest outside on the forecourt. The other impressive feature is they can open the roof to allow the sun and fresh air to fill the building.

    Check out the photos but this is one amazing building. Our guide, Soufiane, explained what happens and who does what and when, all really interesting. He then took us downstairs to the ablutions room where water fountains provide water for people to wash before praying. All on a massive scale.

    After the mosque we went to the Habous Quarter where clothing, books, souvenirs and loads more were for sale. It seems Morocco had a large Jewish population and their evidence is all around the city.

    This was followed by a visit to the Central Market where they sell fish, seafood, meat, veggies, flowers, and lots more.

    Like I said before the traffic is just astounding but I think I am starting to work it out. Big intersections are part traffic lights and part roundabout. So when the lights turn green cars wanting to turn left (they drive on the right side here) all pile up on the left waiting for oncoming traffic to clear before they all charge across. No orderly lining up in the left lane just a big swarm.

    After the markets and lunch we hit the road to our next destination - Marrakech. About a 3 hour drive. The highway is a toll road and was very good. No where near the amount of traffic on the autostrade in Italy.

    Marrakech is a lot smaller than Casablanca and a lot older. The buildings are all a maximum of 3 or 4 stories high and are terracotta coloured - the colour is mandated by the government. It has an old section that is behind the walls and a new section outside the walls.

    It was pretty late in the day by the time we arrived so not a lot of time to look around. Dinner was in the old part of town in the main market area. It was packed with lots going on. There was a snake charmer but I am not sure the snake was real, it didn’t move much! Anyway an interesting place to look around.
    Baca lagi

  • Here’s looking at you kid!

    2 September, Maghribi ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    After a sleep that will go down in history and a good breakfast we went for a walk up towards the coast. Like I said the sea keeps Casablanca cool so walking around is very pleasant. The walk up was about 20 mins or so.

    The waters edge has been done up with walkways, cycle ways, and parks. To the left was the El-Hank lighthouse and to the right was the Hassan II mosque. The mosque was built in the 1990s and is huge, it is the 14th largest mosque in the world. Its location is very impressive as well built partly into the ocean. We will be back here tomorrow with the tour so more photos to come.

    We took some photos and walked around a bit more looking at the sights. Most buildings in this part of town are about 7 or 8 stories high with narrow driveways leading to the car parks in the basements. You really need to be careful walking around as the footpaths are pretty rough.

    There are a lot of stray cats around, none are as tubby as a certain ginger one we all know. People leave food out so they survive OK.

    We had a bit of a siesta before heading out to find lunch. Morocco was a French colony before gaining independence in the 1950s so the French influence is everywhere including their pastries!!

    We found a good pastry shop and bought a baguette plus some extras for lunch all for about $14. We then walked up to a park around the corner where we ate lunch and chilled out for a bit.

    We met our tour group in the bar in the afternoon, needless to say we are at the younger end of the spectrum. Our tour starts tomorrow and I am really looking forward to it.

    It was a quiet dinner as we are all still tired from the flight.
    Baca lagi

  • Hello Morocco!

    1 September, Maghribi ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We arrived in Casablanca about lunchtime bang on schedule (thanks Emirates) at about 12.30. The flight from Dubai was very smooth. We had to make a slight deviation to avoid some middle eastern trouble spots and flew pretty much due west to Casablanca.

    Initial impressions are that there is a lot of building going on, it is very flat, there are a lot of cars, and it is very chaotic. Thankfully it is on the coast and a sea breeze was keeping it cool at about 22 degrees. Our driver dropped us at the hotel no problem and after dumping our stuff we went for a walk.

    We seem to be in an up market part of town with a number of big brands (Adidas. Gant, New Balance) being close by. The ubiquitous chains are here (Starbucks, Maccas, KFC, Burger King) as expected. We walked up to Casablanca Cathedral - which is no longer a church but a cultural centre - and did a bit of a loop back to the hotel. Have to say crossing the road is very scary. Pedestrian crossings are largely ignored, and even if you do cross at the lights you need to be careful.

    Anyway we survived and made it back to the hotel. After a couple of Casablanca Beers and a light dinner we crashed. The last 24 hours were spent either on a plane or sitting in airports waiting for one.

    Tomorrow we scope out the neighbourhood some more.
    Baca lagi

  • Western Europe 2025

    1 September, Emiriah Arab Bersatu ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Greetings all and welcome to the second trip for 2025. This time we are heading to Western Europe and a bit of Africa visiting Morocco, Spain, Portugal and France with a bonus small detour into Belgium.

    After a 13 hour flight we have landed in Dubai where it is 6am and 35 degrees! We are flying Emirates on a monster A380. Now we are waiting to board the next A380 to go to Casablanca.

    More updates to follow!
    Baca lagi

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    31 Ogos 2025