Both ways, to Portugal and from Morocco, we had Amsterdam layovers long enough to leave the airport and explore a little bit of the city. First, let me say, getting to and from the Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam is super … Continued
The medina of Marrakesh is comprised of several historic districts including the central area full of souks or markets, the kasbah district where the palaces and other royal structures stand, and the Mellah or Jewish quarter. Walls enclosed the medina, … Continued
Ait Ben Haddou sat at the top of my list for a trip to Morocco. This nearly 1,000-year-old village is iconic in its North African style. It evokes a sense of time and place like few other places can. As … Continued
Our last stop in magnificent Morocco was the Red City of Marrakesh. Although the city has only been around for 1,000 years, the area has been home to Berber farmers since the Neolithic Age. Marrakesh feels very different from the … Continued
Fez el-Bali – the Medina Fez el-Bali, the older and more culturally and historically significant section of the Fez medina, climbs up from the Fez river on both sides. The narrow river originally divided the settlement into two competing cities. … Continued
What can I say about Fez, Morocco? It is a place that can only be experienced by walking the narrow labyrinth of its historic medina. One must squeeze through tiny alleys, breathe in the fumes of its ancient tanneries, and … Continued
Rabat Morocco Rabat, Morocco, the political heart of the country, records just as layered of a history as Tangier, despite only being the capital city since the French protectorate era of the early 20th century. King Mohammed V chose to … Continued
Chefchaouen, Morocco If you’ve spent even a small amount of time perusing “Instagram-worthy” (photogenic) travel destinations, you’ve seen photos of Chefchaouen, Morocco’s blue city. This small city in northern Morocco, in the mountains south of Tetouan, climbs a hillside and … Continued
From Lisbon, we hopped on a plane for Casablanca, Morocco. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to see anything in Casablanca because we had to catch a bullet train to Tangier, Morocco. Our ten days in this north African country would … Continued
On another day trip from Lisbon, we went a little farther to the lovely town of Evora, Portugal. This 5,000-year-old university town preserves remnants of many of its previous occupants including a Roman temple, aqueducts, medieval city walls, and more. … Continued