Author: tarakauffman
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Road Back to Casablanca
This morning we left about 8:15 to take the road that runs right next to the Atlantic. We have tried to collect a few road signs along the way. Very beachy from the beginning and then more rocky and industrial in Safi. Not just cars on our road. Industry around Safi, a city of 600,000…
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Day in Essaouira
Our hotel is inside the Medina and this Medina is 18th century. It is not the spaghetti alleys of the other 12th and 16th century medinas. This one is layed out as a grid and much easier to get around. It opens at 10:00 and closes at sunset. The planning for this little city was…
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Tagine Cooking and Road to Essaouira
We have not been to many cooking classes, but this one seemed like it would be a 5 star. Every station had their own supplies, screens to see the demonstration and the chefs included everyone in the process. Fatiha began by mixing ingredients to make bread, and everyone got to knead the dough before it…
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Tnin Ourika Souk
Souk a Traditional Market About an hour outside of Marrakech is the area of Ourika. On Monday (Tnin) there is a huge market or souk. First we walked through the tools and animal section. Olive Oil and Spices and People Many did not want their pictures taken, so you had to be fast to snap…
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Marrakech Mania
Bahia Palace The Bahia Palace was built for the guardian of the new 16 year old ruler of Morocco. The palace was completed in 1900, but the guardian died before he moved in. The palace is known for its painted ceilings and simple tiled flooring. Strolling the Medina Jadin Majorelle The home and botanical gardens…
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Traveling to Marrakech
As we drive today there are many nurseries for olive trees and palm trees. They are irrigating and the soil is good, it just needs the water. They have an abundance of phosphorus for fertilizer. Approximately 59% in Morocco use the internet. I asked if they can use the library to get access and was…
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Traveling to Ouarzazate
Khatarat Canals (Little Marrakech) Looking like giant prairie dog mounds, the Khatarat canals are a way to move water with gravity to arid areas of Morocco. The mounds are placed every 10 – 50 meters apart and are used to clean out the canal and for ventilation. These particular canals were dry, due to the…
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Galavanting Around the Sahara
There are roads, kind of, but our driver will sometimes just jet off across the dunes or the varnish. The varnish is the black volcanic rock that covers parts of the sand. There are some fossils that can be found around those rocks. Next we went to the homes of the nomads. They are proud…
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Sahara
The road to the Sahara changed continuously and was quite long from Fes. We moved from a rocky area, to trees of all kinds; Maple, Holm Oak, and Cedar even Palm trees. For lunch we stopped at a small restaurant with many fruit trees. Rad picked us some plums and figs and it was very…
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Fes
The Medina First thing today, we went up the side of a hill that overlooked the Medina. Such a nice view of the area. A medina is the historic old city—typically a maze of narrow streets surrounded by walls, filled with souks, mosques, homes, workshops, and small businesses. The medina protected those in the city…
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Rabat, Meknes, and Fes
Driving out of Casablanca this morning, we noticed traffic was at a stand still coming into the city. They are trying to make a truck lane with no passing to help with both the traffic and safety. The population of Casablanca is 2.6 million. They are tearing down most of the buildings on a 20…
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Magical Casablanca
Months ago when we began planning this trip, I didn’t even know how to spell Morocco. We both are very excited to learn about the people and culture of this northern African country. Flying in this morning we laughed about how brown the area was around the airport. The wind hit us as we walked…
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On Our Own
The cruise is over and we have taxied to the other side of the city. We are staying at the Ocean Porto, a small hotel that we mainly booked due to its proximity to the airport and more importantly, the laundry mat (Magic Water). We do enjoy the laundry mat, always an experience. When the…
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The Daily Catch
In 1920 the Pinhais family started to can sardines. Due to the needs from the war, canned foods were a much needed product. Below the women prepare the pickles, carrots and peppers to go into the tins. The men test the sardines to assure the quality of the fish. The sardines are then soaked in…
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Lazy Day
In 2021 we went to Lamego and climbed 600 some steps and walked a steep road to the old castle. This year we slept late and wandered around Régua. Not a lot to see, but they were preparing for the Round 4 of the UIM Formula 2 Championship. They were unloading as we were walking…
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Favaios
The judge dismissed the claim—but as the execution was taking place, the roasted rooster stood up and crowed.The judge realized the pilgrim had been wrongly accused and rushed to the gallows. He arrived in time to save him. Our lunch, grape harvesting and stomping was at the Quinta Avessada. It is a family owned vineyard,…
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España
Today the long and winding road went to Salamanca, Spain. While we were close to the border, we were 2 hours away from the city. The market in the center of Salamanca has food you would not see in Amarillo. Not sure I need any further explanation. Salamanca began as a settlement long before the…
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Stuff and Castelo Rodrigo
Thank you in Portuguese is obrigada (or o). If a female is saying thank you, she would say obrigada with the “a”. The man will say, obrigado, even when speaking to a woman. It is all about the person speaking that defines the gender of the word. There are 5 Viking ships that travel down…
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Mateus Palace and Sandeman
Just outside Vila Real, tucked into the hills at the edge of the Douro wine country, sits the beautiful Mateus Palace (Casa de Mateus).The family who built Mateus Palace accumulated their wealth through a combination of wine, land, and strategically arranged marriages. The palace reflects that wealth, with elaborate woodwork and furnishings made primarily from…
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Travel Day to the Ship
Coimbra has been a university city since 1290 and one of the oldest in all of Europe. It is located almost halfway between Lisbon and Porto and was a stop on our ride to our boat. Joanina Library on the campus houses around 60,000 books. The library has traditionally used bats to help control insects…
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Viking Connection in Lisbon
Yesterday we ended this part of the “on our own” portion of the trip, that is until we return from Morocco. We changed hotels to the Corinthia, the hotel that Viking chose. It is basically a business hotel, with a convention center. We miss the Corpo Santo, it had character and much more individual attention.…
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Monserrate and Sintra
An English merchant Gerard DeVisme leased the estate and built an elaborate Neo-Gothic mansion there in 1790. He eventually left Portugal, and the property later became associated with another famous English visitor, Lord Byron. In the 1850, Sir Francis Cook, an extraordinarily wealthy English textile merchant and art collector purchased and refurbished the home and…
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Fatima, Nazaré, Óbidos
Jacinta, Francisco (siblings) and Lucia(a cousin) lived near the village of Fátima and spent their days tending sheep. On May 13, 1917 they saw a woman whom they identified as the Virgin Mary in a field. She appeared to them on the 13th day of the month, asking them to return on the 13th of…
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Over 23,000 Steps Day
The Tagus River feeds into the Atlantic just off the coast of Portugal. There were two large cruise ships ported here this morning. In 1375 Ferdinand I, started building a medieval wall around Lisbon. It was approximately 5 km (3.1 miles) around the city. Part of this wall was unearthed in 2015, when they began…
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Travel Day
It is a sleep deprived evening here in Lisbon. The O Português Chiado gave us a taste of some of Portugal’s finest foods; octopus, cod, polenta and beef cheeks. It is always a challenge to duck out right after eating in Europe, they so want you to stay for the entire evening. Taking the subway…
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First African Visit
At the end of our Portugal tour we will jump from Lisbon to Morocco. A place sure to be an adventure, unlike any place else we have ever visited.
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Soon to Leave
We are about a week from flying to Lisbon to start our trip. We are excited to repeat this trip. The beauty of the Douro and the friendly Portuguese people have us coming back.
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Ending Thoughts
The highlights on this trip were Normandy and the Cotswolds. Normandy for its patriotic feelings, beauty and expressions of thanks from the French. The Cotswolds are full of much older history and the feel of the quaint countryside. Since we ended in Ireland, it is only appropriate to end with their blessing. May the road…
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Last Day in Dublin
After an exhausting day yesterday, we slept late. We walked around the Temple Bar area to find a place for breakfast, “The Stage Door Cafe” had a sign that it was the best breakfast in Dublin. Good coffee, but not a great breakfast. This afternoon we scheduled a tour at Jameson. John Jameson and his…
