Pension Casa Hassan Chefchaouen

... them to Europe - LOL!<br><br> O.k. so what can I say? This place is idyllic. Picture little houses/shops clinging to the mountainside - all washed in vivid blue. Narrow, winding (I pride myself on getting lost on a regular basis!) cobblstone streets. Everything is up/downhill. The PERFECT place to mend a sprained knee! ;)<br><br>But seriously, I'm doing just great but awfully glad I brought the cane.<br><br>This morning I stumbled upon preparations for a ...

... and my view was somewhat shielded from my umbrella, I adored soaking in the gorgeous place.  The people were very friendly and our guide had a sense of tranquility to him that I'd never encountered in anyone before.  I hope you all enjoy these pics as much as I enjoyed taking them.  

... amused by the local dives where the cook personally greets you and the waitstaff kiss you on both cheeks upon departure. We even splurged a bit and went to the "fancy" 'restaurant (and the only one with heat in town) to see if we could get some really delicious takes on local fare with fair results. The Moroccans have no tradition of eating out and even their famous couscous dish is reserved for special occasions and is typically eaten only at home. We ...

... wise there. Spent some time wondering the square. Bought a blanket for 60DH (about 4 quid) in the hope of keeping a little warmer at night. Also got postcards. Went back to camp for lunch - salad, goats cheese, olives then boarded Sponge Bob the truck and got on our way at 12.45. Was really pretty scenery. Very green - you could have been in England ...

... town called Chefchouin. We are off to Tangier tomorrow to catch the ferry to Spain and onto Seville in the one day. We have also booked a ticket to India from Egypt, which is cutting about 3 months off our trip in the middle east and puts us away for 10 months total. From there we will be heading home via Singapore at the end of Feburary so we should be back in March. Morocco has been really good, the people are generally ...

... mosque isn't anything special - you only go up here for the views - and to get offered pot. I kindly declined and sat down for a bit to enjoy the scenery - the mountain behind the town is called Jebel El-Kelaa and it soars just over 1600m - all rock and it looks quite dominating. I made my way down again - past all the poppies in bloom and watched the washer woman for a little (I need some laundry done!) before making my way back ...

... but reluctant to break their habit of sleeping until 0800. Chaouen, as it`s refferred to by older types, was probably a perfect haven for the weary traveller a few years back. Quiet, close knit community nestled at the foor of a mountain. Surreal blue-washed streets and exterior walls lend alleys a glacial illusion under the sleeping giant Jebel el-Kelaâ (1616m) and a couple of rare octagonal minarets. Nowadays a popular ...

... in the corner of this grimy room and a tiled ledge opposite. We sat here wondering what we had let ourselves in for, whilst a woman filled 2 buckets with hot water. She then proceeded to ask us whether we wanted a massage and dived into her bra pulling out a note, obviously indicting that we had to pay her. We didn't have any extra cash on us, so we missed out on the opportunity of having a woman pummel our naked bodies. After this we were left on our own, not really knowing what ...

... And of course drinking Te a la menthe (mint tee). The Rif is the mountain chain that follows the north coast of Morocco and is known to be the hometown of the hashmakers of Morocco, it has great views and nice towns on the side of the mountain with white walls that give and extraordinary view .

... so welcoming and friendly, and they shake your hand and tell you how much they appreciate you coming to their country, and they offer you the customary mint tea, and say it would be their pleasure to show you around and how proud they are of their country, and how wonderful it is, and they lead you around the city, introducing you to their 'partners' who own some of the stores, and then drag you into these shops and expect you to put down hundreds of ...