Solazur Tangier

We left Paris on Sunday morning without having encountered a single grumpy French service provider. Kind of disappointed, but still good to know their surly reputation isn&#8217;t entirely deserved. We had our last French dinner at a great place that served Marty the biggest cup of coffee I have ever seen and I got to tick the last item on my list by ordering a crËme brulee. Yum. <br><br>We set off for the airport in Paris at 5am and arrived in ...

... We took the bus to near the top, entered through the gate in the picture and were in another world. It was gradually filling up with people. Sunday is a day off for most and there were really only kids as early risers. We walked through a labyrinth of narrow alleys.The buildings were close together with very solid doors and well barred windows. We were told of how houses pass from one generation to the next, of the tight inter and intrafamily relationships ...

... even more to feeling out of place was the fact that we are women. Its very normal to see women wearing jeans and high heels with no head scarf, but the thing is there just aren't many women out at all. Even when all the shops in the market were open, there just weren't that many women out. They must have other things to do, because the ratio of men to women was really quite remarkable. After telling you all this I want to make sure you don't worry ...

I definately recommend the Hotel Darechchaouen. Breakfast consisted of pancakes, fresh bread, jams, olives, fresh goats cheese and olive tapenade, washed down the mint tea and there was even a nutella jar floating around. We headed off in a private van today, to maximise our trip around the med coast. We drove through villages and towns through the rif mountains. Very rural, very traditional and ...

... an intense olive addiction whilst in Morocco and have been known to eat a kilo a day. The olives are a major component of the agriculture and gastronomy of many countries adjoining the Mediterranean Sea and very good value to purchase in Morocco. One kiloof premium Kalamatas is 16 dirham. Cheap as chips. I favour the marinated Kalamata type olives with garlic, oil and coriander. I have designed what Nadine calls the chow bag for the purpose of devouring ...

... is very expensive, or atleast a lot more expensive than what I've payed in Europe. The car 12 days 8700Dh=871&euro; with a local company. We finally get settled with the car and we follow the man to the hotel where he leaves us. The hotel is pretty nice, swimming pool, rooms are clean, medium size. We take a walk in the medina to start meeting Africa, and take our first meal Everyone ...

we made it to morocco!!! life is definitely different here than it is across the straits of gibralter. just a quick 35 min ferry ride got us here. we r lovin it. wonderful people, an amazing and CHEAP apartment all to ourselves, and sunny clear skies. unfortunately we have to leave tonight and head to sevilla spain tomorrow. wish we had a few more days here to really get a feel for the culture. anyway we will write more from sevilla!!!!

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... I&#8217;ve got to get out of the docks, and this is where I had problems last time (never show a tout your Achilles heel), so I immediately get a taxi- easy choice since it&#8217;s already after dark- and go grab a hotel. That&#8217;s in a newer part of town, so already I&#8217;m doing better than last time, when my &#8216;guide&#8217; led me straight to the souk, knowing that any disorientation he could establish for me would be to his advantage.

... which results in murals being scattered on walls throughout, too. The air here is nice and cool, a welcome change from the scorching hot sun in Marrakesh. Tomorrow I am leaving Morocco already: by either train or bus to Tangier, then by ferry across the strait to Algeciras, Spain, and finally by bus to Gibraltar from which I have a flight the next morning. I've just finished getting used to the strange keyboards and seeing stray cats everywhere instead of dogs ...