Tucked up into the Atlas Mountains near the Amazigh hotbeds of Goulmima and Tinjdad, is a remarkable little village called Aghbalou N’Kerdous. Situated near a year-long creek that provides ample water for crops, the town, despite the altitude, has been thriving for ages. The word “aghbalou,” pronounced with a slight ‘r’ after the ‘a’ so that…
Being the first day out of site in three months, especially in much cooler weather, it was a busy day. After visiting Chellah, Emilio and I took a trip to the Rabat Zoo, better known locally as Jardin Zoologique de Rabat. Despite some reservations I have about zoos in general, it was surprisingly nice. According to…
Way out in the desert (seriously, it was a long, long walk), There are three desert sculptures, or art/home installations, built by German Artist, Hannsjörg Voth. From the town of Jorf, or sometimes El Jorf, it’s about a seven mile hike to the nearest piece. Then, it’s several miles between each of them. We thought we…
Yesterday, Erika and I drove from Budapest, Hungary to Kraków, Poland. Between the two metropoleis, lies the country of Slovakia, formerly joined with the Czech Republic as Czechoslovakia, but later splitting into two separate republics. Admittedly, we knew little about Slovakia, but since we were driving through it, we did some research. LonelyPlanet has this to say…
Erika and I ventured out and about to explore the town. The weather, though overcast at times, was good for a long walk. We weren’t really looking for anything in particular; we just wanted to get out of the house. It was a day like any other day, complete with a runaway donkey. We crested…
No visit to Transylvania is complete without a quick stop at Bran Castle, the reputed home of Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia, a member of the House of Drăculești, also known, using his patronymic, as (Vlad) Drăculea or (Vlad) Dracula and posthumously dubbed Vlad the Impaler. Regarding his nickname, Wikipedia has this to offer: As the…
Reason 1,242 Why I Love Morocco:
The Marrakech medina is actually just many little medinas within one enclosure
Most neighborhoods, whether in a big city or small town, still adhere to a medina mentality, meaning most daily needs are within only a few blocks. Each small area typically has a butcher, a green grocer, a dry cleaner, a hammam, a baker (or community oven), a barber/hairdresser, at least four cafés, a pharmacy, hardware store, tailor, a dry goods shop, and endless small convenience stores. What’s not in a shop, is usually at a nomadic stand that shows up every morning. Often, there are also shops for clothing and shoes, doctors’ offices, gyms, and small restaurants.
In Flanders Fields During the First World War, Belgium suffered greatly, as much of its countryside became an entrenched battlefield. Hundreds of thousands of men lost their lives in what became a hopeless deadlock that dragged on and on. Each side became mired in their own muddy trenches and men slowly went mad. Tales of…
High atop the tallest hill in the Sintra Mountains sits the storybook Pena National Palace. It’s an amazing sight to behold. What used to be the remains of a defunct, simple Hieronymite (followers of Saint Jerome) monastery was severely damaged in the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755 and left in disrepair until it was renovated into an elaborately decorated royal palace by…
