mosaic road

“Puttin on the Ritz”

“Puttin on the Ritz” means to dress really fashionably and true to form the Ritz in London was adorned very elegantly for the festive season !

Hassan 2 Mosque...3 facts !

The Minaret at Hassan 11 Mosque in Casablanca is the tallest in the world at 210 meters high. The Mosque itself is the biggest in the whole of Africa and comes in at no five on the list of biggest mosques worldwide.

Hotel Al Alba....alba means white in Latin

Perfect place to stay in Asilah, if you are headed that way. This immaculate hotel is just out of the Medina in a side street. Dinner was amazing and nothing was too much trouble for the staff. When 12 guests check in at once there can be chaos but everything ran smoothly and the snowy white rooms are just lovely and include a little desk area. I could even see the beach at the end of the street from my window.

Experimenting and Dishonesty

I am purely a basic hobbyist photographer. My camera is set to auto and that’s it...no bells and whistles whatsoever. I like raw photography that shows life as it is. I feel so dishonest doctoring colour and blur and background with all the editing apps available. These apps can create beautiful images but they are not what the eye sees through the lens, the reality that can be gritty and not postcard perfect. I did not see this horsedrawn carriage in a hazy golden glow ready for Cinderella but on a grubby parking lot on a greyish day. Call me the photography grinch !

Moroccan Salads

There are some traditional salads that are the mainstay on most Moroccan menus and I love them always. In fact I could make them my entire meal and leave the table very satisfied....but that’s not the Moroccan way, there is always more and more food to come. This first course is made up of cooked salads served warm or at room temperature and most commonly include individual serves of carrots, beans, peppers, tomato and zucchini ...then as well there might be lentils , a sweetish pumpkin one and my favourite which resembles a type of ratatouille called zaalouk. And always served with delicious bread ! Bon Appetit !

Asilah

Asilah is a Moroccan coastal, fishing village, close to Spain with lots of whitewashed houses and shops, trimmed and accented with Mediterranean blues and greens. That blue and white look is what you expect to get and you do for sure in the old Medina. But when you meander further then look at the colour scheme...corals, pinks, mauve even . Its a really sweet place and for me, those palm tree shadows were the icing on a very pretty pastel cake.

A Different Outlook

We don’t all want to be the same so there is no reason why we should all want the same window style ! Here in Asilah everyone looks out at life in a different way. Kudos to individuality I say.

Last night was pure gold !

The evening sunset over the Atlantic was not so typical last night as there were no brilliant colours streaking and slashing across the horizon...it was purely a dazzling golden glare that bought with it a sea mist resembling gold dust, a true embodiment of that fashionable hashtag #goldenhour

This is my actual bed !

We booked Dar Meziana for our clients and I am doing a personal trial on their behalf ...and loving it. The bed is elevated and sleeping under that sheepskin is very snug ....after all it keeps sheep warm ! There is a kettle in the room too and a brilliant European coffee machine downstairs ... so #thehappynow !!!

Day Trip to Tin Mal, finale !

Last photos of an outstanding day visiting this medieval mosque in the Atlas....a day that is in my top five bestever Moroccan experiences... so many high points in one twelve hour time span !