Our room was all tasteful dark wood and rich shades of reddish purple. Beaten bronze basins and the biggest bathtub I have ever seen outside the Piazza Farenesi. Turned out, next morning, that I could stretch out completely flat in it. Rested, refreshed, ready for anything; off we went to the Jamaa...

The contrast between inside and outside could not possibly have been greater. Total calm, beside a still, illuminated pool with barely moving palms. A fresh pot of mint tea. Forms to fill in. But also, instantly, nothing to do. The anxiety of not knowing what was to become of us melted into a feelin...

Slightly scary to be alighting at the Jamaa el Fna with no idea of where the hotel is other the “near the Jemaa el Fna”. Two tourist policemen had no idea either. A boy outside a shoe shop sent us in what turned out to be completely the wrong direction, but smiling. With only the phone number and no...

Pen and paper is all one needs to keep a journal. But to publish those thoughts these days takes the inter-tubes. Despite the plethora of cyber-cafés in Morocco, I decided to go with simplicity and blog my thoughts in unreal time, one week late. So here goes.

Not a great start. Having bought a new...

Up at 4:45 for a 6:20 flight, and here I am still at the gate at 8:20. At the gate but, alas, on the plane, typing in a cramped space mostly to dispel the boredom and in the full expectation of a whole day to enjoy Amsterdam. It seems that a baggage conveyor belt hit the fuselage, causing a minor de...