Author: Tim

Saturday, March 22 – Harrow on the Hill

I’m heading into the Capital tonight to attend a concert at St. Martin in the Fields.

Concerts are regularly held here, and I’ve been to a few in the past. In fact, one of my favorite memories from my time living in London is attending a performance here with Linda & Chuck when they were visiting. That was a fun evening…

A beautiful setting. Tonight’s concert is a Mozart Requiem, performed by St. Martin’s Chamber Orchestra and Voices (choral group).

I was in a side box with a semi-obstructed view. It was perfectly fine though, and the concert was wonderful. The cost of the ticket was £16. (It was fully attended by the way. I was just early, as usual.)

I have to say it seems really busy in the city tonight. It’s the weekend though, and it is getting warmer. I’m guessing it’s just a case where the number of tourists are increasing as the weather improves.

Tuesday, March 25 – Harrow on the Hill

Tonight’s event will be another concert, this one taking place here on the Hill, in the Harrow School Speech Room.

I attended the concert with Mary & Tony, and a few of their friends. And prior to that we gathered at Byron House for drinks. Thank you!

This was a special performance, because it included not only the boys from the Harrow School, but also guest soloists, guest orchestra members, and the girl choirs from schools in London. As such, this was the rare occasion when a Harrow School performance charged an admission (£12). But it was well worth it. An enjoyable evening!

Wednesday, March 26 – Harrow on the Hill

It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day, so I have an ambitious walk planned. I’m going to head east along the south bank of the Thames out to Greenwich. Once there, I’m going to do a walking tour, using the book that Tony loaned me.

I ended up taking the tube to the Bermondsey Station, which is just east of the Tower Bridge. I wanted to start the walk on that side of the bridge because it’s away from the tourists! (It probably seems odd that I keep denigrating tourists, when I’m actually one myself! I don’t really feel like one though. But maybe I’m just delusional!)

I’ve done the walk out to Greenwich a few times in the past, the last time being during my visit in 2020. And I actually have a journal entry from that trip describing it. So I won’t post a lot of pictures from the walk this time.

Situated on the bank of the Thames, the present Angel Pub building dates back to the 1850s, but the original inn was built in the 15th century by monks at the nearby Bermondsey Priory for use as a guesthouse called the Salutation. After the Reformation, it was renamed the Angel in honor of the local lord of the manor.

St Mary’s Church, Rotherhithe (ca. 1747)

Sidenote: It was from Rotherhithe that the Mayflower sailed in 1620 on the first stage of her epic voyage to (what was to become) the United States.

Across the road from the church is the Rotherhithe Free School, founded in 1613 to educate the sons of seafarers. Still displaying a pair of weathered figures of schoolchildren, this schoolhouse dates to 1797.

To the right is a 19th century Watch House. Here a watchman would be stationed to guard against body snatchers. Corpses were regularly stolen from the adjoining former burial ground for medical research at a nearby hospital.

Approaching my destination…the Cutty Sark and the Old Royal Naval College can be seen in the distance. The walk took about 2 hours, but was at a very deliberate pace!

The walking tour starts here, at the Cutty Sark. Originally a 19th century clipper ship, it is now a museum.

Amazing view of Central London from Greenwich Park. To the immediate left is the Old Royal Observatory. Down below is the Queen’s House and the National Maritime Museum. Along the river is the Old Royal Naval College.

The Shepherd Gate Clock at the entrance to the Royal Observatory. It displays Greenwich Mean Time all year round.

Sidenote: I’m wearing my UW baseball cap again today, and received two more “Go Badgers” while walking around Greenwich! I should be keeping track…

29k steps for the day. Not bad!

Thursday, March 27 – Harrow on the Hill

It’s déjà vu! In a repeat from last year, I’ll be at The Royal Albert Hall tonight to attend a concert by The Who in support of The Teenage Cancer Trust. This will be fun!

It was a beautiful day. I arrived in the city a little early and did some walking around Kensington Gardens.

This year’s concert posters (1 for each night of their 2 night gig). They’re nice…

…but I like last year’s pair better. In fact, I ended up buying one (not on the night of the concert though; later via The Teenage Cancer Trust website), and Chuck generously framed it up for me.

Another great performance! I think I went on and on about it last year, so I’ll spare you this time. I will say that Roger Daltrey is amazing. He turned 81 this month, and his voice still booms! He and Pete Townshend were pretty funny; they had a lot of interaction with the audience, which I liked.

If forced to choose, I’d say last year’s performance was a little better. (Roger admitted during tonight’s show that they only had 4 days of rehearsal; maybe that prejudiced my decision!)

They pretty much stuck to the schedule, and I was back at Byron House around midnight.

Friday, March 28 – Harrow on the Hill

My trip is now 75% complete, so let’s do a…

Steps Update: I’m currently averaging 16.7k steps per day. That’s World Record pace people! (Well, personal best anyway!) My previous best was 16.2k steps per day while in Hawaii during 2022. Technically though, I feel like I’ve already broken the record. That’s because the Hawaii trip only lasted 66 days, while I’m already on day 82 here. Will I be able to maintain the pace for the final 4 week stretch? Watch this space…

Sunday, March 30 – Harrow on the Hill

This year marks The London Eye’s 25th Anniversary (first passengers in March of 2000). To honor the occasion, here are some fun Eye Facts:

• On a clear day, the visibility is 24 miles
• There are 32 pods on the Eye, one for each of London’s boroughs
• The Eye weighs 2,100 tons; equivalent to 1,272 London black taxis
• Who holds the celebrity record for most trips on the Eye? Jessica Alba with 31!
• With a height of 443 feet, the Eye is the world’s tallest cantilevered observation wheel
• The Eye travels at 0.6 mph; so slow that it never has to stop to let people on and off

Monday, March 31 – Harrow on the Hill

I’m traveling today to central Africa. I’ll be visiting Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia over a period of two weeks; returning to London on April 14. Eight days of the trip will be on a group tour. I generally try to avoid those, but it seemed like a good option in this case.

No laptop again, so the Journal will be dark for a while. Devastating, I know! In fact, I’m guessing I won’t be uploading any Africa-related Entries until after I return to Madison on April 24. Sorry about that. But it is a good excuse for me to drag this thing out a little longer!

I’ll be back in touch in a couple weeks…

Friday, March 7 – transit from Calpe to Valencia

I’m traveling up the coast today to Valencia. But before I depart Calpe, I big thank you to Mary & Tony for their generosity and hospitality. I had a wonderful stay in their beautiful apartment (with the well-stocked refrigerator!). Muchas gracias!

I’ll be taking the bus to Valencia, with a 10:30am departure from the Calpe bus terminal.

It was a 40 minute walk from the apartment to the bus terminal.

The trip took about 3 hours. It was a very relaxing and rather scenic ride, with 5 stops in mostly small towns along the way. And the bus was basically empty until our final stop prior to Valencia. The seat next to me was never occupied. The cost of the trip was €15.

The bus made a stop at the Valencia North Train Station, and I exited there, as my hotel was only a 15 minute walk away.

After getting settled in, I did a little walking around the area. Nothing significant though, just getting my bearings. I’m still not feeling 100%, so it was an early night.

Saturday, March 8 – Valencia

My mission today is to walk the Jardín del Turia (Turia Garden). Founded in 1986, decades after the Great Valencia Flood of 1957, the garden was established by diverting the Turia River away from the city center. The original plan was to transform the riverbed into a transportation corridor. Congratulations to the city planners though for ultimately choosing instead to create a beautiful green space for leisure and nature.

I’m going to start at the east end of the park and work my way west. The total length of the park is about 9km. It was a half hour walk from the hotel to my starting point in the park.

At this end of the park is the stunning Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. It’s mostly the work of world-famous, and locally born, architect Santiago Calatrava. He’s a controversial figure for many Valencians though, who complain about the expense, and various design flaws that have necessitated major repairs to the complex. Originally budgeted at €300 million in 1991 for three structures, the final cost for the the project was triple that (although additional buildings were added).

Sidenote: An FYI for you Wisconsinites, Santiago Calatrava is the designer of the Milwaukee Art Museum.

This is L’Agora (ca. 2009), a covered plaza in which concerts and sporting events are held. In the background is Assut de l’Or Bridge (ca. 2008), a cable-stayed bridge sustained by a curved pylon, which crosses the Turia riverbed. The pylon of the bridge, at 125 meters, is the highest point in the city.

Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe (ca. 2000) is an interactive museum of science that resembles the skeleton of a whale. The building is about 450k sq ft, of which 280k sq ft is exhibition space, making it the largest in Spain. It has 215k sq ft of glass, 2 million cu ft of concrete, and 14,000 tons of steel. The building stands 720 ft long, 260 ft wide and 180 ft high.

In the foreground is L’Hemisferic (ca. 1998). Its design resembles an eyelid that opens to access the surrounding water pool. It was the first building completed in the complex.

This Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía (ca. 2005), an opera house and performing arts center.

Two laminated steel shells cover the building, weighing over 3,000 tons.

Puente del Mar – this stone Renaissance bridge was commissioned in 1591 to replace a wooden span that had been swept away by flooding.

Pavilions on the bridge house statues of the Virgin Mary and St Pascual Baylon, a 16th-century friar and mystic.

Approaching Torres de Serranos from Pont dels Serrans. It is one of the 12 gates that formed part of the ancient city wall of Valencia It was built in Gothic style at the end of the 14th century.

Baseball in Spain! Also along the riverbed I passed by games of football (soccer) and rugby. There is a swimming complex too.

This was a fun walk! The weather cooperated (dry, with temps is the upper 50s), and I ended up logging 25k steps. I’m happy with the result, considering my health still is not back to 100%.

2024 Spanish Floods

On October 29, 2024, torrential rain brought over a year’s worth of precipitation to several areas in eastern Spain, including the Valencia region. The resulting floodwaters caused the deaths of over 230 people, and substantial property damage. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in Spanish history. By comparison, the 1957 flood that I referenced earlier resulted in 81 fatalities.

The diversion of the Turia River that resulted in the riverbed park that I visited today ultimately served its purpose, as the Valencia city proper was protected from major damage.

Sunday, March 9 – Valencia

It’s a beautiful day (sunny, temps in the mid 60s)! Yes! Let’s walk around the city center of Valencia.

Plaza de Toros de Valencia (ca. 1859). I’m not a fan of bullfighting, but I do like this arena.

I’m now in the Plaza de la Reina, with the Miguelete Tower and Valencia Cathedral in front of me. Construction of the tower began in 1381 and was completed in 1429. Originally it was separate from the Cathedral, but was joined at the end of the 15th century when the central nave was extended.

Most of Valencia Cathedral was built between the 13th century and the 15th century, and its style was mainly Gothic. However, its construction went on for centuries. As a consequence, there is a mixture of artistic styles, ranging from the early Romanesque, Valencian Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical.

Lonja de la Seda (built between 1482 and 1533) was originally Valencia’s silk and commodity exchange. In 1996 UNESCO designated it as a World Heritage Site. The listing states that “the site is of outstanding universal value as it is a wholly exceptional example of a secular building in late Gothic style, which dramatically illustrates the power and wealth of one of the great Mediterranean mercantile cities.”

It was such a beautiful day, I ended up taking a seat on the Plaza steps and relaxing here for over an hour. Once again, I was wearing my Wisconsin baseball cap; and wouldn’t you know it, as I was taking in the Plaza scenery, someone walked by with a “Go Badgers” shout out. Crazy!

In the background on the right is the top of the Miguelete Tower. I’ve circled my around to the back of the Tower/Cathedral.

This is the city-side view of Torres de Serranos, which I visited yesterday from the park.

It was such a beautiful day, I had to go back to the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias to get some pictures…

Monday, March 10 – transit from Valencia to London

My British Airways flight doesn’t depart until 1:30pm, so I had a leisurely morning around the hotel (still working on getting my health back!).

Public transport to the airport. I love it! The walk from my hotel to the metro station took 15 minutes, and the train ride to the airport was another half hour. The cost of the metro ticket was €5.80.

When I was checking in for the flight, the ticket agent asked to see a copy of my UK Visa. That’s a first! I wasn’t queried about it when I returned from Paris or Tunis. I have a copy of the confirmation email on my phone; no issues.

The 2 1/2 hour, non-stop flight on the A320 was pretty full. However, I had a exit row window seat, with no one in the middle. Nice! And the crazy part is that I went with the super-cheap fare; I didn’t choose the the seat, it was automatically assigned to me by BA! The cost of the ticket was €66.

We arrived at Heathrow Terminal 3, so I was on the SL9 bus back to South Harrow.

This was a wonderful week in Spain. The weather wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t wet either. That was the important part! And after the wonderful two weeks of weather I had in Gibraltar & North Africa, I have no complaints!

Many thanks again to Mary & Tony, I probably wouldn’t have made this trip without their generosity.

Okay, I’m finally caught up with the North Africa posts, time to move on to my visit to the coast of Spain…

Tuesday, March 4 – transit from London to Calpe

I’m flying on British Airways out of Gatwick this morning; a little more of a journey than going to Heathrow. I ended up taking the Met line to St. Pancras, and connecting there using the Thameslink to Gatwick. The Gatwick Express would have been quicker, but more expensive (and you know that doesn’t work for me!). I left the flat at 7:15am, and arrived at Gatwick at 9:15am for my 11:30am departure. Probably a little earlier than necessary (no checked bag), but that’s alright.

My non-stop flight is to Alicante, a little bit south of my destination – Calpe. The 3 hour flight on the A320 was about 3/4 full, and fortunately the middle seat next to me was empty (I was on the window). The cost of the flight was £58.

From Alicante I booked a shuttle bus (in advance, thanks for the tip Mary) to Calpe. I had about a half hour wait at the airport until all of the shuttle passengers arrived (there were 4 of us). The one hour trip cost €24.

My stay in Calpe will be compliments of Mary and Tony – at their beautiful coastal apartment. So generous. Thank you very much!

Mary & Tony had stayed in the apartment just prior to my arrival, and Mary graciously left me a refrigerator stocked with food. Wow! More thanks to you both!

It was early evening by the time I got settled into the apartment, and I was still feeling a little under the weather; I’m in for the night.

Wednesday, March 5 – Calpe

The advance weather forecast for my stay was rather bleak – rain for the entire duration. Ugh! But I woke up to a dry morning, and it appeared like it might stay that way for the day. Fingers crossed!

So, what should I do today? Do you even need to ask? Let’s roam!

Up ahead is Penyal d’Ifac Natural Park; my destination. Rising to over 1,000 ft, Penyal d’Ifac is a striking limestone feature of the Mediterranean coastline. Historically it was known to the Phoenicians as the Northern Rock, to distinguish it from its southern counterpart, the Rock of Gibraltar.

With an area of 110 acres, it is the smallest natural park in Spain.

Looking back down the beach towards the location of Mary & Tony’s apartment. (there is one determined boy on the beach!).

My unconventional entrance to the park eventually led me to this more conventional one!

These medieval ruins on Penyal d’Ifac date to the 13th century. The perfect lookout spot!

I’m now making my way down the west side of Penyal d’Ifac, looking at the Calpe Port and the Bay of Calpe.

The headland jutting out up ahead is Morro de Toix.

This would be packed with people during the summertime. I’m happy I’m here in the off season!

This turned out to be a fun day! I was worried about the weather, but it remained dry, which was key.

Thursday, March 6 – Calpe

More exploring of Calpe is in store for today. Mainly the Old Town.

A little bit of a cloud cover on the Rock this morning. But like yesterday, it’s dry; I’ll take it! And it’s even a little warmer, and less windy, than yesterday. I think I’ll be bringing out the shorts today!

As I was making my way to the Old Town, I came across this. Now, Calpe is a little hilly, but a moving sidewalk? Are you kidding me? Let’s get some exercise people! What a waste of money!

One of the more curious corners in the Old Town is the Forat de la Mar, a side-street that was created between the building walls to allow sailors to check sea conditions.

Llavador de la Font is a century-old open-air laundry system set at the edge of Calpe’s Old Town.

This is the Torreo de la Peça, a defensive bastion that forms part of the old walled town of Calpe. In the background is the bell tower of the Old Church.

The old town wall and the bell tower of the Old Church. The Old Church was built in the early 15th century, atop an old chapel from the Christian conquest. This fortified Gothic building originally combined religious and defensive functions, since it was a place of refuge when the community was under attack.

I’m now making my way back to the apartment (in the background). In the foreground is Salines de Calp (Calpe Salt Flats). Two million years ago this lagoon was a bay open to the sea. Penyal d’Ifac was an island that protected the bay from wind and ocean currents while facilitating the slow accumulation of sand, which would end up closing the bay.

The salt flats have great historical significance, eventually supplying over 40 municipalities. Its decline began however at the end of the 18th century, when it became the focus as the source of infections that caused fevers among the population. Later, there were various attempts to once again make the flats operational, but eventually ended in the late 1980s.

Today Las Salinas de Calp is a protected nature reserve; home to more than 170 bird species.

I saw many cyclists in Calpe (which was awesome!). To be expected, considering the popularity of the sport in Spain, and the hilly topography of the region. And the motorists were very respectful of the riders. What a concept!

Sunday, February 23 – Tunis

It’s a another beautiful day, with temperatures in the upper 60s. I’m going to walk around a bit and ultimately make my way to the national museum.

I’ve accumulated a few coins over the last couple days. It’s nice to have some for things like the bus, but this is a little out of hand! Hopefully I can unload most of them when I pay the entry fee at the museum.

It was about a one hour walk from my hotel to the museum. Here are a couple photos from along the way…

The Bardo National Museum is one of the most important museums in the Mediterranean region, and of those on the African continent, is considered to trail only the Egyptian Museum of Cairo in terms of prestige. The museum houses one of the largest collections of Roman mosaics in the world.

In the center of the room is a stuccoed mausoleum discovered in Carthage. It dates to the 1st / 2nd century.

A mosaic dating to the 3rd century.

This is a 5th century mosaic illustrating daily life around Lake Hippo Diarrhythus.

Wow! I was very impressed with this museum. Not something I was expecting to find in Tunis (and that’s a reflection on my lack of knowledge, not on the city of Tunis).

Here are a couple more city views on my way back to the hotel…

The city zoo is located near my hotel. I was thinking of stopping by for a visit. But after reading the online reviews describing the poor living conditions for the animals, I decided to pass.

There is a restaurant near the hotel that is open today (being Sunday, many are closed); dinner? Ah, another check of the reviews made me think otherwise.

Instead, I made a grocery run. Picked up bread, cheese, a pre-made salad, and ginger ale (I think). All for less than $3!

A Few Observations

• Tunis (and Marrakech) could be described (by me) as filthy. A lot of littering. A shame…
• There are many stray cats in Morocco and Tunisia. A hotel staff member told me that the locals like that, because they help control the rat population, and they are a clean animal (my comment: not so great for the bird population though…). This is in contrast to South and Central America, where there are a lot of stray dogs!
• There is a proliferation of people wearing NY Yankee caps in Morocco and Tunisia. The worldwide popularity of the brand (or the logo) is staggering. I wonder if the wearers even know anything about the team? Doubtful (I should have asked someone, “How gutted are you by Soto leaving to sign with the crosstown Mets?”).

Monday, February 24 – Tunis

I’m still a little under the weather, but it’s my last day in Tunis, and there’s more to see. Toughen up!

I’m going to brave another bus trip to Carthage today; however, I’m taking it all the way to the end of the line this time – to the city of La Marsa (getting the most out of my 1 dinar fare!). So no worries about the driver not letting me off at my requested stop! The ride took about 40 minutes.

La Marsa is a coastal city with a population of around 100,000 people. The city is known for its beaches, upscale residential areas, and lively atmosphere, with numerous restaurants, cafes, and shops.

I spent most of my time walking along the Mediterranean coast…

This was a pretty walk. And it’s not over! I continued walking southeast along the coast to the town of Sidi Bou Said. The town itself is kind of a tourist attraction (but I went anyway!), and is known for its extensive use of blue and white (like Chefchaouen in Morocco!).

Another fun walk! And a beautiful day for it. I would say Sidi Bou Said is definitely less touristy than Chefchaouen, but also less picturesque. Tradeoffs…

I’m beat! Not feeling well is undoubtedly a factor. I think it’s time to head back to the hotel.

And luckily I came across an easily identifiable bus stop as I made my way out of Sidi Bou Said. And I even remember which bus to catch back to Tunis. Brilliant! (the bus wasn’t nearly as crowded as Saturday; maybe it has to do with it being a weekday, or the time of day?)

Tuesday, February 25 – transit from Tunis to London

I had some leftover dinars, so prior to checking out I asked the staff at hotel reception if they could exchange it to dollars (or pounds, or euros) for me. They said they couldn’t; were only allowed to perform exchanges in the opposite direction (foreign currency to dinars). They told me though that I could easily make the exchange at the airport, with one proviso: that I have the original receipt from when I converted dollars to dinars. Mmmmm…that could be a problem. When I arrived at the Tunis airport, I used an ATM to get some cash. Well, I requested a receipt during the process, but never received one. That’s convenient! Do I smell a little scam going on here?

I didn’t have a huge amount of money leftover (around $30 equivalent), and didn’t feel like fighting about the receipt issue with the currency exchange folks at the airport, so I ended up just leaving it for the hotel housekeeping staff.

Travel Note: I exchanged my leftover Moroccan dirhams for U.S. dollars at the Casablanca airport, with no issues; receipts not required. Just sayin’…

My flight is scheduled to depart at 1:45pm, and Tunisair recommends arriving at the airport 3 hours early. Not a problem. I had booked a ride in advance through the hotel for 45 dinars. I probably overpaid, but it was convenient. And I paid the hotel for the ride yesterday with my credit card. If I’d known about this money exchange scam then, I would have paid by cash!

All went smoothly at the airport. The flight was about an hour late departing, but no big deal. It was direct to Heathrow on an A320, took about 3 hours, and it was full. Like on Royal Air Moroc, a nice meal was provided. This time it was grilled chicken. The cost of the flight was $159.

Unlike the flight from Casablanca a few days ago, I had no issues clearing my ears during the decent today. I guess that means I’m getting better?

We arrived at Heathrow Terminal 4. And you know that I’m normally all about taking the SL9 bus back to South Harrow. However, the Terminal 4 factor kind of messes that up because, in order to catch the bus, I need to take the tube to Terminal 3. So instead, in this case I just stayed on the Piccadilly line train to South Harrow station (with a change at Acton Town). More expensive than the SL9, but laziness overruled my cheapness (plus, I was sick and tired – literally!)!

I got back to Byron House around 7pm, and was in bed soon after!

Tunisia Facts

• Drive on the right (LHD vehicles)
• I did not drink the tap water
• Languages I encountered were Arabic and French; with English spoken by those in the tourist industry
• As previously noted, the currency is the Tunisian Dinar

Trip Notes

• It’s a tough call, but I would say Tangier was my favorite of the places visited on this trip. Less tourists, less expensive, nice dining options, fairly clean, and a picturesque Medina.
• I got lucky with the weather. Never had to use my umbrella. The only significant rainfall occurred on one overnight in Marrakech.
• I had no digestive issues throughout the trip (more luck!)
• I averaged 19k steps/day for the 15 day trip
• This one’s kind of (very) geeky: The three non-stop flights I took on this trip form an equilateral triangle (if you ignore the gap between Gibraltar and Casablanca!). Side 1) London-Gibraltar: 1,085 miles; Side 2) Casablanca-Tunis: 1,036 miles; Side 3): Tunis-London: 1,138 miles.

The only souvenirs from my trip: a) a fragment of my wristband from the Gibraltar Nature Reserve; b) a Chefchaouen key chain I received from the tour company that I used for that day trip; and c) a hand-painted bowl I received from my hotel in Tunis.

I talked previously regarding my attitude towards buying anything from the various markets I visited. A little too touristy, and a lack of confidence in my knowledge of prices and quality. Plus, I’m basically in old-age minimalist mode. I’m trying to get rid of stuff, not acquire more!

This was a great trip! I’m very happy I made the journey. I hope you enjoyed following along. Sorry it took a while to get these Entries posted. Next, on to my Spain updates…

Monday, March 17 – Harrow on the Hill

I’m heading into the city this evening to attend a West End play.

Retrograde is based on a true event in the life of Sidney Poitier; a key moment in his career during a time of rising McCarthyism in 1950s Hollywood. The play delves into Poitier’s friendship with left-leaning Black actors like Paul Robeson, which made producers wary of hiring him. In this instance, the studio required Poitier to sign a loyalty oath in order to land a role, but ultimately he refused.

The view from seat H16 in the stalls. The entire one-act play took place in this studio head’s office.

I really enjoyed this. And like the story of Lee Miller, it is a part of history of which I was completely unaware (of course I have knowledge of McCarthyism, but not Sidney Poitier’s personal confrontation with it).

Sidenote: Five years ago today I was in Salta, Argentina, and pretty much clueless as to what was going on in the world. Thankfully, I was messaged by family and friends, alerting me to the fact that airports around the global were shutting down, and I may want to think about getting my behind back to the U.S.! What followed was a crazy few days of scrambling for flights, being placed in quarantine, and navigating deserted airports and roadways. It was rather stressful at the time, but looking back, I feel like it was something I’m grateful to have experienced (sounds weird, I know). If you’d like to relive my odyssey, here’s a link to the Entry in my Journal that begins the narrative.

Tuesday, March 18 – Harrow on the Hill

Thanks to another tip from Mary, I’ve booked a tour today at nearby Headstone Manor.

Built in 1310, the moated manor house known as Headstone Manor is the earliest surviving timber-framed building in Middlesex. The land on which Headstone Manor stands belonged to Wulfred, Archbishop of Canterbury, in 825 AD. It remained in the ownership of the Archbishops until 1546, when it was surrendered to Henry VIII. Soon after, he sold it to one of his court favorites, Edward North, and it remained in private ownership for almost four centuries.

Over time, Headstone Manor fell into a state of disrepair, and much of its surrounding land was sold off. In 1925 Hendon Rural District Council bought the site. It then passed into the control of the London Borough of Harrow after local government reorganization. After years of increasing dilapidation, the decision was made to turn the site into the home of Harrow Museum, which opened in 1986. The first stage of restoration at Headstone Manor began in of 2004, with the most recent work completed in 2017.

From Byron House, it was a 45 minute walk to the Manor.

The moat that surrounds the Manor. On the left is the Small Barn (now the Museum), and the chimney of the Manor can be seen on the right.

Entering the grounds of the Manor. On the left is the Granary (ca. late 18th century), and on the right is the Great Barn (ca. 1506).

The Buttery (a cold storeroom for keeping food fresh). This space has changed the least since the house was built in 1310.

The guided tour lasted an hour and cost £4. (there were about a dozen people taking the tour) This was a fun visit on a beautiful day!

I saw this sign by the moat. I did not know this, did you? We would always take bread for feeding when visiting the duck pond in Madison.

Thursday, March 20 – Harrow on the Hill

It’s another beautiful day, and I have a couple events booked in the Capital, so let’s go!

Before grabbing the train, I stopped at the Wenzel’s in the Harrow on the Hill station to buy a baguette sandwich. This will be my lunch as I lounge in one of the London parks.

Sidenote: I have come across no Wenzel’s bread/sandwhich shops in Central London. Curious. I’ve only found them in the outlying areas; typically close to a tube station. Must be their strategy – avoid the high real estate costs of London. Anyway, I digress…

I settled in Upper Grovesnor Park, where this impressive sculpture is located. Seems like odd subject matter for a London park though, right? Entitled Lioness and Lesser Kudu, it was created by Jonathan Kenworthy, who had been commissioned by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor to produce an animal art piece for Eaton Hall in 1998. However, it was subsequently decided that it should be moved to Grovesnor Park for the enjoyment of the general public, where it has remained since 2000. There you go!

I have a 1pm timed entry ticket (£17) to visit The Royal Mews.

The Royal Mews is a collection of equestrian stables that are part of the British royal family. In London, these stables and stable-hands’ quarters have been located within the grounds of Buckingham Palace since the 1820s.

For the visit, on display are royal carriages, a royal vehicle, and even a couple horses! The Royal Mews is also a working part of the palace, where horses and people live and work, and where carriages and cars are in daily use, supporting the work of the monarch as head of state.

My next event isn’t until 7:30pm. It’s such a beautiful day, I think I’m just going to walk around the city.

My venue this evening is in east London, so I ended up walking from the Mews down to the river, crossing the Chelsea Bridge (at Battersea Park) and heading east along the south bank. I’ve posted a lot of pictures from this walk previously; here are a couple favorites from today…

Sidenote: I was wearing my Wisconsin baseball cap again today, and received two “Go Badgers” shoutouts during my walk – one on the south bank, and one while crossing the Tower Bridge. Very cool!

Tonight I’m attending a Gresham College lecture. These events are free, but require a ticket because they usually sellout. Thanks to (another) tip from Mary, I first attended a couple of the Gresham lectures when I was in London last year.

Tonight’s talk focused on the work of Jimi Hendrix; specifically the technical aspects of his guitar playing. Some of it was over my head, but still very interesting (and entertaining)! It just further reinforced my belief (and pretty much everyone else’s) that he was the greatest of the rock guitarists (apologies Mr. Clapton!).

If you’re interested in viewing the video of the lecture, it’s available here.

I knew I did a fair amount of walking today, but didn’t think it was massive. I was wrong! 31k steps!

Friday, March 21 – Harrow on the Hill

I woke up this morning to the news that Heathrow will be shut down for at least 24 hours due to a power outage. Yikes! Thankfully, I have no immediate upcoming travel scheduled.

Friday, February 21 – Tunis

I’m still not feeling the greatest this morning, but it’s a beautiful day (partly cloudy, high in the mid 60s); let’s get out and roam!

My first stop was this pharmacy near the hotel. I was prepared this time though! Using Google Translate on my phone, I composed an explanation of my symptoms (congestion), and then translated it to French. The clerk that waited on me was amused by my effort, and it worked. She ended up providing me with a nasal spray and a box of Actifed. Thank you!

This is Bab El Bhar; a gate in Tunis that marks the separation between the Medina and the city.

I like the colorful doors of the Medina…

I moved closer to take another picture of this building, but was vigorously waved off by the guards. Okay!

Just adjacent to the Square is the Kasbah Fortress. This dates to the 12 century, and is believed to be the Gate of Ghadr, which opened into the Medina. It was a gate designated only for the king and his entourage and not for the public.

I was starting to get a little hungry…

By the way, I’m wearing shorts and a long-sleeve t-shirt!

Dar Lasram is a former palace of the Medina. It was built during the period 1812 to 1819. The entry fee was 5 dinar ($1.60).

The palace is a little run down, but remains beautiful!

Notes from the Day

• I walked through the market, but similar to the souks of Tangier and Marrakech, the crowds pretty much prevented the taking of any worthwhile pictures. Although, the crowd here appear to consist more of locals than tourists.
• A local approached me in the market, offering to direct me to a nearby landmark. He seemed like a nice guy, but I’m done dealing with the locals. I’m jaded, and it’s kind of a shame.
• I also had a merchant invite me to the roof of his shop to get a better view of the Medina. Again, no thanks. He claimed no obligation, but I had a feeling I’d be stuck looking at rugs (or whatever) for a while!
• This being Friday, and Tunisia being a Muslim country, I thought today would be a holy day. But that wasn’t the case. Tunisians follow the Western schedule, with the weekend falling on Saturday and Sunday. Interesting.
• I’ve talked previously about using eSIMs for data access while traveling abroad. The one I’m using here in Africa has worked like a champ! It cost $19 for 3Gb covering 30 days. And the nice thing is that eSIMs for different regions of the world will work simultaneously. So, for example, I have both an African and European eSIM installed on my phone at this time.
• I ended up doing 18k steps today. Probably not too smart. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow…

Saturday, February 22 – Tunis

I’m feeling better today, so hopefully I’ve turned the corner (fingers crossed)!

Today I’ll be traveling to the northeast to visit the ancient city of Carthage. It was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classical world. It became the capital city of the civilization of Ancient Carthage and later Roman Carthage.

Conveniently, there is a tram that operates between Tunis and Carthage. I’m on it!

Sidenote: I confirmed the tram route with two different staff of my hotel over the past couple days.

It’s about a half hour walk from the hotel to the tram station. Here are a couple photos from the journey…

So, as I approach the tram station, it appears to be kind of empty. But there is a line of people waiting to board that bus on the left. Mmmmmm…

It turns out the that tram is no longer operating. And with subsequent research, I learned that it has been out of service since at least early November. It seems like this is something that my hotel’s reception staff should be aware of!

Thankfully, there is replacement bus service available. The bus did not depart until it was fully loaded. And I mean fully – it was packed. The bus driver turned out to be a pain – mainly not letting people off at their requested stops, including me! But it actually worked out in my case, because I was conveniently dropped near an historical site. The 30 minute bus ride cost 1 dinar (35 cents).

There are 10 ten archaeological sites in Carthage that can be visited with a combined ticket which allows access to all, at a cost of 12 dinar. The tickets are are available at each site entrance. Let’s see how many of the 10 I’ll visit…

The Roman Theatre of Carthage

Built in the 2nd century, the Carthage Roman Theatre was a prime location for dramatic performances, music, and public gatherings. With a seating capacity of around 5,000, it was an important cultural hub in Roman Carthage.

The Roman Villas of Carthage

By the turn of the 1st century, Carthage was the second largest city in the western half of Rome’s empire. The Carthage Roman Villas site is believed to have housed some of the wealthier inhabitants of Roman Carthage.

Antonine Baths

The Baths of Antoninus, or Baths of Carthage, are the largest set of Roman thermae (large imperial bath complex) on the African continent and one of the three largest in the Roman Empire. The baths were built during the reign of Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius (138 to 161 AD).

Ampitheatre

The Amphitheatre of Carthage was erected at the end of the 1st century or the beginning of the 2nd century. This is one of three African amphitheatres to have been built on flat ground rather than atop a hill, the others being El Jem and Thapsus.

Byrsa Hill

In 146 BC Carthage was besieged and destroyed by the Romans during the Third Punic War. However, when they rebuilt the city, Byrsa Hill became central to their administration. A number of important public buildings were constructed at the site and it was installed as the seat of the proconsul of Africa within the Roman Empire.

The Acropolium, previously known as Saint Louis Cathedral, is a former Roman Catholic church. It was constructed on Byrsa Hill in 1884, over the ruins of the ancient temple dedicated to Eshmun. Intended to honor Louis IX of France, who had died in Carthage in 1270 during the Eighth Crusade, the Cathedral was constructed by the French Consul-General with the permission of the Bey (Governor) of Tunis.

Following his death in Carthage, Louis IX’s body was boiled so that the bones could be transported hygienically from distant lands back home. Some of his entrails are said to have been buried in Carthage, where the so called ‘Tomb of Saint-Louis’ can be seen in the photo above (located adjacent to Saint Louis Cathedral). His heart and other entrails were sealed in an urn and placed inside the cathedral of Monreale, Sicily, while his bones were laid to rest at the Basilique Saint-Denis in his native France.

Punic Ports

The Punic Ports of Carthage were originally excavated during the 3rd century BC. They then underwent significant refurbishment during the Roman occupation, most notably during the rule of Emperor Commodus (2nd century AD).

There weren’t any ruins to view here. Kind of a disappointing stop, but it was a pretty area to walk around!

North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial

My last stop was not part of the Carthage archeological tour, but turned out to be my favorite.

The cemetery, the only American one in North Africa and dedicated in 1960, contains 2,841 American war dead and covers 27 acres. It is administered by the American Battle Monuments Commission.

Along the southeast edge of the burial area, bordering the tree-lined terrace, is the Wall of the Missing. On this wall, 3,724 names are engraved.

My compliments to the American Battle Monuments Commission. This is a wonderfully maintained memorial (as it should be). And it’s kind of contradictory, as it’s located well off the beaten path of Carthage.

Okay, getting to Carthage was easy, I just boarded the awaiting bus at the tram station. So now I need to figure out how to get back to Tunis. Mmmmm…

I (kind of) remembered the route of the bus as it passed through Carthage. My plan, therefore, is to retrace that path and hopefully find a marked bus stop. Well, thankfully I eventually came across what looked like a stop, and that was confirmed when I spoke to a nice woman, who spoke English (yes!), and was waiting there. She also informed me of which bus to board. Thank you! I turns out that there are only two buses that use the route – one local to Carthage, and one that goes to Tunis. So I had a 50/50 shot!

After about a 20 minute wait, my bus arrived. And it was kind of crowded. But as we made our way to Tunis, it became packed. And the driver kept stopping to pick up more people! Crazy! It was like a Tokyo commuter train at rush hour, but with chaos! But, as you can tell, I survived. And now have this story to tell!

The sites around Carthage are rather spread out. As a result, I ended up walking 29k steps today. I guess I can recover from my illness when I get back to London!

We interrupt my North Africa catch up posts with a quick update on what I’ve been doing in London since I returned from Spain (confusing chronology & geography, I know)…

Wednesday, March 12 – Harrow on the Hill

I’m back in the city at the Royal Academy of Music this evening for a performance by the Academy String Orchestra. The concert will take place in a more intimate venue from when I last attended for the Jazz Orchestra in January.

The performance included Elgar’s Serenade for String Orchestra in E minor and Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14 in D minor. Very impressive! I enjoyed the venue too. And the bonus? A ticket was required, but the concert was free (you know I love that!)! I think most of those in attendance were family and friends of the students.

Thursday, March 13 – Harrow on the Hill

I was invited by Mary & Tony to join them and their walking group today on a canal themed tour from Kensal Green to Paddington Basin. Fun!

After a short bus ride we arrived at our first stop. Kensal Green Cemetery opened in 1833, it covers 72 acres of grounds. It is one of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries in London.

Following the cemetery walk, we made a stop at the Double Shot cafe for a coffee break (or, in my case, a hot chocolate and peanut butter cookie break!). Our group of 14 kind of overwhelmed the little cafe!

We’ve now made our way to the The Union Tavern for lunch.

We are now near the end of our walk in Little Venice, located around the junction of the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal, the Regent’s Canal, and the entrance to Paddington Basin. The origin of the term Little Venice is in dispute. Some say it was coined by Robert Browning, others claim Lord Byron named it as a joke.

As we made or way to Paddington Station, I noticed this rather nondescript office marking. My affinity for Nissans required that I stop and take note!

This was a fun walk! Thanks to everyone in the group for letting me join in. And thank you to Mary & Tony for the invitation.

Sidenote: Mary, Tony and I took the Met line back to Harrow on the Hill station. We ended up in a four seat section of the car that was already occupied by a young woman. The conversation between the three of us turned to my recent travels to North Africa and Spain. Well, the woman eventually joined in by commenting on how lucky I was to have visited those different countries. How nice! Thank you! It turns out she is from Iran, and is doing her master’s studies in interior design in London. We ended up having a nice talk. Her background is impressive: bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture; and she’s been involved in protests in Iran against the current government. Protests that resulted in her being shot! Amazing! This was a lovely encounter. I’ve said before that I don’t take my ability to travel for granted, and this conversation only served to further that belief. As she mentioned to the three of us, we are lucky to have been born in the U.K. and U.S. Completely agree!

The day concluded with Mary, Tony & I attending a performance of Macbeth by the Harrow School boys at the Ryan Theatre.

As to be expected, the play was wonderful (despite the fact that I still have a hard time understanding Shakespeare!).

Friday, March 14 – Harrow on the Hill

I’m back in the city today, this time to repeat one of my favorite experiences from my time here last year: Attending a free lunchtime recital at the Royal Opera House. Last year was amazing, with a soprano performing her favorite arias from various operas. Today’s performance will be a surprise, as they are not announced in advance.

The recitals begin at 1pm, with the doors to the Royal Opera House (ROH) opening at noon. Last year I arrived a little before noon, and there was a small group of people waiting to enter. Once the doors were opened we were placed in a queue to await the opening of the performance hall. As I was near the head, I secured a front row seat. Nice!

This year’s process was completely different! I arrived at the ROH around 11:30am, and there was already a fairly long line waiting to enter. Once inside following the noon opening, we were given a numbered token.

Following the receipt of the token we were not placed in a queue, but instead told to enjoy the cafe or gift shop in the ROH, and return to the area of the performance hall entrance at 12:35pm. Okay. Eventually a line started to form into the hall, so I asked one of the staff if the number on my token indicated the order of entry. He stated that it didn’t, and also mentioned that the line forming was meaningless, as it was pretty much a free for all when the doors opened! Crazy! But glad I asked! Taking advantage of that advice I was close by when entry started and was able to obtain a front row seat once again!

Today’s performance did surprise me: Ballet! (Note that last year photography was allowed during the performance, this year it was not)

The recital turned out to be a rehearsal for an upcoming Mother’s Day performance (March 30 in the U.K.). The rehearsal was led by the choreographer, Melissa Hamilton, who also happens to be the Principal Dancer of the Royal Ballet. Wow!

She led three dancers through what was only their second attempt at the routine, performed to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. It was a fun session to watch, and by the end they performed the entire routine, and nailed it! So impressive.

Following the performance, I made my way from Covent Garden over to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.

Saturday, March 15 – Harrow on the Hill

I’m excited to be attending a matinee of an “off West End” play this afternoon. Excited for both the play and the venue.

The venue is Wilton’s Music Hall. Opened in 1859, it is one of very few surviving music halls of the East End of London and retains many original features.

And the play is Black is the Color of my Voice. It is a one-woman performance exploring the life of Nina Simone, an American singer, songwriter, pianist, composer, arranger, and civil rights activist.

I really enjoyed this. Florence Odumosu was amazing in the role of Nina Simone.

If you’re unfamiliar with Nina Simone, here’s a sample of her work.

Sidenote: Speaking of one-woman shows, another one of my favorite experiences from my time in London last year was attending the play The Picture of Dorian Gray. Also a one-woman play, starring Sarah Snook, in which she portrayed 26 different characters! The role earned her the best actress Olivier Award (U.K. equivalent of the Tony). Well, I bring this up because the play has now moved on to Broadway, where it will be running through mid-June. Cool!

If you’re interested in the play, here’s a link to a recent CBS Sunday Morning story about it and Sarah Snook.

Sunday, March 16 – Harrow on the Hill

Over a month ago Mary tipped me off to a tour of Harrow School taking place today. It sells out quickly, so I made sure to book a ticket right after she told me (cost: £8.50). Mary attended as well, along with her daughter and granddaughter.

We visited six different buildings/rooms of the school during the 1 hour, 45 minute tour. There were four different groups taking the tour, each with about a dozen people. The groups started in different buildings, so that there was no overlap. Unfortunately, Mary and her family were in a different group.

Our first stop was the Speech Room. I’ve posted many photos of this beautiful venue in the past, so instead I thought I’d focus on a couple different details of the room. The first is this portrait of the Harrow School’s most famous graduate: Sir Winston Churchill.

And here are plaques commemorating the seven Prime Ministers and the Victoria Cross recipients who have graduated from the school.

We are now at the entrance to the War Memorial Building. This monument is in recognition of those students who were killed in the battles of World War I.

The Alex Fitch Room, dedicated to the memory of a student who was killed in action during World War I. His parents donated the room with its furniture and fittings as a place where the boys could meet with their parents. The oak paneling comes from Brooke House, Hackney, where Queen Elizabeth I stayed and held court in 1587. The fireplace carvings date from the reign of Henry VII, and the fireplace itself from that of Henry V.

Sidenote: Parts of an Ed Sheeran video were filmed in this room. You can watch it here.

Our last stop is the original Harrow School classroom, which dates to 1615.

By tradition, each of the boys carves their name into the walls of the classroom. Sir Winston’s carving can be seen in the middle of the photo.

For those of you who are Harry Potter fans, the Wingardium Leviosa wand class scene from Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone was filmed in this ancient room.

This was a fun tour. Thanks for the tip Mary!

Wednesday, February 19 – transit from Marrakech to Casablanca

I’m on the train back to Casablanca today. But first…

I originally booked a late afternoon (5:50pm) departure from Marrakech for 89 dirhams (1st class, $9). I feel like I’ve seen all that I want to though, so I decided to book an earlier train (12:50pm). My original ticket was non-changeable / non-refundable; I therefore bought a new 1st class ticket for 215 dirhams (no surprise, last-minute is a little (lot) more expensive!). And my riad room rate included a transfer to the train station.

Here are a couple views from the train ride…

I’m only spending the night in Casablanca; I have a flight tomorrow to Tunis. So I ended up just booking a hotel next to the train station.

I did a little walking around the neighborhood; nothing very exciting (or picturesque) to report though.

Morocco Facts

• Drive on the right (LHD vehicles)
• I did not drink the tap water
• Languages I encountered were Arabic and French; with English spoken by those in the tourist industry
• As previously noted, the currency is the Moroccan Dirham

Thursday, February 20 – transit from Casablanca to Tunis

My flight isn’t until 2pm; no rush this morning! And conveniently, I can take the train to the airport.

(Although, I was advised by Royal Air Moroc to be at the airport 4 hours before departure. That seems excessive! I got there about 3 hours early. But I must admit there were a lot of security checks at the airport. No complaints; and 3 hours was still enough time.)

The cost of the 30 minute train ride was 80 dirhams. Seems kind of pricey, right, compared to the other fares I’ve encountered while in Morocco. I guess the reasoning is those that can afford to travel by air can also afford the cost of a more expensive train ticket. (Not complaining, just observing!)

Travel Note: You may recall my previous diatribe regarding the attempt to pay for tickets online from a couple different airlines. That resulted in my using a Harrow travel agent to purchase the tickets (and that ensuing fiasco!). Well, one of those tickets was for today’s flight on Royal Air Moroc. You may further recall that I ended up booking on Royal Air Moroc because my original afternoon flight on Tunisair was canceled, and they wanted to shift me to a 2:00am departure. Nope! The process to cancel that reservation was also rather maddening, but it eventually happened. And good news: I actually received a full refund for the Tunisair reservation! (surprise!) So, in summary: the cost of the Tunisair booking was $192 (full refund received), and I ended up paying the travel agent $281 for the Royal Air Moroc flight. Oh well!

The 3 hour non-stop flight was aboard a full 737. And there was good news, bad news regarding my seat assignment: On the bulkhead (yes!), in the middle seat (oh!). However, I ended up sitting next to a nice woman from Tunisia named Rania. She didn’t speak a lot of English, but she gave me a few tips on what to see. We also traded WhatsApp details and she checked in with me a few times during my stay to see how I was doing (she didn’t live in Tunis). Thank you!

I was impressed with the Royal Air Moroc flight. It was on time, and they served a nice baked whitefish meal.

Sidenote: I’m still not feeling well. The tickle in my throat has pretty much turned into a cold. As a result, my step count for the last two days has been rather low. If it was going to get sick though, it’s probably best that it happened over these last two days, when my main activity has been transiting between Marrakech and Tunis.

This cold turned into an issue though as we descended in Tunis: I wasn’t able to clear my ears. Rather painful!

I made my way through Tunisian immigration in a breeze, but it took forever to retrieve my checked bag. I reserved my hotel via Booking.com, and through them I received a free airport transfer. Fortunately, I was able to contact my driver via WhatsApp to let him know that I was delayed at baggage claim. Thankfully he was very accommodating (and spoke a little English!).

It was early evening by the time I got settled into my room. I’m in for the night. Hopefully I’ll feel better tomorrow!

Tuesday, February 18 – Marrakech

After my busy day yesterday, I’m enjoying a leisurely morning at the riad.

I thought I’d do a little exploring outside of the markets today, more of the city center of Marrakech.

Cyber ​​Park Arsat Moulay Abdeslam is a large green space located near the markets.

Portions of the park are encircled by the remains of the Walls of Marrakech. The walls date back to the early 12th century.

My throat was feeling a little scratchy this morning, so I thought I’d be proactive and stop by a pharmacy to pick up some NyQuil. The pharmacies in Morocco (and many other countries) are not like those in the U.S., where products like NyQuil are available in the store for customers to select and purchase. Here you need to speak to a clerk, after which they will retrieve the item for you from behind the counter. I figured language might be an issue (it was), so I used my phone to bring up an image of NyQuil to show the pharmacist. That seemed to do the trick, as he brought me some medicine that appeared to be similar to what I was looking for. And it only cost 15 dirham ($1.50). Great! Thank you!

Well, after I got back to the riad I did a little research and discovered what he actually gave me was cough medicine. Oh well! I’ll give it a try.

I was feeling kind of tired today; only ended up spending about 4 1/2 hours roaming around (still did 18k steps!). I decided to head back to the riad for a late afternoon tea (included as part of my daily room rate).

Kind of a boring day, I know. But I enjoyed the relaxed pace!

Hello again! I’m back from my week in Spain. The plan is to finish up the North Africa updates; following that I’ll post the entries for Spain. And intermixed with all of that will be some periodic real time London updates. Are you totally confused? Hope not! Apologies for the slow drip, but hopefully I’ll be all caught up in a couple weeks. Just in time for my next trip! Anticipation…

Sunday, February 16 – transit from Tangier to Marrakech

I’m taking the train this morning to Marrakech, with a transfer in Casablanca. I’m a little tired, so looking forward to a couple of relaxing train rides (hopefully!). I would say trains are my favorite form of travel, and it’s not even close. It’s too bad the U.S. doesn’t have a better rail system.

The walk from my hotel to the Tangier train station took about 30 minutes. My train is scheduled to depart at 11am.

Here are some pictures of the Tangier train station (Gare Tanger Ville)…

I booked a first class ticket, which included access to the Al Boraq Lounge at the station.

Morocco has high-speed train service? Yes! Beginning operation in 2018, it runs between Tangier and Casablanca. The advertised high speed is 320 kph (199 mph). The highest speed I noticed on the display screen was 313 kph.

The first class car. I was in the single seat on the left. I was hoping that there would be some food service in first class, but no. Not even tea! Brutal!

The trip to Casablanca took a little over two hours. The connection time in Casablanca was 25 minutes, but that departure platform was adjacent to the one in which we arrived, which made it easy.

The first class berth for the second leg of the trip. I was on the window, and all of the seats were occupied. The trip was close to 3 hours long, and I ended up sleeping a little bit.

I was very impressed with this train journey. Both segments were on time, and all aspects were efficient. The cost of my ticket was 288 dirhams ($29).

I arrived in Marrakech around 4:15pm. The hotel (riad) that I booked included a transfer from (and back to) the train station.

I’m staying in a riad located within the Medina of Marrakech. A riad is a traditional Moroccan house specifically known for its enclosed garden and courtyard. Very common in Morocco, they used to be homes for the wealthy merchants and traders.

The drive from the train station to the riad took about 15 minutes. But man, it was an adventure trying to maneuver the minivan through the narrow alleyways of the Medina. Kudos to the driver!

The entrance to my room. There are no exterior locks on the doors, but there is a safe in the room. And the room can be locked from the inside.

The cost of the room was $150/night. That included a wonderful breakfast, the train station transfers and the use of a smart phone. The phone was provided for a few reasons: a) to use the navigation app as a means for the guest to find their way back to the riad via the maze of the Medina, b) as a way to call the riad staff in the event any issues arise, and c) to be used as a hot spot if the in-house WiFi fails. Very helpful! I ended up using the phone for the navigation and hot spot, but never had to call the staff. I also had my phone with an African eSIM that I could use for navigation and internet access.

Here’s a Google Maps sat view of the Medina (apologies for all the icons, apparently they can’t be removed). Riad Dar Zaouia is pinned in the upper center. You can see how it could be kind of confusing (intimidating) navigating back to the riad from the south! (as I will find out later tonight!)

After getting settled in, I made my way out to do a little exploring…

As I was working my way through the Medina, looking at my phone for the path back to the riad, a teenage boy asked me where I was going. I should have ignored him, but he seemed nice, so I told him. I knew I was close, and he said he could direct me back. Well, this turned out to be a mistake. He proceeded to take me on a convoluted journey through various alleyways that I soon realized was much longer than necessary. And along the way one of his friends joined us. Well, we eventually made it to the riad (a 10 minute walk that should have lasted 3). And of course, he wanted some money. I was annoyed, and offered him a 10 dirham coin ($1). He was expecting more, and didn’t want to take it. By this time one of the riad staff had come to the door, and the boys started talking to him in French, arguing their case. The back and forth didn’t last very long, and he finally accepted the coin. I never felt threatened, but I suppose the fact that I was right at the entrance to the riad enforced that feeling. After we were inside, the staff member basically told me that the children of the Medina are the biggest scammers, and that I should just ignore them. Lesson learned (again!)!

Monday, February 17 – Marrakech

Kind of a leisurely morning as I enjoyed breakfast. Here are some more views of the riad…

Breakfast is served on the rooftop. You’ll notice the heater in the back of the dining area. The temperatures were in the upper 40s to start the day, but eventually reached a high in the upper 60s.

More exploring on tap for today. Here are a couple views as I make my way out of the Medina…

I tried not to show it my photos, but there are a lot of tourists in Marrakech. A LOT! It felt much more crowded than Tangier, yet their populations are similar.

This is Tinsmiths Square, with many cafes. I checked the menus to compare to what I was paying for similar meals in Tangier, and the prices here were about double.

I took very few pictures of the souks of Marrakech, for a couple of reasons: a) they were very crowded (tourists), and b) the merchandise just seemed rather cheap and kitschy to me (I know, I’m a snob!). I’m sure there are some great shops with quality merchandise within the souks, and some deals to be had. But it would have taken a guide to help me find them (can that person be trusted? – I’m jaded too!), and I really wasn’t that interested in buying anything.

A visit to the Jewish Cemetery was a calming oasis amongst the hustle and bustle of Marrakech.

The cemetery was founded in the 15th century, but it is believed the area was used for burial of Jews since as early as the 12th century.

The cemetery has over 20,000 graves, with one corner dedicated to around 6,000 children who died during a typhus epidemic in the 19th century.

This is the remains of a stone fortress, constructed late in the 11th century.

I’ve booked a food tour for this evening, so I’m going to head back to the riad to get a little rest.

There were 8 of us on the food tour, 6 from the U.S. and a couple from Scotland. To follow are pictures of our meals, and scenes as we walked to the various food stalls…

Here we’re looking down as a bread-maker attends to his oven’s fire.

The food tour started at 6:15 and finished around 10pm. I originally wasn’t sure if I was going to do it, because it seemed kind of pricey ($70), but I’m happy that I did. A very fun evening!

And I made the 30 minute walk back to the riad without the aid of any navigation device (or local scam artists!)! 29k steps for the day, not bad!