Author: Tim

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!

Saturday, February 15 – Day Trip to Chefchaouen and Tetouan

Today I’ve booked a tour to visit two nearby cities – Chefchaouen and Tetouan. Chefchaouen will be the main focus of the trip. It is noted for its buildings in shades of blue, for which it is nicknamed the “Blue City”. (clever!)

Nice view of the sunrise from my hotel room this morning! And no, I wasn’t up super early; sunrise was around 8am.

My mode of transport for the day. There were 14 of us on the tour. It was about a 2 hour drive to Chefchaouen. Pickup at my hotel was at 9am.

Our first stop was on a bridge with this view of the Medina. Pretty, right? But man, the bridge was packed with tourists from other tour companies. It’s like they all converged here at the same time! I wasn’t happy… (the day will get better though)

Travel Note: There was an Italian gentleman on the tour with me. Probably around my age. He noticed my displeasure, and started a conversation. He called the mass of tourists here the “Instagram Effect”. Sadly, I can see that. (But maybe I’m contributing to it too with this Journal?) He mentioned that he was here in Chefchaouen 7 years ago, and it was very different. Few tourists, and the Medina had less shops.

Following the photo op on the bridge, the English speaking members of our group then combined with folks from some other groups to take a guided walking tour of the old town. There were around two dozen in this new group. The walking tour was interesting, with a very good guide, and lasted about 2 hours.

We then were given 2 hours of free time. This was my favorite part. Most people chose to get something to eat, but I took the opportunity to go back and roam around the Medina. And by this time, most of the tour groups had left the city, so it wasn’t crowded at all. Perfect! (fortunately I had booked a full-day tour)

Here are some scenes from the “Blue City”…

This is a view from the old town, looking at the main entrance (bridge at lower left). Also, notice a trail angling up the side of the hill. Of course I had to check it out!

It provided this nice view of the Medina, and the medieval wall surrounding it (upper right).

And now for some of the more touristy views…

Touristy? Yes. But I’m still happy I visited Chefchaouen!

Sidenote: I was wearing this Badger hat throughout the day, and on our walking tour a couple of Hoosiers gave me a shout out. Nice! And it turns out that a brother of one of the girls is currently attending grad school in Madison. Cool!

Okay, we’re now off to Tetouan. The city is more than 2,000 years old. The first settlements belonged to the ancient Mauritanians, and date back to the 3rd century BC. A century later, Phoenicians traded there and after them the site, then known as the ancient town of Tamuda, became a Roman colony under Emperor Augustus.

This part of the tour included just the 14 people in our minivan. We broke up into English and non-English speaking groups for a 2 hour walking tour. There were 5 in our group, with a very good guide.

The Royal Palace of Tetouan.

Happened upon this musical performance (not part of the tour!).

And, of course, any self-respecting walking tour would include a visit to local shop. This one was pretty colorful. I would describe what they were selling as “potions”. (no, I didn’t buy anything) However, as a bonus, we were able to access their roof for a view of the city.

Well, this was a full day! Hotel pickup at 9am, drop off at 9pm. (although, about half that time was spent on the road). Very enjoyable! (the cost of the tour was $54)

Thursday, February 13 – transit from Gibraltar to Tangier

I’ve booked a ferry from Tarifa, Spain to Tangier for early this afternoon. There are two ferry departure options to travel from Spain to Tangier: Algeciras and Tarifa. Algeciras is closer to Gibraltar, but I chose Tarifa because its arrival point in Tangier is close to the City Center (and my hotel). It’s also the faster boat!

To get to Tarifa, I first had to make the 15 minute walk from my hotel to the Gibraltar-Spain border (near the airport).

I was the only person walking across at the time; took two minutes to pass through immigration.

I had originally planned to take a bus (with one transfer) to Tarifa. But after doing further research, it became clear that the Spanish bus system tends to be unreliable. Now, if my final destination was Tarifa, I probably would have went for it (get there eventually). However, I have a ferry to catch, so I really don’t want to risk being late. Therefore I ended up taking a taxi (a taxi stand is located adjacent to the border crossing). I know, feel free to mock me! The 40 minute ride cost €64. I will say that the driver was a nice guy; even made sure I didn’t leave anything behind in the taxi.

I arrived a little early at the port, so decided to do some sightseeing…

I’m happy that I was able to check out this small slice of Tarifa (on such a beautiful day)!

The line on the left is for Moroccan immigration. That’s efficient! The ferry ride took an hour, so I just waited in my seat for the line to evaporate, and then made my way to the immigration desk.

The ferry trip cost €42 (less than the taxi ride; just sayin’…)

Travel Note: I noticed that the Moroccan officer placed the immigration stamp on one of the back pages of my passport. That seemed odd (lazy) to me, as they usually fill in the pages from the front. It turns out though that it was intentional, because whenever I had my passport checked in Morocco (a few times), the officer would immediately turn to the back of my passport. Kind of clever…

It’s a beautiful afternoon. Let’s get out and explore!

Travel Note: Today is the first time on my winter escape that I will be wearing both shorts and a short sleeved t-shirt. Whoo hoo!

I’m heading back towards the port, to visit the Medina (old town) of Tangier.

Walking through the Medina is like entering a maze. But it’s fun to explore! To exit, basically just walk downhill.

I am now in the Kasbah of Tangier, which is situated in the upper part of the Medina.

I was a little gullible as I walked through the Medina. I let a local kid start talking to me. That was his in to direct me to a shop in the souk that I later figured out he had ties to (I’m a little slow!). The shop had a lot of stuff, but I was led upstairs to where the rugs were sold. The merchant started showing me different types of rugs at a non-stop pace. A little overwhelming! There was actually one rug I kind of liked, but had no intention of buying. When I expressed my interest, the merchant offered it to me for €600. Yikes! Well, after going back and forth for 20 minutes, I finally decided to leave the shop. As I made my way out the door, he dropped the price to $90! (the poor guy, apparently his father was ill)

And there waiting for me as I exited was my new “friend”. He wanted to start taking me to another shop, but I politely declined (I’m slow, but not completely gone!). He then asked me to pay him for his guide services in the Medina. I don’t think so!

Friday February 14 – Tangier

I probably don’t have to tell you what I’m doing today, but just in case: roaming, roaming, roaming…

This will mainly be a day of visuals; I’ll provide comments where helpful.

“The Gran Cafe, gracing the corner across from Morocco’s French consulate since 1927, has plenty of seats outside, where locals chatter, watch the traffic and smoke (they smoke inside, too) over cafes au lait,” from a 2018 article in the Telegraph, “the 50 greatest cafes on earth”.

The American Legation Museum was a pleasant surprise for me in Tangier. The building was presented to the United States in 1821 by Sultan Moulay Suliman. It is the first property acquired abroad by the United States government, housing the United States Legation and Consulate for 140 years, the longest period any building abroad has been occupied as a United States diplomatic post.

A beautiful little oasis in Tangier!

I like the Moroccan tea! I’ll have to try making it at home (can’t be that tough, but remember who we’re talking about!).

I finished the day by walking around the marina that’s across from my hotel…

Thursday, February 27 – Harrow on the Hill

As you read through the upcoming posts about my recent trip to North Africa (kind of a Back to the Future ring to it, right?), you’ll discover that I caught a cold towards the end of my time in Marrakech (which resulted in some comical trips to the local pharmacies!). That carried through on to Tunis as well, as I basically just powered through it without any rest days. Too much to see, too little time…

Well, I’m paying for it now that I’m back in London. It’s just kind of dragging on. It’s annoying, but looking back on my previous trips, I don’t recall ever becoming ill. So, overall, I’d say I’ve been pretty lucky.

Anyway, this is all kind of a preface to say that I have a couple events booked over the next two nights that I don’t want to miss. Rest will come eventually!

Sidenote: I’m blaming my illness on the lack of timely updates to the Journal. Apologies!

Tonight I’m attending another performance by the Harrow School students.

An iconic play. But the more exciting part for me is the fact that the performance will be taking place in the Vaughan Library. I don’t think I’ve ever been inside the library. This should be fun!

A picture of the library from earlier today. As I was waiting in the queue to enter the library, I spoke with a former teacher at Harrow. She mentioned that she had no recollection of the Vaughan ever being used as a venue for a play. Wow!

The audience sat in two rows on both sides along the length of the library. The front row was chairs and the back row was high back stools/chairs (where I sat). Not the most comfortable, but the play only ran 90 minutes (no interval). And the performance made full use of the space, so everyone had a good view. There were even background music performers positioned amongst the nooks and crannies (violin, cello, keyboard, clarinet).

The actors also utilized the second level along the shelves for the performance. A very clever use of the venue! (note the violinist seated in the center of the photo)

Those who are familiar with A Death of a Salesman will know that it takes place in Brooklyn. Well, I must say that the Harrow boys nailed the accents. Well done!

Friday, February 28 – Harrow on the Hill

I’m staying close to home again for another event tonight – a Lenny Kravitz Concert at Wembley Arena. (only 3 stops away on the Metropolitan Line)

This will be the only UK stop of his European tour this spring.

The concert was featured in today’s paper, in a section highlighting the weekend’s events…

A couple photos from the show…

The capacity of the Arena is 12,500, and I’m pretty sure it was sold out.

The concert ran about two hours and met all expectations. Lenny is a true showman. And he had a wonderful rapport with the audience. I like that. He told a nice story about his first time in London, in 1989. (I first traveled here in 1991; I have a feeling my experience was completely different from his!)

Saturday, March 1 – Harrow on the Hill

Mary messaged me this morning, informing me of a pop-up taking place on the Hill today. I’m in. Thanks Mary!

The Spire Cafe is located adjacent to St. Mary’s Church, and is typically only open 6 days per year. The food offered at the Cafe is all homemade, and is staffed by volunteers. All of the proceeds benefit the church.

I’m in the right place!

The cafe was open from 11am to 6pm. I arrived around 2:30pm.

I went with a Spire Cafe Sultana Scone with Jam & Clotted Cream, and a Homemade Hot Spiced Apple Cider. Tasty! (I also wanted to get a bowl of soup, but they were sold out. Ugh! You snooze, you lose!)

Monday, March 3 – Harrow on the Hill

I’m feeling a little better today. And that’s a good thing because I’m off tomorrow to the coast of Spain. Mary & Tony have generously offered me the use of their apartment in Calpe. I’ll be spending three nights there, and then moving up the coast a bit for three nights in Valencia. Back to London in a week.

I was not planning on taking my laptop with me, but it looks like the weather might be a little crummy, so I’ll probably bring it along and get some work done on my North Africa Journal updates. Watch this space!

I’m back! (you’re thrilled, I can tell). And whew, we’ve got a little catching up to do! I’ve got over 800 photos to sort through, plus 30 pages of notes in my black book…

…so let’s get to it! Here’s the plan: These updates are going to take a while, so I’ll be intermixing posts from this trip along with my current activities. If you’re accessing the Journal Entries via the London 2025+ menu grid, you’ll be able to utilize the location identifiers for each Entry, thereby focusing only on the posts from the Gibraltar / N. Africa trip, if you so choose. Hope that helps!

Tuesday, February 11 – transit from London to Gibraltar

My British Airways non-stop flight from Heathrow to Gibraltar departs at 9:25 this morning. On their website, BA states that arrival at the airport should be no more than two hours before departure. Well, I took that to be a misprint, thinking they really meant at least two hours before. I was wrong.

Based on my incorrect assumption, I decided to take the first SL9 bus available this morning – at 5:45. And it was surprisingly crowded at this time of day. After arriving Heathrow at around 6:30, I had some lingering to do, since I couldn’t check-in and drop off my bag until 7:25. Oh well.

I was aboard an fully-loaded A320 for the 2 1/2 hour flight. And I think I mentioned last year that these BA flights have zero legroom! The cost of the flight was $206 (including a checked bag).

My hotel is about a 15 minute walk from the airport. And the route to get there is the craziest I’ve experienced…

I spent the rest of the day doing my thing: roaming. In this case, mainly in the city center.

Wednesday, February 12 – Gibraltar

Today I’ll be exploring the Gibraltar Nature Reserve. It covers over 40% of Gibraltar’s land area; essentially the upper part of the Rock.

There are four entry points to the Reserve. I’ll be starting at The Pillars of Hercules, adjacent to the Mediterranean Steps. The walk from my hotel to the Steps took about an hour.

Here are a few views from my walk…

The Pillars of Hercules represent Gibraltar’s ties to Greek mythology – namely the 12 labors of Hercules. According to legend, Hercules passed through here to take the cattle of Geryon – his tenth labor – and opened the strait, creating the pillars which received his name.

The Steps were built by the British as part of the military communications system that allowed access to their various defense fortifications at the southern end of the Rock.

I don’t think the Steps are very popular, or well known. I didn’t see anyone else during my hour on the trail. It was a rather arduous trek, with steep elevation gains. The temperature was only in the upper 50s, but I was sweating like crazy during the ascent (while wearing shorts and a long-sleeved t-shirt)!

Here are few photos from the trail…

This was a fun, challenging hike. With great views!

My next stop is St. Micheal’s Cave. The cave is one of Gibraltar’s top tourist attractions, so I didn’t spend a huge amount of time there! Here are a few pictures…

Saw this as I walked along the Reserve…

Next stop: The Great Siege Tunnels are a series of tunnels inside the northern end of the Rock of Gibraltar. They were dug out from the solid limestone by the British during the Great Siege of Gibraltar of the late 18th century.

During World War II, Gibraltar became a crucial stronghold. Beneath its surface, an extensive network of tunnels was carved into the limestone, creating an underground city. These tunnels stored essential resources, maintained military equipment, and housed a garrison of soldiers prepared for a prolonged siege. They also provided a strategic advantage, allowing for surveillance of enemy movements in the Strait of Gibraltar and beyond.

Fun Fact: The tunnels of Gibraltar were constructed over the course of nearly 200 years, principally by the British Army. Within a land area of only 2.6 square miles, Gibraltar has around 34 miles of tunnels, nearly twice the length of its entire road network!

Construction of the Moorish Castle commenced in the 8th century AD, the date of its completion is not recorded. Its walls enclosed a considerable area, reaching down from the upper part of the Rock of Gibraltar to the sea. The most conspicuous remaining parts of the Castle are the upper tower, or Tower of Homage, together with various terraces and battlements below it.

This was a (reasonably, more below) fun day! I enjoy exploring these type of areas on foot. Ended up with close to 27k steps today. Nice!

Today’s negative experience relates to the fact that the cable cars that service the Rock were down for maintenance. It didn’t directly impact me, because I wasn’t planning on using them anyway. However, a lot of tourists do rely on them, so instead had to use taxis. This resulted in the roads of the Reserve being flooded with vehicles, which wasn’t always a pleasant experience for pedestrians like me. Another item to had to my list of reasons for disdain of taxi drivers!

Gibraltar Airport

Apparently, the Gibraltar Airport is infamous for it’s tricky approach due to ‘The Rock’ protruding over 400m into the air directly next to the runway. It’s a notoriously windy destination anyway, but when the wind is from the south it can become extremely dangerous as it curls around the rock and the airport is engulfed in unpredictable and unstable winds. In addition, the runway is relatively short, with water on both ends. It’s such a challenging airport that pilots have to go through special training to be able to land here, and only a select few are able to operate these flights.

Gibraltar Facts

• A British Territory (I thought it was part of Spain, until Tony enlightened me!)
• Although a part of the U.K., they drive on the right with LHD vehicles (probably due to the proximity to Spain)
• The tap water is drinkable
• Language is English (and Spanish)
• Currency is British Pound

Monday, February 3 – transit from London to Paris

I’m on the 10:31 Eurostar to Paris this morning. It’s very convenient getting to the train station, as the Metropolitan line runs straight through from Harrow on the Hill to St. Pancras. I’d like to get there with some time to spare however, so I left the flat fairly early…

…and it’s a good thing I did, because when I arrived at the tube station the platform was jammed packed with people! And not just the typical morning commute crowd. Apparently there are some delays on the Met line. Oh Oh! I guess I should have checked that before I headed out!

Fortunately a train eventually did arrive and I stuffed myself into the car with everyone else!

I booked a 1st class seat for the trip to Paris. Basically that was because the price difference versus the standard class was insignificant. And that was due to the fact that I didn’t book far enough in advance to get the inexpensive seats! (the round trip fare was $285)

The meal was nice; even had some wine!

I’ve probably mentioned this before, but it’s kind of an interesting aspect of the train journey between London and Paris: When departing St. Pancras, passengers go through both UK departure passport control and France entry passport control before boarding the train, one right after the other. Very convenient! And the identical process (in reverse) occurs at Gare du Nord as well.

One of the reasons I chose this hotel is its proximity to the train station. It was about a 30 minute walk (you know how much I hate using taxis!).

As you can see, it was a beautiful afternoon in Paris, so I had to get out for a walk!

Spoiler Alert! Today’s weather will be the best that I encountered during my stay…

Tuesday, February 4 – Paris

Big day! I have a reservation to enter Notre Dame at 9am. However, I noticed from their website that the cathedral actually opens at 7:50am for services. I’m going to get down there early to see if I can enter then.

It’s about a 1 hour walk from my hotel to the cathedral, so I’m out the door a little after 6:30. (no taxis!)

When I arrived at the cathedral there was a line of people just beginning to enter. However, since I had a reservation (even though it was at 9am), I was able to bypass the queue and go right in. Perfect!

The cathedral looks amazing, right? What a wonderful restoration! To arrive at this place after such an absolute low point in 2019 is inspirational. (I still remember where I was when Kait messaged me with the gut-wrenching news)

Below are several additional photos from my visit…Enjoy!

I went back through the photos from my previous visits to Paris, to see if I had an interior picture of Notre Dame that I could use as a comparison to the current, post-restoration condition.

I know the lighting is better now, but wow, what a difference!

And you’ll notice that the stained glass windows are missing. They are still being restored. And some proposed replacements are causing a little bit of a controversy. You can read about it here.

My next stop is the Les Salles du Carrousel, to attend the preview of the RM Sotheby’s car auction.

I won’t bore you with a bunch of car photos, but here are a few highlights…

The star of the auction! 1964 Ferrari 250 LM by Scaglietti; the overall winner of the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans. (sold for €34,880,000!! / $36,344,960!!)

Okay, that was fun! I’m now off to one of my favorite spots in Paris, Angelina’s.

I spent the rest of day revisiting some of my favorite sights in the city. The weather wasn’t very picturesque however, and I’m sure you’ve seen most of it before, so I won’t bore you with too many photos!

I thought it would be fun to go up in the tower, into the clouds; sadly, the top was closed to visitors (kind of makes sense, I guess).

I circled back to Notre Dame before returning to the hotel. You can see a line of people waiting to enter in the center of the courtyard.

This was a busy day. And I ended up walking a ton – 35.4k steps!

Travel Note: Today’s step count is a new one-day world record! (well, a new high point for me since I started these winter escapes – tops the previous high of 34.9k steps in Barbados from 2023.)

Wednesday, February 5 – Paris

More automotive adventures today, I’m afraid. Feel free to scroll rapidly through this section!

Off to another auction preview this morning. This time it’s Bonhams at The Grande Palais.

Front: Scale Model of a Ferrari boat – Arno XI – Speed record holder since 1953 (sold for €12,800)

Back: Lucien Boucher (1889-1971) Air France – Large planisphere (sold for €19,200)

Now off to the Porte de Versailles to attend the massive automotive gathering called Retromobile!

Essentially Retromobile is a place to interact with vendors hawking everything conceivable that is associated with the classic car industry (and other stuff too!). I’ll post a few pictures here to give you a feel for the atmosphere…

A person could spend hours going through this exhibition! After about 2 1/2 though I was pretty much overwhelmed and called it a day.

As I make my way back to the hotel, here are a couple non-auto-related images for you!

Another productive steps day: 26.9K!

Thursday, February 6 – Paris

I’m finding that I seem to have less tolerance for tourists lately (okay, boomer!). So today I have two goals: Go somewhere that is a) off the beaten path, and b) a place I’ve never been before. After a little research, I’ve decided to head north to Saint-Denis, mainly to see their basilica, but also to check out a couple venues from the recent Olympics.

It’ll be about a 90 minute walk from the hotel to Saint-Denis, and I was looking forward to seeing the sights outside of central Paris. But it was pretty much a letdown – mainly industrial and kind of rundown.

The basilica contains the tombs of nearly every king of France from the 10th century to Louis XVIII in the 19th century.

I’m happy I made the journey to visit this basilica. A true gem on the outskirts of Paris! (the entry fee was €11; well worth it!)

During the Olympics, Saint-Denis was the center of activity. Located here are the Olympic Stadium, Aquatic Center, and the Athletes’ Village. I stopped by the Tourist Center (a few steps from Town Hall) and spoke to the workers about their experiences during that time. Amazing memories for them!

I had a fun (interesting) encounter while taking this picture. An older gentleman was walking by and stopped to talk to me. I tried to explain that I did not speak French, but he persisted! It seemed like he was venting about a couple things: the fact that the Aquatic Center has been shut down (fact check: apparently it is going to reopen in June of this year), and b) locals could not afford to attend any Olympic events. I can sympathize monsieur…

On my way back to the hotel, I had to take one more stroll by Sacre Coeur…

Another healthy steps day: 24.2k

Friday, February 7 – transit from Paris to London

My train doesn’t depart until early afternoon, so I just had a leisurely morning at the hotel.

A couple observations from my visit:

• It’s surprising (to me) how many people still smoke in Paris. And they’re young too. Crazy! There are cigarette butts everywhere, littering the sidewalks and streets. A shame.
• Another surprise: All of the construction taking place in Paris, both buildings and roads. My perception was that major improvements took place in a city prior to hosting an Olympics, not after. Guess not!
• I referred to this earlier; I’m finding it more difficult to deal with tourists (like in London and Paris). Even at this time of year. Sounds kind of snobbish, I’m sure. I think living in these cities would be a challenge. I can understand why places like Venice and Barcelona are fighting back against tourism.

Here are a some parting pictures from Gare du Nord…

This was a fun trip! Notre Dame was amazing. The weather could have been a little more picturesque, and warmer, but at least it was dry! I shouldn’t be greedy!

I got back to the flat around 4pm, and Mary reminded me that there was a Harrow School play taking place this evening. Great idea! And tickets were still available, I’m in!

A funny performance. And very British! The actor who played Wooster was impressive.

Monday, February 10 – Harrow on the Hill

Steps Update: I’m about 1/3 of the way through the trip, and I’m currently averaging 16.8k steps per day (thank you Paris!). If I can keep up this pace it would top my previous high of 16.2k from Hawaii in 2022. Will it happen? Probably not; I still have a long way (literally and figuratively) to go!

Travel Update: I’m back on the road again tomorrow, traveling to Gibraltar, Morocco, and Tunisia. I’ll be back on the 25th. No laptop again, so you can look forward to a massive update when I get back!