an espresso in marrakech and the randomness of birth
As I sat in one of the many cafés to be found near the central Jamaa el Fna [ساحة جامع الفناء] square in Marrakech, I watched as the locals sat,…
on the edge of the sahara in merzouga
When one hears the name “Sahara” it conjures images of a past full of bedouins, explorers, caravans and local peoples vying for the scarce natural resources available. in fact, things…
the city of fes, morocco
Fes is the medieval capital of Morocco, and represents a learned and glorious period in Islamic civilization. Fes has the best-preserved old city in the Arab world, the sprawling, labyrinthine…
between a café and a café, there is another café
A dear Moroccan friend recently responded to my love of lattes and my Moroccan quest for a café with a common Moroccan expression that suits me perfectly. As the saying…
chefchaouen: is this morocco or greece?
One of Morocco’s many unique locations is the city of Chefchaouen. When you first encounter this city, despite it being landlocked, you can easily imagine the Mediterranean sea just next…
the roman city of volubilis
Located near Meknès between the cities of Fez and Rabat lies an impressive UNESCO-listed site – the Roman city of Volubilis. The city was the capital of the Roman province…
the city of meknès and the bab mansour el-aleuj gate
On the road from Rabat, the administrative capital of Morocco, I traveled a few hours by minibus to the town of Meknès. Located between the Rarb plain and the middle…
in casablanca: the hasan ii mosque
The name Casablanca conjures up images of a famous film and notions of a romantic past. Images of an exotic middle eastern city abound. In reality modern Casablanca is more…
wadi rum: jordan’s red desert
While the ancient city of Petra gets all the fanfare from visitors and travel logs to Jordan [and rightly so], the second most visited and important feature in Jordan is…
a crusader castle in a conflict zone: syria’s crac des chevaliers
Syria is one of my very favorite travel destinations, and, given the current conflict there, it may be a few years before I have the opportunity to get back. Despite…