Volubilis, Morocco
A stop at the Roman ruins of Volubulis dating back to the 1st century A.D. The floor mosaics were well preserved and the layout of the settlement with government buildings and large private homes easy to image once the guide explained things. And, of course, the cats.
Chefchaouen, Morocco
Iconic Morocco. The Medina is a maze of alleys and steps and turns leading to more alleys, turns and steps. We logged 30 flights and close to five miles wandering around. Ira was very upset that Google Maps was of little use in this den of warrens, and I would never have ventured far without […]
Rabat, Morocco
Rabat We stopped in Rabat, the capital of Morocco on the way to Chefchaouen. A combination of Roman columns transplanted from Volubilis, a 14th c. Mosque and the mausoleum of 20th c. Kings, where we bumped into a group of Israeli tourists. And a stop at Chella, medieval necropolis that had, prior to Muslim occupation, […]
Casablanca, Morocco
Casablanca Forget the movie. Big, crowded, Rick’s cafe nowhere to be found. The synagogue in the old Medina was closed by the time we landed at 3:00 pm. The Hassan II Mosque was open, though, and surprisingly we were permitted inside for a private tour with a someone from the museum on the premises. A […]
Barcelona, Spain
What an exciting city! Remains of a synagogue where people prayed a thousand years ago. A cathedral designed by Gaudi, organic forms and stained glass, still under construction. We stayed in the medieval section where cars can not navigate the narrow warrens, but there is a section of the city with wide boulevards and cafes […]
Namibia, and a few more Botswana pics
We are back in Johannesburg and connected again to the world. Posting a few more pics from Botswana and then some from Namibia. Namibia begins with the red dunes.
Botswana
Amazing! Amazing!
J-Burg
After 15 hours in the plane, we arrived in Johannesburg, not a particularly attractive city. It was founded with the discovery of gold, and there are still huge piles of yellowish sand by the highway that contain 4% gold. The sand is closely guarded. The gold flecks are removed and the sand redeposited in the […]
Bettles and the Arctic
Having crossed the arctic circle we are now officially members of the “cool kids club”. Beautiful mountain scenery, long walks, riding snow machines and dog sleds and, of course, the Northern Lights.
Fairbanks
Fairbanks is small—saw the university museum, cultural museum, and oil pipeline.