Welcome! We invite you to travel with us.

 

Whether to exotic locations or our own backyards come on a journey and visit our next destination.

 

Where was this picture taken?

 

 

Join us next Sunday February 12th, as author Morgan Wyatt takes us on a tour. Remember it can be anywhere around the world.

 

Make a guess of the location in the comment section below for a chance to win a $5 gift card to Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Starbucks, your choice.

First correct guess or closest wins.

By: Judi Phillips

Challah is the site of an ancient Roman settlement in Rabat, close to the King’s Palace and downtown. 

A crumbled ruin, this outpost of the Roman Empire was probably established around by the Phoenicians in the 12th Century BC. 

 

Sometime in the 1300s, the sultan Abou Said constructed a small fortress beside the site of the Roman ruins. 

 

Later, his son, Abou al-Hassan, built a mosque. (Picture to the left.) 

A successor rival walled the whole area off preventing access for a long time. (Picture to the right.)

 

 

These days, it’s inhabited by a large colony of storks (there’s a huge next atop the mosque tower) and cats that reside by the eel pool waiting for handouts.  (Picture to the left.) 

Now accessible to the public, parts of it are now overgrown with lush vegetation. It is a peaceful area to wander through and view the ancient remains of old civilizations. (Picture to the right.)

Another ancient site in Rabat is Kasbah. The original Kasbah of the Udayas was built by the Almoravids during the 11th century.  When the Almohad Caliphate defeated the Almoravids during the 12th century, they began reconstructing the Kasbah, adding a palace and mosque. (Picture to the left.) At the end of the 12th century, the Kasbah was deserted. Although the historical Kasbah is an historical site only, in the surrounding area, people live in whitewashed houses on narrow streets. (Kasbah street picture to the right.)

 

 

The Phoenicians were in Morocco in the 1100s BC, with a trading post at the site of Essaouira. The present town dates from 1765, when Sultan Sidi Mohamed ben Abdellah decided to build a port and fortress. This fort is adjacent to the medina we visited last week. Today all that remain are the walls  and esplanade. With a row of cannons.  Guarding the Atlantic coast. 

 

 

For my final week blogging, I’m offering an electronic version of Night of Turmoil. Chelsea O’Malley, ESL teacher in Tunis, is always prudent, never reckless. Attending a protest march during the Jasmine Revolution, when Malik Bourjamaa is wounded, can she throw caution to the winds and speak truth to power? Night of Turmoil tells the story of one day during the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia. Available from Whispers Publishing and Kindle. You can find Judi at judiphillips.com.

 

Please join Petit Fours and Hot Tamales next Sunday, February 5th for a chance to win a $5 gift certificate by guessing where we’re traveling next.

 

By: Judi Phillips

The medinas in Morocco and, in other cities I’ve visited in North Africa, are the oldest part of a city, built in medieval times with a high wall encircling the perimeter as a defense against invaders.  The streets were intentionally narrow to prevent the entrance of chariots. And doorways were low to keep out men astride horseback.

These are the dry facts. They don’t begin to convey the magic and excitement of being there. There are shops of all kinds, shoes, traditional clothing, poufs (we would call them hassocks), antiques and souvenirs. Each medina has a different feel.

Originally named Mogador, Essaouira was first a Phoenician trading settlement, followed by Cretan, Greek and Roman settlements. The present medina is relatively new, having been built in the 18th century. Parts are covered over with narrow passageways. Other streets are open and wider. In this picture, you can see the wall on the right. There are several restaurants, cafes and coffee bars as well as many small shops.

The medina in Fez is much older, having been established in the 6th century. Pedestrians, motorbikes and donkey carts share the narrow maze of streets. [picture of medina-fez] Shops filled with colorful wares line the streets. Fez is famous for the leather tanneries with large, open vats of colorful dyes.

As I mentioned last week, Rabat was founded in the 3rd century. I always go to the medina with my son. He knows it very well and I know I would get lost in the winding streets. We usually enter the gate on the ocean side. The first picture above is taken just before that entrance. People still live inside the medina. There are hidden courtyards [hidden courtyard picture] and delightful restaurants. One of my son’s favorites is in a Ryad (residence), Dinarjet. This picture doesn’t begin to show the elegance of these homes.

Across the Bou Regreg River from Rabat is Salé. Originally a Phoenician colony it is more famously known as the Barbary Coast, a haven for pirates during the 16th and 17th centuries. Here’s me standing in front of the Barbary Coast.

As before, as a thank you for visiting Morocco with me, one lucky commenter will be randomly chosen to receive a handcrafted bookmark, made of embossed metal with a fancy tassel attached, that I brought at the medina in Marrakech.

I hope you enjoyed a personal look into the country of Morocco and why I love it there. You’re always welcome to visit me at my website, www.judiphillips.com.

By: Judi Phillips

Thanks to Petit Fours and Hot Tamales for inviting me back to share some of my travels to Morocco. I had a great time last week with all your wonderful comments and questions. Again, one lucky commenter will be randomly be chosen to receive a handcrafted bookmark, made of embossed metal with a fancy tassel attached, that I brought at the medina in Marakech.

Morocco is diverse, from it’s beaches to forests to mountains to desert. Where Arabic and French cultures merge, and ancient city meets new city. This week I’m taking you on a whirlwind tour of the places I’ve visited in Morocco.

Rabat has been around a long time–since the Third Century. At various times it has been under the control of the Romans, an influx of Spanish immigrants, the Moors and the French. Morocco obtained its independence from France in 1956.

The Rabat of today is divided into neighborhoods. Les Orangers is the area where my son lives. One of the main streets is l’avenue de la Victorie (the avenue of Victory). It’s lined with trees and easy to recognize. The residential streets are narrow and lined with walls enclosing the gardens around the houses. When you want to park your car, both driver side tires are on the sidewalk. As you  can guess, this provides something of a walking obstacle course for pedestrians. Here’s a typical Moroccan apartment. You will notice all the apartments have balconies for drying laundry and airing carpets.

The second neighborhood I spend time in is Agdal. I take French lessons my son arranges for me, since the English speaking communities are few. The idea is so I can get around on my own–sort of. It’s about half an hour walk from his house to the school. Many times I take a taxi and I tell the driver to go to McDo Agdal which is to the McDonald’s in Agdal because they go by landmarks, not addresses. I’ve been very fortunate that most days the weather was nice, clear blue skies with the temperature ranging from 55 to 70 degrees so I could walk home. The third neighborhood I’ve visited Chellah, which is very old. Ancient ruins and the King’s Palace are in there.

This year, during Eid al-Adha (the Festival of Sacrifice held shortly after the end of Hajj), we escaped Rabat and visited Essaouira, a city to the south. Essaouira (pronounced essowerra) is on the Atlantic coast. While it has ancient roots as a Phoenician trading settlement, the present town dates from 1765.

We spent most of our time at a villa in L’Arganeria outside of Essaouira. This resort was a series of ten or twelve villas. The grounds are city-park size. We were the only guests, the weather was beautiful, and the kids (big and small) had a great time running around. We stayed put mostly due to the adventure in driving to get there. The two mile road was unpaved and not particularly maintained was a crazy, bumpy ride.

A piece of Essaouira trivia: Parts of the movie Othello, staring and directed by Orson Wells were filmed in Essaouira. The area around Essaouira is where argan trees grow, possibly the only place in the world. There are forests of them growing just outside the walls of the resort. The other bumper crop of the region is rocks. Those white spots on the ground are rocks and there are fields of them. Five feet walls as tall as me were constructed from them. Argan oil is used for beauty treatments. It’s also the main ingredient in emlou, a delicious spread made from argan oil, ground almonds and honey. It’s better than peanut butter and not nearly as sweet as nutella. Spread on toast and eaten with yoghurt, it is the best breakfast.

Last year, right after Christmas, we spent several days in Marrakech. A little trivia: Alfred Hitchcock filmed the opening scenes of The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) here. Again, we stayed at a wonderful resort, the Palmeraie Villages, a short distance outside Marrakech. A nice idea to be outside of the hustle and bustle of a very tourist-oriented city. We spent an entire day at an adventure park close to the High Atlas Mountains. There were activities for kids of all ages, adult and kid zip lines, donkey rides, a buggy ride, and hands-on activities. We went into Marrakech one day and spent some time in the famous square, Djemaa el Fna with a lot of food vendors. So much to see. At night the enormous square’s lit up with extravagant entertainment. Silly me was so busy gawking, I forgot to take any pictures. 

Next week, we will wander through some of the medinas (also known as sooks, open air markets, bazaars). I’m not a huge fan of shopping, but I love visiting the medinas.

By: Judi Phillips

First of all, I want to thank Sia for giving me this opportunity to share some of my travels to Morocco. And as thanks for visiting one of my favorite countries  with me, one lucky commenter will be randomly be chosen to receive a handcrafted bookmark, made of embossed metal with a fancy tassel attached, that I brought at the medina in Marakesh.*

Morocco curves around the north-western tip of Africa. It’s coast runs from the Atlantic Ocean through the Straits of Gibraltar round  to the Mediterranean Sea. This year, I spent half of October and half of November with my son and his family in Rabat, Morocco, the capital city. It was my fourth visit there. The best part was being able to spend time with my granddaughters.

One of the things I enjoyed most about going was being able to celebrate my son’s birthday. It was a very American celebration in North Africa.

Since Halloween isn’t a custom in Morocco the American Embassy allow volunteers to decorate the trunks of their cars so the kids can go Trick or Treating.

While I was there, we went to a gathering at the home of some friends. I always find it interesting to observe other cultures. Since everyone spoke either French or Arabic and some English (and my French is very basic), I was free to spend much of the time listening (to re-tune my ear to French) and people-watching, one of my favorite things to do. What struck me immediately was watching people arrive. The newcomers (including the children) greeted everyone already there. And not just a wave and a “hi”. They went to each individual, gave them a kiss on each cheek and said a few words. It was the same as people left. A kiss on each cheek and a few words. It’s the same whenever people came to my son’s house, too.

On a prior visit, I was invited, along with my son and his family, to attend the engagement party of their housekeeper. What a treat. Music and laughter and wonderful food such as tajine and couscious were served with small pastries for dessert. 

The weather was delightful. Even in November, bougainvillea still bloom in their garden and the temperatures hover between 60 and 70 during the day. Jasmim, roses and geraniums also grow well.

Tune in next Sunday to get a taste of Marakesh and Essaouira.

Also, you can find me at www.judiphillips.com or Facebook or follow me on Twitter. I always enjoy comments.

*Contest open to US residents only.

Hong Kong II – Bang for Bucks!

By Anju Gattani

Armed with so many wonderful responses to my last blog ‘Don’t Get Me Wrong, Hong Kong’ I decided to resolve my inner conflict before the release of my debut novel ‘DUTY AND DESIRE’: keeping my memories of home—Hong Kong—intact while in a state of flux (both the city and me). 

            Last time my cousin Sarita from Dubai suggested I fly down, experience the city and ‘get over’ the changes.  “You can’t just go,” my husband and kids declared, “we need you!” – aka cooking, laundry, homework and the whole home-maker deal.  Then I thought about what Sia Huff said “… change is really constant, isn’t it?” 

            It is.  That’s when I hit Google, willing to change, and this is what I learned in turn. 

            Hong Kong continues to hold its banner as one of the most densely populated area in the world with seven million people crammed (and still juggling for space) across 426 square miles. 

            Still the evergreen shopper’s paradise, shopping in Hong Kong is now a sport where the trick isn’t to buy authentic but non-imitations at the right price – unless you want the perfect imitation.  Central on Hong Kong island, Tsim Sha Tsui’s high-end brand-name stores and Mongkok’s open-air bargain stalls continue to take the trophy.  Many expats still flock to markets in Stanley, Lantau Island, Macau and Shenzhen for a dig at something different.  Sham Shui Po holds its status for computers and computer parts at kill-me prices; it’s one of the cheapest places in the world to buy a PC.  Whereas department stores, malls, hotels, and major shopping centers like Landmark, Harbour City and Times Square continue to host and carry international brands like Burberry, Gucci, Zara, Hermes, Zegna and many, many more…  with pride (and huge prices). 

            And just when you think you’ll drop if you don’t stop, Hong Kong’s night-life beats to a rhythm of its own.  Lan Kwai Fong and Wanchai, a short (walking) distance from Central, run the gamut with theme bars, live shows and shows you’d rather not show in public!  The party peaks at about midnight; with a population triple the density of New York aren’t you glad people don’t party at the same time? 

            Those who don’t party—shop!  Hong Kong is notorious for its night shopping with stores open until late night – especially the open-air markets where bargains are the rage.    

            As for dining out, there is no beginning and no end.  Hong Kong boasts of 11,000 restaurants and is known as the Culinary Capital of Asia with a spread of Asian, Western, Mediterranean, European (and many more) cuisine fanfares; food recommendations are proficiently categorized according to food districts – and ‘Food Street’ in Causeway Bay is one of them.  Others are: Lan Kwai Fong, Ashley Road, Kowloon City, Sai Kung, Hillwood Soho… the list goes on.

            The Events Capital of Asia, Hong Kong offers an array of events from local Chinese festivals like the scintillating Moon Festival where Chinese lanterns light up the night sky, the Dragon Boat Festival where armies of man-oared boats race across the harbor to the fast beat of drums to captivating dragon dances and fireworks on Chinese New Year over Victoria Harbor.  Halloween, Christmas, New Year and Easter have their own pomp and glory like the local canto-pop artists and international celebrities (Madonna, Michael Jackson and more recently Britney Spears) who continue to set the stage as a buffet of the world’s best. 

            The world’s leading international financial center, Hong Kong boasts of expos, book fairs and trade shows catering to every business’ needs.  Some exhibitions are the largest in Asia and others the largest of their kind in the world.  World-Expo (near the international airport), the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center and Hong Kong City Hall are leading choice for venues.  With the Hong Kong dollar being the eighth most traded currency in the world there is still more to exhibit than just wealth.  A love of horse-racing at the Happy Valley Race Course and a mini Las Vegas 40m across (via jet foils) at Macau will do all those HK dollars justice – if you’re ready to let your hair—and wallet—down.

            Hiking trails, you ask?  Kowloon, in Cantonese, means 9 dragons; blessed with a hilly terrain Hong Kong offers hikers from all walks of life a breath taking experience; Lion Rock, Ma On Shan and Tai Long Wan are just three.  Did I hear beaches?  Nestled along the coast, memories of Big Wave Bay, Shek O and Lantau Island are just some that flood my mind.       Tarah Scott last commented, “Home is where the heart is.”  Guess what?  I’m still Googling; it’s all still there even though I’m here, on the other side of the world!         

Susan Blumberg-Kason last commented “No place melts my heart like Hong Kong.”  I couldn’t agree more.  With humidity in the upper 90s, the spread in Hong Kong’s concrete jungle is there for your choosing; you just have to decide and go.  Armed with a palate, the size of Kowloon’s peninsula, and a vociferous appetite that continues to lure people from all over the world, Hong Kong remains, and always will be, one glorious, golden dragon.        

 

Author Bio: Anjana (Anju) Gattani is an international free-lance journalist and fiction author. Her debut novel DUTY AND DESIRE, Contemporary Women’s Fiction (with an international twist) is slated for release on Dec 1, 2011. She is a member of Georgia Romance Writers, Romance Writers of America, a columnist for ‘Khabar’ an Indo-American magazine and is at work on her third novel. Anju grew up in Hong Kong under a British education system; she has also lived in India, Singapore, Australia, New Jersey, Connecticut and Atlanta in the US. Anju hopes her novels will one day Bridge Cultures and Break Barriers. Visit Anju at www.anjugattani.com

Order your copy of DUTY AND DESIRE at Amazon or Barnes and Noble

Welcome to the Western Isles of Scotland

by author Anne Fraser

          Coming as I do from Uist in the Western Isles, I tend to jump in my car at Glasgow and whizz up the A82 barely stopping to admire the stupendous but familiar scenery on the way up. I hit Fort William, stop for some lunch before heading north again. When I pass Eilean Donan castle I know I am close to Skye and that I only have around fifty miles left before I’ll reach Uig and from there it is another two hour journey via car ferry to North Uist where my journey ends and my holiday begins.

            Normally I drive through Skye in one go, awe stuck by the majesty of the Cullin mountains and occasionally stopping to dip my toes in the sparkling lochs along the way, but last summer I decided to spend a week in Skye, one of the most romantic places in the world, as part of a writing holiday with a friend. 

            The journey north, whether by car or by train is one of the most stunning I have ever taken and even my familiarity doesn’t stop me from feeling choked up as I drive through Glencoe (where the massacre of the MacDonalds by the Campbells took place. If you are driving, stop for a while and take in the spooky and melancholy atmosphere.) Half an hour further up the road is Fort William and the gateway to the Scottish Highlands.

            Although the town itself isn’t particularly pretty, its location at the southern end of The Great Glen where the sea meets the rivers Nevis and Lochy, and with Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Scotland, towering in the background, means that there is plenty to do and see including hiking , mountain biking, sailing, fishing and in the winter skiing, or if all that sounds too much like hard work, just park the car and head out onto the moors for a breath of crystal clear Scottish air. (Scotland has right of way for all walkers although you should take local advice in the shooting season).

             People come here from all over the world to climb but beware,  Scottish weather can turn in an instant. It may look sunny and clear from the ground, but at the top it can be misty and very, very cold. Too many experienced climbers have lost their lives on these mountains and the hospital in Fort William often has to deal with the results of climbing trips that have gone wrong. (Readers may be interested to know that my book Rescued: Mother and baby starts with a dramatic mountain rescue right here and my latest release Mistletoe,  Midwife…Miracle Baby is also set in the area!)

              If your interests are more sedentary, you can take the steam train from Fort William to Mallaig and cross the Glenfinnan viaduct made famous by the Harry Potter films. Mallaig offers an alternative route to Skye and has a car ferry for those with their own cars- and to be honest you really do need a car if you wish to explore this part of the world.

            Our cottage in Skye, a renovated black house, was in Borreraig over- looking Dunvegan loch and only a short walk from the ruins of an old cleared settlement. From my bedroom window I could see Dunvegan Castle, the stronghold of the Chiefs of MacLeod for nearly eight hundred years and still their home, shimmering in the early evening sunshine. (My first ever published article was a piece for the school magazine when I was seven on the dungeon at Dunvegan castle. You can visit- £7.50 buys you a ticket to the castle and the gardens-look for the Fairy flag and Jacobite relics among other things. )

            Writing in the morning we would abandon our lap tops in the afternoons and go exploring. Skye has some of the most amazing cliff top walks from where you can watch seals or spot sea eagles (the one to Neist light house is particularly recommended) or for the more nervous, try Coral beach  so called as it appears to glow pink . On my next trip I plan to hike out to the Fairy pools near Sligachan.) Or else take the A855 from Portree towards Staffin which has spectacular sea views. If you do this car journey it is worth stopping at the reconstructed croft houses at Kilmuir. As an added bonus you can walk from there to the graveyard to see the place where Flora MacDonald, who helped Prince Charles to safety, is buried.

            It is worth doubling back to take the hair pin road to the Quiraing- but only if you have nerves of steel.  The Quiraing is awesome- in the true sense of the word. If you are fit enough to walk the narrow path and scramble up and down the steep slopes – you must. On a bright day you can see the Outer Hebrides and the Scottish mainland, framed by pinnacles, cliffs and great buttresses. On a wet and windy day the hair on the back of your neck will rise as the clouds and mist swirl around you in this unreal and menacing landscape. Whatever the weather, it’s not an experience you’ll forget soon.

            Skye resonates with history. All over the island you can see the ruins of villages abandoned during the infamous highland clearances. Pop into the community museum at Glendale and find out more about local history including the story of the Glendale Martyrs who stood up to the landowners and were imprisoned for their actions. Happily their actions, together with those of the men and women who participated in the Battle of the Braes led to land reform in 1886 which gave the crofters, among other things, the right to tenure. No more could men and women be evicted from their homes, forced to travel in conditions worse than that of their cattle, to the Americas.

            A couple of miles from the cottage where we stayed is The Three Chimneys, one of the most famous restaurants in the UK. We booked in for lunch and had a memorable meal. (I couldn’t however, quite get my head around my first course of rabbit and left most of it. Nothing to do with the cooking, just that I have read Watership Down once too often to consider rabbit as food.)

            If you have time, I would recommend, driving to Uig.  From there you can take a ferry to Ullapool on Lewis (to see the famous standing stones of Callanish) or a ferry to Lochmaddy in North Uist, the island where my mother was born and the setting for my book Posh Doc Claims His Bride. The Uists are much flatter than the other islands, particularly Skye,  but in their own way are equally beautiful and in my, admittedly not unbiased opinion, have some of the most stunningly white beaches in the world. You can visit old roman burial grounds in South Uist, a neolithic burial chamber, well preserved ruins of wheel houses or simply find an empty beach and bird spot. (People travel from all over the world to see birds here that are rarely spotted anywhere else.) In the weekends and  evenings there are often ceilidhs with Gaelic singing, traditional music and country dancing. Trust me, you’ll be made very welcome.

            The Western Isles are too diverse to mention everything that can be enjoyed. For the most part I would recommend staying away from hotels and booking in to cosy bed and breakfasts instead. That way you’re much more likely to be pointed in the right direction of where to go and what to see for the particular time of year you are visiting. Your host in Uist might even arrange a trip to St Kilda (Not easy to get to as the weather has to be perfect for boats to land but a once in a life time experience if you do get there. You can almost hear the ghosts of the people who once lived in this once the most western inhabited part of the British Isles) or to the Monach Islands (last inhabited by my mother’s family in 1942!) 

             I could go on for ever about reasons why you should visit Western Isles of Scotland,(I haven’t even mentioned Harris which is one of my favourites!) but it would mean my writing a book rather than a blog.  If anyone has memories of previous trips or is planning a trip and would like to know more about a particular area, or even if you’d like to know a little more about some of the places I’ve mentioned, please leave a comment or drop me a line. I can be found either through this website or on my face book page at www.facebook.com/AnneFraserAuthor.

Anne was born in Scotland but brought up in South Africa. After she left school she returned to the birthplace of her parents, the remote Western Islands of Scotland. She left there to train as a nurse before going on to university to study English literature. After the birth of her first child, she and her doctor husband traveled the world working in rural Africa, Australia and Northern Canada.

Anne worked in the health sector until she started writing full time so she has no shortage of medical scenes for her books. In addition, she blatantly picks her husband’s brain to ensure the medical detail is correct and up to date. And if he can’t help, he usually manages to find a colleague who can.

She still loves to travel and grabs any opportunity to see new places, incorporating the most romantic locations into her books. To date she has written fifteen Medical Romances for Harlequin Mills and Boon

To relax, she enjoys travelling, playing tennis, cycling and, of course, reading.

You can find Anne Fraser at the following locations:

Petit Fours and Hot Tamales Travel Post for Turkey

www.facebook.com/AnneFraserAuthor

http://www.amazon.com/Anne-Fraser/e/B0034PDV0O/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

The Playboy of Harley Street and the Doctor on the Red Carpet 2 in 1 book – released July 2011

Mistletoe, Midwife…Miracle Baby 2 in 1 book – released November 2011