Category: Hikes & Walks

a day in the marrakech medina

wanderessence1025 May 10, 2020

We got a slow start this morning, our first free day in Marrakech, but we finally took a taxi to the medina. At Koutoubia Mosque, we tried to get our bearings.

Koutoubia Mosque

We started our morning at Djemaa el-Fna and tried to head north, but we couldn’t find the souqs that we’d walked through the afternoon before. Neither of us were much interested in the snake charmers.

Djemaa el-Fna

Several guys attached themselves to us and tried to direct us to some tanneries and a cooperative, but we weren’t interested and we couldn’t shake them. They were insistent, and frankly, obnoxious. When I spoke strongly to them that we wanted to walk alone, one of them said, “F*@k America!” We were taken aback, but not surprised, as many people in this part of the world hate our country. To be honest, I hate it often myself.

magazines in the Marrakech souq

ceramics galore

painting in the souq

decrepit building

motorcycles in the souq

bicycles in the souq

murals in Marrakech souq

mule cart

life in the Marrakech souq

more murals

murals

horse-drawn cart

After being lost for a while, we retraced our steps. We stopped at a little cafe in a narrow alley. It seemed we had finally found a corner where the souqs seemed to begin. Then we started shopping in earnest. I bought more scarves (surprise, surprise!), paintings, jewelry (pink earrings and a Berber necklace), and some spices.

goodies for sale

teeth cleaners

clothes for sale

At one point, we dipped into a riad to take a few photos.

a random riad in Marrakech

in the courtyard of a random riad

tile fountain in a random riad

By accident, we came upon a colorful square selling straw bags and hats, colorful knit hats, carpets and a mishmash of stuff.

fake spice displays

colorful slippers

petals and herbs

spice display

colorful petals

spices

colorful hats

more spices and petals

a busy square

I fell in love with a long purple carpet hanging over a rooftop, but I knew I’d have nowhere to put it in my house. That didn’t stop me yearning for it.

my dream purple carpet

my dream purple carpet

my dream purple carpet

We ate lunch on tiny stools at tiny tables. I had a four cheese panini-like sandwich and orange banana juice. Then we dove in for more shopping. We spent about six hours, from about 10-4, in the medina today. It was sensory overload!

spices and petals

carpets

another pretty riad

gate into Marrakech medina

Later, we went back to rest at our hotel, and then later had dinner somewhere, but since I forgot to take notes, I don’t remember where. I vaguely remember it being a group farewell meal in a quite fancy restaurant. It seems I had salmon with pasta. 🙂

hallway at Hotel Gomassine

pasta dinner

The next day our tour would come to an end, but Susan and I had one more full day to explore Marrakech before we would fly our separate ways.

*Steps, 16,108, or 6.83 miles*

*Sunday, April 21, 2019*

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On Sundays, I post about hikes or walks that I have taken in my travels; I may also post on other unrelated subjects. I will use these posts to participate in Jo’s Monday Walks or any other challenges that catch my fancy.

This post is in response to Jo’s Monday Walk: Vaqueiros, Cheese Fest & the Choir.

an early may cocktail hour

wanderessence1025 May 6, 2020

Here we are, another week of stay-at-home orders, the first Wednesday in May. Welcome to my sixth cocktail hour, a virtual world where we STAY HOME and enjoy a beverage. I offer you Cheers! À votre santé! 乾杯/ Kanpai! Saúde! Salud! May we all remain healthy, safe, financially afloat, and hopeful despite the barrage of bad news.

Here’s my Covid-19 diary for the last week.

Wednesday, April 29: We finally heard from our son in Nicaragua, and after all our worrying, he said he was having a grand time having fruit parties. He has found a new place to live for $100 for the month. He apparently got his $1,200 stimulus check, so is set for funds, but he will need to find some income if he continues to stay in Nicaragua. Of course, I don’t always believe this happy picture he presents, and I imagine he is having his share of struggles.

I had the last of my 100 level Spanish class on Zoom. I hate taking classes by Zoom and I’m not crazy about our teacher, but I signed up to take the 200 level starting May 6 until the end of July, since I probably won’t be able to go to Ecuador as I’d planned. I don’t want to lose what little I’ve learned!

Thursday, April 30: It rained all day today. We have had one of our rainiest Aprils on record, which only has added to the gloom of being shut in. I felt so depressed and lethargic all day.

Friday, May 1: I decided to do a coronavirus project for May. I will walk somewhere close to home, but each day in May, I will do a different walking route. Some parts of the various routes may overlap. In my journal, I’ll draw a map and any random thoughts I have during my walk and my day, and any notable news or headlines. Here’s my journal for today.

May 1 Journal

house on Glyndon St.

Vienna walk

mittens on a stop sign in springtime Vienna

The silly walks

Saturday, May 2:

May 2 walk in Franklin Farm

I found some questions to journal about on Journaling.com: An Exercise to Practice while Sheltering in Place, with Merle R. Safferstein.

10 Things that brought me joy prior to sheltering in place.

Franklin Farm path

ice cream tuck

Turberville Lane

pond at Franklin Farm

Sunday, May 3:

May 3 walk on the Lower Glade Trail in Reston

10 things that currently bring you joy while sheltering in place.

The lower Glade Trail

skunk cabbage

azaleas

ferns along the Glade Trail

the swamp

cat’s tails

a birdhouse along the Glade Trail

a cute little neighborhood on water

Monday, May 4: Finally, a sunny and warm day!

May 4 journal – walk on Miller Heights Road

Miller Heights Road

houses on Miller Heights Rd.

Difficult Run trailhead

house on Miller Heights Road

Miller Heights and Melanie Lane

Mike is proud of the yardwork he’s been doing:

Mike’s handiwork

Tuesday, May 5: Cinco de Mayo: Our eldest son, who has been miserable in his job in a butcher shop in Denver, gave two weeks notice at his job. He wants to work on an online personal training business, possibly go back to school, and in the meantime will work gig jobs such as doordash. I think it’s not the best idea to quit a job you have in the middle of a pandemic where 30 million people are unemployed, but it’s his life and he has been unhappy there for a long time. It must be hard for young people during this pandemic because choices are severely limited.

We tried to order Mexican food tonight at Anita’s for Cinco de Mayo. What a mistake that was. There were about 30 people wandering around in the parking lot waiting for orders they’d placed an hour or so earlier. No one from the restaurant was answering the phone, so it was impossible to cancel the order, which we’d already paid for online. Finally, the chaos and total lack of a system finally caused us to give up and lose our money. I was so grumpy over that incident because if a restaurant is going to offer take-out, they need to have a good system in place. And of course they’d be overwhelmed on Cinco de Mayo, so their computer system should have been set up to turn away orders if they couldn’t handle the capacity.

Cinco de Mayo

Lake Audubon

steps at Lake Audubon

canoes at Lake Audubon

houseboats along Lake Audubon

Irises

azaleas

cute little darlings

bursts of color

South Lakes Drive

path from South Lakes Drive

Lake Audubon

nice sprawling house looking over the lake

pretty in white

Wednesday, May 6: Have first Spanish 200 (next level up) on Zoom today. I really want to be in a real classroom but it’s not to be for a long while.

Here’s an old time favorite that is sure to bring a smile to your face:

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In the midst of all this, what can we do to make the most of our stay-at-home orders? I’ve created a page where I’ll share different ideas I’ve come across of ways to cope during the coronavirus. It is here: how to make the most of a staycation... or how to cope during the coronavirus #Stayathome orders. If you have any positive ways to get through this, I invite you to share: bits of humor, projects, what we can do to help others, how to keep our sanity, TV shows or movies to watch, books to read, exercises to do, etc. Please feel free to express your emotions during this trying time as well. I’m sure we can all relate to any and all emotions you are feeling.

I wish you all the best during this crisis. Stay at home, and stay safe, healthy and always hopeful.

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I’m going to write a cocktail hour/diary about this challenging time either weekly or bi-weekly on Wednesdays, depending on how much I have to share. I invite you to share your own experiences with what we’re going through right now, either in the comments below, or in your own blog post, which I invite you to link below. I’ll try to keep writing this as long as we are suffering through this together. I hope that we will get through it unscathed, sooner rather than later.

Peace and love be with you all!

lucca to florence, italy

wanderessence1025 May 3, 2020

To get into the charming Lucca, we first had to penetrate the 16th and 17th century Renaissance ramparts that enclose the church-filled fortress town. We parked outside the wall, or mura, along which a stream burbled and flowed, and found our way through an opening.

Passeggiata della Mura

Once we found our way inside the ramparts, we were greeted by terra-cotta roofed buildings and narrow cobblestone streets. Bicycles whirred all around us. Mike said he wanted to rent a bicycle, but we never made a commitment to do it, and the opportunity passed.

The Cattedrale di San Martino is a mostly Romanesque cathedral dating from the 11th century.

Cattedrale Di San Martino, or St. Martin’s Cathedral

Lucca

church in Lucca

We were hungry so we stopped for lunch at the cutest little bistro, “Des Arts” Bistrot e Winebar. I ordered Pici Cacio e pepe al Tartufo (Typical big spaghetti with cheese and truffle), My daughter had been to Italy before, and she said her favorite food was Cacio e pepe, which is just spaghetti with black pepper. She was right; this was simple but exquisitely delicious. What made it so wonderful is that the noodles were handmade and soft but not mushy. Mike ordered a delicious soup, Farro e Fagioli (spelt and beans). We each enjoyed a glass of wine.

“Des Arts” Bistrot e Winebar

Mike and me (rather blurry) in “Des Arts” Bistrot e Winebar

Pici Cacio e pepe al Tartufo

wine bottles at “Des Arts” Bistrot e Winebar

The cozy and delightful bistro had a black and white photo of Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones when they played a concert in Lucca in 2017. The waiter was a big Rolling Stones fan so thought it wonderful that they came to Lucca, but he missed the concert because he had to work.

Mick Jagger & the Rolling Stones

After drinking wine, I always get so irritable, sleepy, tired and grumpy. I really shouldn’t drink at lunch unless I can take a nap afterwards!

In Lucca, Caesar, Pompey and Crassus agreed to rule Rome as a triumvirate in 56 BC; it was later the first Tuscan town to accept Christianity. When most of Tuscany was voting Communist, Lucca’s citizens decided to do otherwise. The composer Giacomo Puccini (1854-1924) was born here and is celebrated during the summer Opera Theater and Music Festival of Lucca (Essential Italy: Fodor’s Travel). Coming up in summer, Elton John would be entertaining during the Music Festival.

Elton John Farewell Yellow Brick Road in Lucca’s Summer Festival

We walked around Lucca, coming face-to-face with many of the town’s nearly one hundred churches. The most magnificent was Chiesa di San Michele in Foro, or the Duomo with blind arches on its facade, an example of the orderly Pisan Romanesque style. Small carved columns enlivened the wedding-cake facade. Atop the church is a figure of the archangel Michael slaying a dragon.

Lucca

Lucca’s Duomo

Lucca’s Duomo

Lucca’s Duomo

The Gothic Interior had a moving Byzantine crucifix called the Volto Santo, or Holy Face, brought here, according to legend, in the 8th century, but it was probably between the 11th to 13th centuries.

Volto Santo in Lucca’s Duomo

We wandered around the town and climbed the 230 steps up Torre Guinigi, the tower of the medieval Palazzo Guinigi with its grove of ilex trees growing in a U-shape at the top. Their roots reached down into the room below. From the top we had sweeping views of Lucca and the Tuscan mountains beyond.

Lucca

view of Lucca from Torre Guinigi

view of Lucca from Torre Guinigi

view of Lucca from Torre Guinigi

view of Lucca from Torre Guinigi

view of Lucca from Torre Guinigi

We strolled to the oval cafe-ringed Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro Romano, where an ancient Roman amphitheater once stood.

Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro Romano

Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro Romano

Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro Romano

Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro Romano

Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro Romano

On the plaza, we stopped for a gelato and sat on a bench near San Frediano with its 14th century mosaic decorating the facade and a pretty garden in front.

San Frediano

San Frediano

San Frediano

We continued to wander around the town and back by the Duomo.

one of Lucca’s towers

a church in Lucca

church and tower in Lucca

Lucca’s Duomo

Finally, it was time to head to Florence to meet our Airbnb host, Niccolo, between 5:00 and 6:00. We walked back to the wall, on top of which was a wide and grassy area known as the Passeggiata della Mura, and where people bicycle and walk along the top of the ring of ramparts that define Lucca. Two rows of pine trees line the 4.2 km (2.5 mile) walkway, but we only walked a small portion.

merry-go-round in Lucca

Then we drove to Florence, a little over an hour away.

We kept going around in circles trying to follow the GPS in Florence. Finally, we got to our Airbnb apartment and met Nicolò. He was a slightly-built brown-haired guy who had a habit of pushing his long hair behind his ears.

We reserved this apartment, Terrace with a View, on Booking.com and had to pay a deposit by PayPal and then pay the balance in cash, plus a 150€ deposit upon arrival.

Niccolò showed us the ins and outs of the apartment, warning us about the small step just inside the door and the low sloping ceilings. The two-level terrace was definitely the selling point of the apartment, but it was mostly too cold to enjoy it.

Niccolò informed us he would read the gas and electricity meters and would charge us at the end for our usage. Also, we had to pay 5€ a night for private parking. The apartment basically included no amenities such as coffee, coffee pot, or olive oil. It only included two small rolls of toilet paper for three nights and no paper towels. It seemed Niccolò would nickel and dime us to death. He was oblivious to our annoyance; he hadn’t bothered to notice that when people resisted something, they became polite and then there was a fence around them that no one could cross. We felt he should have said “Scusami,” or in general been apologetic for his over-the-top requirements.

The other negative to the apartment was a 20 minute walk to the edge of the inner town of Florence, without much in between. At least the bed was comfortable.

inside Terrace with a View

We enjoyed great views of Florence from our terrace, while enjoying a glass of wine.

view of Florence from inside Terrace with a View

the Florence Duomo in the distance

view of Florence from inside Terrace with a View

view of Florence from inside Terrace with a View

We ate dinner at Pizzaman in our neighborhood. Mike got a Peroni Gran Riserva Doppio Malto beer and I had a glass of red wine. We shared a pizza with mozzarella, tomatoes, fresh basil and mushrooms. Mike also got a mixed salad. It was delicious. So far the food in Italy was superb!

Mike at Pizzaman in Florence

drinks at Pizzaman

remnant of our pizza at Pizzaman

I took a picture of Mike outside with his face inside a cut-out chef’s head holding a sign “I Love Pizzaman.” The cafe walls were decorated with vintage signs HARLEQUIN PULCINELLA, CAPRI. MADE IN ITALY. CIRIO NAPLES. It was a fun spot to eat not too far from our apartment.

inside Pizzaman

Mike loves Pizzaman

*19,352 steps, or 8.2 miles*

*Monday, April 29, 2019*

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This post is in response to Jo’s Monday Walk: Back to the Salt Pans.

In addition, I had an intention to write about Lucca using a random quote taken from p. 79, 4th sentence, from a short story called “In Darkness” from Pam Durban’s collection All Set About with Fever Trees: “She’d noticed that when people didn’t want to do something, they became polite and then there was a fence around them that no one could cross.” Another intention was to use an Italian word, and in this case it was “Scusami” or Excuse me.

poetic journeys: camino haikus

wanderessence1025 May 1, 2020

In the autumn dawn,
the sun nudges a pilgrim
into long shadow.

Camino shadow

Sunflowers bow heads
in prayer to flagging pilgrims,
faces wilt and yawn.

sunflowers on the Camino

sunflowers on the Camino

How melancholy:
sheep bleat and jangle cowbells
leaving clouds of dust.

a flock of sheep on the Camino

In an olive grove,
a shaded library sits,
words sweet as citrus.

Book crossing along the Roman Road

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“POETRY” Invitation: I invite you to write a poem of any poetic form on your own blog about a particular travel destination. Or you can write about travel in general. Concentrate on any intention you set for your poetry.

During this time of isolation and social distancing, please feel free to write poetry about any subject, whether travel-related or not. I’d love to read and share them here!

One intention for my Camino was to write a haiku: A Japanese verse most often composed, in English versions, of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables. A haiku often features an image, or a pair of images juxtaposed, meant to capture the essence of a particular moment in time. Another rule one should follow in haiku besides the syllable count, the number of lines, and the opposing two images, is that lines one and two should read as a complete sentence and lines two and three should read as a complete sentence.

I set a goal for myself to write three haikus about some aspect of my Camino. I ended up writing four. 🙂 This is the first time I’ve tried haiku, except for a few feeble attempts in a poetry class. I don’t think I really succeeded in using two opposing images in each poem. I’ll have to keep working at these. 🙂

You can either set your own poetic intentions, or use one of the prompts I’ve listed on this page: writing prompts: poetry. (This page is a work in process). You can also include photos, of course.

Include the link in the comments below by Thursday, June 4 at 1:00 p.m. EST. When I write my post in response to this challenge on Friday, June 5, I’ll include your links in that post.

This will be an ongoing invitation, on the first Friday of each month. Feel free to jump in at any time. 🙂

I hope you’ll join in our community. I look forward to reading your posts!

it’s all about lines ~==||| == ~ {jude’s april photo challenge}

wanderessence1025 April 30, 2020

Jude’s photo challenge for April is all about being creative with lines. Here are her week-by-week challenges:

Look for horizontal lines. In a photograph, horizontal lines in particular need to be completely level across the frame, because your viewer’s eye will perceive even a slightly skewed horizontal line as uncomfortable to look at or just incorrect (2020 Photo Challenge #14).

Muxia, Spain

Peniche, Portugal

Charleston, South Carolina

the harbor in Baltimore, Maryland

Seyðisfjörður, Iceland

The Dead Sea, Jordan

Look for vertical lines. Vertical lines convey a sense of power and strength, especially when the subject itself is towering and imposing, such as a very tall tree or building. Watch out for diminishing perspective on very tall buildings (2020 Photo Challenge #15). I like the photo below because of the reflections, which emphasize the vertical lines.

Inle Lake, Myanmar

Myanmar

Tokyo, Japan

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Along the Camino de Santiago

Modern windmills along the Camino de Santiago

grapevines in Spain

fishermen storage in Essaouria, Morocco

These vertical trees converge near their tops.

a path in northern Virginia

The photo below has converging lines in the mowed lawn and vertical lines in the trees behind the house.

a freshly mowed lawn with trees behind

Converging lines. These convey a sense of depth and distance, try to have something of interest at the point where they appear to meet. Or position them on the diagonal to infer motion.(2020 Photo Challenge #16).

Camino de Santiago

John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, Cincinnati, Ohio

a path in the woods, Oakton, VA

Vienna, VA

Curved lines. Curved lines allow the viewer to explore an entire image, meandering from one part to another. S curves divide an image into equal parts and lead your eye through the image. (2020 Photo Challenge #17)

Longji Rice Terrace, Guangxi, China

the Meseta, Camino de Santiago

Merzouga, Morocco

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“PHOTOGRAPHY” INVITATION: I invite you to create a photography intention and then create a blog post for a place you have visited. Alternately, you can post a thematic post about a place, photos of whatever you discovered that set your heart afire. You can also do a thematic post of something you have found throughout all your travels: churches, doors, people reading, people hiking, mountains, patterns, all black & white, whatever!

This particular post is to participate in Jude’s photo challenge, which in April was all about lines.

You probably have your own ideas about this, but in case you’d like some ideas, you can visit my page: photography inspiration.

I challenge you to post no more than 20-25 photos and to write less than 1,500 words about any travel-related photography intention you set for yourself. Include the link in the comments below by Wednesday, May 6 at 1:00 p.m. EST. When I write my post in response to this challenge on Thursday, May 7, I’ll include your links in that post.

This will be an ongoing invitation, every first, second, and third (& 5th, if there is one) Thursday of each month. Feel free to jump in at any time. 🙂

I hope you’ll join in our community. I look forward to reading your posts!

morocco: essaouira to marrakech’s bahia palace

wanderessence1025 April 26, 2020

This morning we left Essaouira and drove three hours to Marrakech. We got to Hotel Gomassine and checked in, then went to a restaurant down the street for lunch. After lunch, we headed with our group to several places in Marrakech, stopping midway at Bahia Palace, a palace and gardens in Marrakech’s medina.

garden at Bahia Palace

orange tree at Bahia Palace

The oldest part of the palace, Dar Si Moussa, was built between 1859-1873 by Si Moussa, a former slave who became Grand Vizier of the Sultan.

Bahia Palace

The palace was completed at the end of the century by his son, Si Moussa Ba Ahmed, when he became the wealthy Vizier to the Sultan. He added the lush gardens and decorated each room in elegant Moroccan style. The ornate palace was given to his favorite concubine, Bahia, which means “brilliance” in Arabic.

Bahia Palace

Bahia Palace

Bahia Palace

The palace is lavishly decorated with woodcarvings, geometric paintings, and stucco work throughout the ceilings.

Bahia Palace

Bahia Palace

Bahia Palace

The materials used in Bahia Palace came from across north Africa. The marble was brought from Meknes, and possibly originally from Italy. Perhaps it may have been brought from the ancient Volubilis and the nearby Badi Palace, which was built in the 16th century during the rise of the Saadians, when Marrakech became the capital. That palace was built by the most well-known of the Saadian rulers, Ahmad al-Mansour.

Bahia Palace

The cedar likely came from the Middle Atlas and the glazed terra-cotta tiles from Tetouan.

Bahia Palace

Bahia Palace

Bahia Palace

Bahia Palace

Bahia Palace

Bahia Palace is still used by the government, and the Minister of Culture Affairs occupies a small section. Some scenes from the 1956 film, The Man Who Knew Too Much, were filmed in the palace.

Bahia Palace

After visiting the palace, we walked through a small part of Marrakech’s medina.

*Saturday, April 20, 2019*

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This post is in response to Jo’s Monday Walk: Capelinha and the Lanes.

morocco: a day among the blue boats of essaouira

wanderessence1025 April 19, 2020

In the morning, we had to wait interminably in the CapSim Hotel lobby to be served breakfast: a tasteless omelet, croissants, coffee, orange juice, and a bottomless supply of bread. I was anxious to get out and explore Essaouira on our first free day since Merzouga.

still life in CapSim Hotel

CapSim Hotel lobby

Susan, Chai and I went out toward the harbor to see and photograph the blue boats. The port offered picturesque views over the the fish market, the boat builders and the Île de Mogador. Blue boats nestled into the harbor, fishermen repaired their nets and sold the day’s catch, craftsmen built traditional wooden boats, seagulls swooped and squawked overhead – it was all a cacophony of noise and activity. Boat builders here supply fishing boats for the entire Moroccan coast in particularly seaworthy designs.

Seagull at Essaouira’s port

blue boat at Essaouira’s port

blue boats at Essaouira’s port

blue boat at Essaouira’s port

blue boats at Essaouira’s port

blue boats at Essaouira’s port

blue boats at Essaouira’s port

boatbuilding at the port

The fish market was particularly pungent, with its sardines, squid, shrimp, clams, and glassy-eyed fish.

fish market at Essaouira’s port

Susan seemed in a rush, but Chai and I wanted to linger to take pictures.

Essaouira’s port

a jumble at Essaouira’s port

Essaouira’s port

Essaouira’s port

fishing nets at Essaouira’s port

Essaouira’s port

Essaouira’s port

me at Essaouira’s port

We strolled across a long expanse of beach and walked to a cafe on the shore, where we had coffees and took pictures of each other, the beach, the walls around the medina and the fetching flowers.

the beach at Essaouira

Essaouria fuzzies

wall around the medina of Essaouria

Essaouria’s wall around the medina

commercial boats in Essaouria

me and Chai

me and Susan

We then walked through the gates of the medina. Essaouira, once known as Mogador, was ruled by the Portuguese in the 16th century, when it prospered for a time as a major fishing port and a strategic military post. It was part of a long line of Portuguese holdings all up and down Morocco’s Atlantic Coast, including Asilah, Azemmour, and El Jedida, which fell eventually to the local Regrara tribe.

Mohammed III reinforced the city’s walls, added to its fortification, and established direct trade with Marrakech in the 18th century. The town’s fortified layout is a prime example of European military architecture of North Africa. It has a mellow, chill atmosphere, narrow winding streets lined with colorful shops, whitewashed houses, clean streets, and heavy old wooden doors.

As the city became more Arab in the 1960s, “Mogador” was changed to the Arabic name, Essaouria. Now it is known commonly as the windy city for the strong winds that blow across the beach.

Essaouira’s walled medina was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 2001.

the gate to Essaouira’s walled medina

At the first shop inside the gate, I bought another scarf and Chai bought a blue striped bag. We stopped at a riad to take pictures.

fetching scene in Essaouira’s medina

riad in Essaouira

We dipped into a shop of paintings where Susan and Chai bought a bunch of Berber alphabet pictures. I kept debating over various paintings, but engulfed by indecision, I bought nothing, much to my regret.

painting shop in riad in Essaouira

Then we stopped at our hotel to drop off some of our purchases and Chai said he was off to take a nap. I took Susan up to Skala de la Ville, since she’d been sick last night and had missed our excursion.

view of the coast from Skala de la Ville

Susan at Skala de la Ville

Skala de la Ville

After that, we wandered around the medina and shopped, a very pleasant experience. At lunchtime, we stopped in a hole-in-the-wall cafe where we shared a vegetable pastilla dusted with cinnamon. It was delicious. Then we continued through the medina, buying random things along the way.

still life in our hotel

rugs for sale in Essaouira

bags and textiles in Essaouira

We dropped our purchases at the room, then Susan and I walked down by the harbor and parted ways. She took a walk by the beach, and I went back to the harbor to see the blue boats in the afternoon light. I saw oranges peeled in fringe-like curls on an orange juice cart. I captured the blue boats in various poses, while seagulls squealed and swooped.

orange curls in Essaouira

blue boat in Essaouira

a jumble in Essaouira’s port

blue boats in Essaouira

blue boats in Essaouira

blue boat in Essaouira

seagulls of Essaouira

a fetching orange stand

After, I walked up to the uppermost deck of Taros, where I had views over the square and the harbor. I ordered a glass of wine and then a kind of bruschetta with tuna and fresh veggies accompanied by a wonderful salad. From atop the deck, I saw Susan sauntering across the square, weighed down by her sweater, with her purple fleece jacket around her waist. I expected her to come up and join me as I’d told her I’d be there, but she never did.

Taros

dinner at Taros

dinner with a view

view from Taros

Since Susan never showed up, and neither did Gabe, Rene, Christian or Natalie (they had planned to watch sunset from Taros), I left after dinner and strolled around the town. Musicians played lively tunes on the street and an old crazy drunk man kept trying to steal the money the musicians had collected. A young guy picked him up by the collar of his jacket and tossed him off to the side, but the drunk kept picking himself up and trying to take the money again.

I eventually returned to the hotel, where I had the room to myself. Susan didn’t return until 10:00. I was happily reading although a little annoyed that she’d never shown up to join me. Though she’d never shared a glass of wine with me the whole time we were in Morocco, she came back tipsy from drinking some wine with the younger gang of four. That irritated me and, combined with all the other things that irked me, I determined I’d never be traveling with her again. I didn’t speak much as I wanted to read my book and I didn’t have anything to say to her. I was basically counting the days when we’d go our separate ways, and would very likely never see each other again.

I was so happy to connect with Chai today and when we were in the Atlas Mountains. I know it was passive-aggressive of me, but after Fez, I had stopped tagging Susan on my Instagram/Facebook pictures because I was tired of taking the time to edit pictures and post them, while she didn’t want to bother to do it herself.

I enjoyed Essaouira, but by this time I was tired of being tied to the group. I felt I was either stuck with them, or being shunned by them. I know I’m not generally a warm and fuzzy person and I can keep myself at a distance from others, but it takes me really trusting someone and believing in their goodwill before I can consider them a real friend.

*Steps: 14,340; or 6.08 miles*

*Friday, April 19, 2019*

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This post is in response to Jo’s Monday Walk: Changing Reality.

cinque terre: charming portovenere

wanderessence1025 April 12, 2020

We got up early and had breakfast in the apartment – yogurt, raspberries and granola – with coffee and orange juice. After showering, we drove our little Mercedes 12km south of La Spezia to Portovenere. This historic fishing port perches on the romantic Golfo dei Poeti’s western promontory.

We parked in Zone 3; we didn’t know how far it was from the town, but we had read parking could be problematic. It turned out to be a 20-minute walk into town, all downhill.

a house along the long road into Portovenere

Portovenere is often referred to as the sixth town of the Cinque Terre, but it’s not officially part of it. What a lovely town it was, not crowded at all. There were a couple of groups, but large Chinese tour groups were conspicuously absent. The town, a quintessential Ligurian seaside village, has colorful facades along a pedestrian-only calata (promenade). A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Portovenere’s harbor is lined with tall, thin terratetto houses that date as far back as the 11th century; they form a wall-like formation which at one time protected against attack by local pirates and the Pisans.

Portovenere

Tiny carruggi (alley-like passageways) lead to charming shops, homes and gardens, and up to the picturesque medieval Chiesa di San Pietro to the west.

the old gate to Portovenere

shop in Portovenere

pasta shop in Portovenere

narrow lanes in Portovenere

Nearby, in a rocky area on the sea, is Grotto Arpaia, or Byron’s Cave, named after Lord Byron (1788-1824); this spot was one of the poet’s favorite spots for swimming out into the sea. Byron is said to have written Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage in Portovenere. He swam across the gulf to the village of San Terenzo, near Lerici, to visit his friend Percy Shelley (1792-1822).

It was hard to imagine anyone swimming here as the waves pounded the rocky coastline all along the coast here.

Grotto Arpaia

The famous cave eventually collapsed, but the disheveled rocky terraces remain stunningly beautiful.

Grotto Arpaia

We dropped into the dramatically situated Chiesa di San Pietro, a Gothic church built in 1198 on the site of a temple to Venus (Venere in Italian), from which Portovenere gets its name. It sits atop a solid mass of rock above the Grotto Arpaia, standing guard over the Mediterranean. Its black and white exterior make it a unique landmark from far out at sea and upon entering the village. We enjoyed a view of the Cinque Terre coastline from the front porch of the church.

Chiesa di San Pietro

interior of Chiesa di San Pietro

around San Pietro

coastline of Cinque Terre

me in Portovenere

Mike in Portovenere

around San Pietro

porch at San Pietro

around San Pietro

Walking through the town, we passed San Lorenzo Church.

walking through Portovenere

San Lorenzo Church was built between 1118 and 1130 by the Genoeses, after they purchased Portovenere. It was erected at the center of Portovenere as the official cathedral of the colony.

San Lorenzo Church

inside San Lorenzo Church

We also climbed up to Castello Doria, an impressive castle high on an olive-tree-covered hill. We had great views from the high point.

climbing to Castle Doria

view from Castle Doria

view from Castle Doria

view from Castle Doria

Castle Doria

Castle Doria

Castle Doria

Castle Doria

view from Castle Doria

view from Castle Doria

Castle Doria

Castle Doria

It was windy and cool and I had worn shorts and hadn’t brought a jacket, so I got a bit chilled and started feeling not so great.

view from Castle Doria

Castle Doria

view from Castle Doria

Castle Doria

We wandered back into town through the narrow carruggi, popping into enticing shops offering fresh pesto, pasta, herb packets, souvenirs, and olive oils.

shop in Portovenere

Butcher shop in Portovenere

We bought focaccia with olives and nibbled as we walked down to the waterfront. We also bought a jar of pasta and a package of Tagliatelle because we planned to make dinner in our apartment in the evening. I bought another scarf (surprise!) and a pair of funky earrings. We enjoyed cappucino at a waterfront cafe and realized time was running out on our parked car, so Mike sprinted uphill to fetch the car, while I walked quickly to the end of the promenade, past a red submarine and huge glitzy yachts to take pictures of the the town’s façade.

promenade at Portovenere

promenade at Portovenere

boats in the harbor at Portovenere

red submarine in the Portonenere harbor

promenade at Portovenere

promenade at Portovenere

fancy yacht at Portovenere

promenade at Portovenere

promenade at Portovenere

I started hiking the long road uphill to our car; luckily, Mike picked me up along the road. We drove back to the apartment in La Spezia, where we dropped our food and purchases, along with the car. Then we were off to the station to take the train to Manarola, one of the Cinque Terre towns we hadn’t seen the day before.

the walk back from Portovenere to our car

a nautical gate on the way to our car from Portovenere

the walk back from Portovenere to our car

Portovenere was one of our most pleasant experiences in the Cinque Terre area because it wasn’t crowded and we had our car, so we didn’t have to depend on public transportation.

*Steps 17,972, or 7.62 miles* (including Manarola & La Spezia)

*Sunday, April 28, 2019 (first half-day)*

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This post is in response to Jo’s Monday Walk: Beja Blues.

an april cocktail hour: making uncertainty finite

wanderessence1025 April 8, 2020

Here we are, another week of stay-at-home orders, the second Wednesday in April. Welcome to my third cocktail hour, a virtual world where we STAY HOME and drink. 🙂 Drink plenty of water at the very least. Or gargle with saltwater or drink orange juice, grape juice, kombucha, or hot apple cider. Or imbibe in coffee, tea, wine, beer, or even something harder. Fluids will help, or so they say. Let’s pour them down.

Though you may not feel it deep inside, I offer you Cheers! À votre santé! 乾杯/ Kanpai! Saúde! Salud! May we all remain healthy, safe, financially afloat, and hopeful despite the barrage of bad news.

Here’s my last week’s diary.

Thursday, April 2: My daughter and I started a project today. We each put 10 nouns in a bag, drew out three, and then shared them with each other, making a total of six words to work with. By Tuesday, April 14, we are to write a short story using the six words. The words are: chaise lounge, nostalgia, grapefruit juice, yellow raincoat, monopoly, and fountain pen.

Today, according to NPR, a record 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment, a dismal record showing the halting of our economy due to the coronavirus.

Friday, April 3: Today we got a text from our son in Costa Rica:

Damn today I’m feeling doubts that I made the right decision coming here. I feel like a wimp, so grateful for my experience so far but really missing having water that doesn’t immediately make me [have stomach issues] lol. Still hoping things will get better but no change so far. Was looking at flights and doesn’t look like anything available for another month.

I’ve been getting a strong reflection hanging out with that guy I told you about who’s exactly like me, kinda annoying hahaha 🤣, making me look at myself a little differently.

Anyway just wanted to let you know I love you guys and miss you lots and I’m sorry for being so negative and judgemental and projecting sometimes. I switched to bottled water today but still pushing lots of liquids through so pray for my [stomach] hahaha. Trying to find a SIM card somewhere too… I may end up renting a moped tomorrow to get to more of a town center where they may have something for me.

We told him he could book his flight on the next available flight in one month if he wanted to come home, but we don’t have any idea if he will do that. We had to admit we smiled a bit at this text as sometimes it’s good when he sees himself in others and doesn’t like what he sees. I really do wish he hadn’t gone to a foreign country where he’s now unable to get back home. This makes me very nervous, his inability to return home.

Saturday, April 4: I was feeling quite down today with all the bad news about coronavirus and the economy; I really couldn’t get myself to believe that all of this would come to an end eventually. It seems like a solution is very far away.

Sunday, April 5: We are enjoying our new Sunday morning routine of watching the Church of the Holy Comforter church service after we eat breakfast. We get comfortable on our bed with a cup of coffee. Here is the Palm Sunday service we watched today:

After we watched the church service, we took up an invitation for a walk. I had heard from Tamsin of Walking without a donkey about Walk This Weekend #walkgoesviral. It’s a short walk that people are taking wherever they are in the world to collect sounds, thoughts and feelings to then share with folk who cannot leave their homes. You can find more about it on Tamsin’s blog: Walk this Weekend.

I walked between 11:13 a.m. and 12:37 p.m. (1 hour 24 minutes); recorded sound at minute 45; sat, listened and wrote at minute 53-55; took photos at minute 11 (because I love cherry blossoms),12 (I liked the message on the painted stone), 13 (I love Japanese maples), 14 (I like hyacinths), 16 (I love the cherry blossoms up close), 50 (to show the path through the woods), 62 (because skunk cabbage is a cheery green in an otherwise drab brown woods), 63 (I love moss), and 75 (I liked the lines formed by the fallen trees); My route began and ended at my home in Northern Virginia. I went down the hill in my neighborhood, through two more neighborhoods, then through a gravel and dirt trail through the Difficult Run Stream Valley … And I ended back where I started (see the map).

We heard a woodpecker, many birds chirping, the shuffle of dead leaves on the ground, an airplane overhead, people in their yards with weed whackers and mowers, a breeze tickling the leaves, squirrels and chipmunks scampering through the forest, a dog barking. It was a beautiful day, about 60 degrees and sunny; getting out in the spring day made me feel very hopeful.

11 minutes – blossoms

12 minutes: “One Kind word can change someone’s entire day”

12 minutes: Japanese maple

14 minutes: purples and pinks

19 minutes: cherry blossoms

50 minutes: the path through the woods

62 minutes: skunk cabbage

63 minutes: moss

75 minutes: fallen trunks

the path of our walk

Sunday night, my daughter in Richmond, my son and his girlfriend in Denver, and Mike and I had a Zoom meeting where we played the Hey Robot game with Alexa, drank wine, chatted, and had a lot of laughs. We were online for about two hours; it was great to spend virtual time with the family. 🙂

Monday, April 6: This morning I found out that in Ecuador, where I had hoped to go this coming July, bodies are piling up in the streets. From the L.A. Times: “The country has confirmed 2,700 infections and 93 deaths — 60 of them in Guayaquil and its immediate surroundings. But municipal officials there said they have recovered at least 400 bodies in recent days.” Lack of testing and inadequate facilities to handle such large numbers of deaths, along with a slow response by the government to the coronavirus are cited as reasons.

Hearing about this situation in Ecuador makes me fear for the safety of my son now stuck in Costa Rica.

I found this video from Lana del Ray, “When the World Was at War;” in the song, the singer asks the question: “Is it the end of America?” Certainly this coronavirus pandemic could spell the end of America as a world power, if that hasn’t already happened due to our horrific leadership. It is interesting that the singer uses film clips from the movie Malèna, a story that takes place during World War II. I try to keep reminding myself that people in London survived years of the Blitz, and the world was embroiled in that horrible war for years. People can be resilient, of course, but also, people will absolutely suffer and/or die.

Tuesday, April 7: Today is the Pink Moon, a supermoon and the first full moon of spring. The April full moon often coincides with the blooming of creeping phlox or moss phlox, often known as “moss pink.”

Today, I listened to the Davidji meditation: Accepting This Moment Meditation Series: #5 Mastering Uncertainty. He said uncertainty is frightening because of the feeling we have that a situation could go on forever. To manage the uncertainty, pick a moment that the uncertainty starts (say if you lose your job or get a diagnosis), and an end moment to the uncertainty, some date in the future. Breathe in, then breathe out saying the mantra Om Moksha Ritam. (He says Om is the vibration of the universe, Moksha is our emotional field, and Ritam is rhythm.) I like this idea of managing the uncertainty by putting an end date to it; even if the date is wrong and we have to revise it later, it reminds us that the uncertain situation is not infinite.

Wednesday, April 8: I had my Spanish class by Zoom this morning. Several of my classmates have dropped out because they find it difficult to have a class on Zoom with their kids and dogs underfoot. It was nice to see everyone, and my friend Poonam made a joke that she would have to get dressed up to take her garbage out. We all had a good laugh at that.

Today we found out that John Prine died from the coronavirus at age 73. He will be sorely missed. Here is one of my favorite songs of his, “Summer’s End.”

As of today, we have 399,929 confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S., with 12,956 deaths. 😦

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I wish you all the best during this crisis. Stay at home, and stay safe, healthy and always hopeful.

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Peace and love be with you all!

the cinque terre: a crowded hike to vernazza

wanderessence1025 April 5, 2020

After wandering around the old town of Monterosso al Mare in the Cinque Terre, we began our hike to Vernazza. Little did we know we’d be on that path for two and a quarter hours with no exit, no bathrooms, huge bottlenecks because of single tracking, rocky and muddy surfaces, and a ticket checkpoint at the most inopportune spot. It was hot, I was sweaty and cranky, especially at one point going up when we couldn’t move forward or backward but were trapped at a standstill line on a steep narrow cliff. After escaping the bottleneck, we went around a couple of capes, through some terraced farmland, and more up and down climbs. It seemed that we would never see the town of Vernazza, but finally we did.