odohertyelaine

A coastal walk in Maroubra with a swim in the sea pool and brekkie, of course!

Jacarandas in bloom…

Lorikeets in the front garden (I do love these birds)

Shanes’s birthday dinner with the gang ahead of our trip to Vanuatu. Delicious Mexican food at Nu’u by Nativo and a really good spicy margarita.

Watching the main man play baseball.

Poolside drinks in the garden.

Lunch with Hilary and a visit to her new office along with some shameless advertising of her amazing business that is now ten years old. Go Titian Consulting!

An aerial view over New Caledonia on the way home from Vanuatu (see seperate blog post for the week in Vanuatu – it was spectacular).

Arriving back to Sydney and seeing the beautiful coastline …. Manly beach I believe…..

A visit to the New South Wales gallery to see the new wing and some contemporary art.

Some beach time at Brighton Le Sands. The water was so warm and as there are no huge waves I was able to swim between the nets… delighted with myself as I could actually do laps!

Dinner at St Georges Sailing club for sunset and of course a shnitty!

A visit to “Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs” exhibition at the Australia museum plus a little bit of shopping in town as there was rain.

Got to play tennis a few times with my Greek ladies and it was a blast. The walk home along the coast was stunning.

A week in Queensland where we stayed at Kirra beach and I was able to get into the water everyday. We arrived late Friday night and were up early to tick a new parkrun off the list… Varsity Lakes. A 7am start and it was still roasting!

Post parkrun we jump through some fairly strong waves (well strong for me) at Kirra beach and then walk towards town for some brekkie. In the afternoon we do a little shopping and then have one at Precinct Brewing in Miami (yes Miami!!)

On Sunday we take a trip to Springbrook National Park. This national park makes up a quarter of the UNESCO world heritage listed Gondwana rainforest. We get a great view of Mount Warning and the surrounding hills and countryside, see all sorts of lizards and beautiful birds and there are plenty of wallabies on the road but they scarper when they hear the car coming. We also see two beautiful rosellas bathing in water – beautiful blue and red birds.

We walk the Twin Falls circuit and see two separate waterfall from a number of vantage points including walking behind the falls.

It was a really hot morning but the coolness from the waterfalls was really pleasant and the walk was mostly shaded by trees.

Beautiful viewpoints out over the valley. I was fascinated by the one small red colour among all the green vegetation.

A short drive away (but still part of the heritage site) we visit Natural Bridge where I saw a snake very close up and some bats in a cave. There are glow worms in the cave but you can’t get far enough in away from daylight to see them well.

The drive there and back was really lovely. We drive through some farmland and stop at a farm shop where I buy a fruit that I’ve never heard of before…..

Black sapote fruit aka “chocolate fruit” that we picked up at a roadside farm shop. It really does taste like chocolate – looks awful but it was delicious.

Tonight we have mushroom and truffle pizza from Bread and Butter – one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had… and some nice Aussie cider from Barossa.

During the week I take advantage of being across from the beach and fit in as much as possible…. A game of tennis in Terranora with Greg & Kylie.

After a couples match, us ladies teamed up to beat the lads!!

Cocktail time on Shane’s mums veranda looking out on the valley … always a stunning view.

I made a spinach dip in a cob loaf that I came across in the Cole’s magazine (Cole’s is like Dunnes or SuperValu for my Irish friends) and I have to say, it was delicious. I will definitely be making this at some stage over the upcoming festive season. I also packed from Dublin a bottle of Moet & Chandon which was a gift for my 50th and it was lovely to share it here.

Shane’s mam cooks a beautiful piece of lamb with roast potatoes and we have some very special wine… [side note the “veg” is coleslaw and salad because it’s just too hot]

A run around the very hilly Terranora where I admire the beautiful poinciana trees in bloom.

Runs along the beach….

The final beach walk… Coolangatta to north Kirra.

Back in Sydney – a Friday night vegetarian Indian meal…

Kamay parkrun in Sydney – another hot 7am start.

Hilary’s 50th birthday is today (well officially tomorrow but the party is today) – a beautiful lunch at the Fenwick in East Balmain. We take the ferry which gives us a lovely view of the Opera house.

Fab party with a gang of Hils friends and an absolutely delicious lunch with gorgeous cocktails and wine….

On the day the temperature threatened to hit 40 degrees so it is like a sauna outside but it’s beautifully air conditioned while we eat and drink… happy days!! I had bought a beautiful dress from a boutique near Hils office last week but it had a sleeve and I was afraid I’d be too roasting so there was another Gold Coast purchase made… a much better option.

It’s a 1pm start so I think we all know where this is going!

Beautiful view of the Sydney Harbour bridge so we take advantage of a slight drop in temperature for a shot outside with all the girls.

We always knew this would end up in the pub… great fun all round!

It’s a busy weekend for my final weekend away and next morning we are meeting the gang for a swim in Iceberg’s – the famous sea pool and fancy lunch spot overlooking Bondi beach. We swim first…

Then it’s time for the beautiful banquet lunch

The food was so good, I’m still thinking about the tuna and the beef tartare.

The sky was very overcast this morning after the crazy heatwave yesterday but it brightens up for a photo with blue sky.

From there we take a short walk by the beach, where the Bondi Rescue team are shouting to swimmers to get out of the rip (just as you see on the tv program) and have a few in Curly Lewis.

Monday is my last day. A fitting final visit to the beach with the birthday girl to round off the birthday celebrations. We hit Cronulla which is gorgeous.

Lunch at the RSL and the lovely Foof joins us. Check out that fabulous view … and the food was really good.

Back home it’s the final meal of homemade pizza in the new outdoor pizza oven – amazing!

Goodbye for now Sydney! See you soon!

We move to another riad which is a little more rustic than our fancy one but it’s still lovely.

It’s Riad Chorfa, on the other side of the medina by a different bab (that’s a gate) – Bab Laksour so we have other streets to explore.

The guy at the riad is super nice and gives us lots of information and suggestions of things to do for the next few days. There are 4 tiny turtles roaming around…

We check out our new digs and then set off to visit “Le Jardin Secret”, the secret garden. It’s an elegant, ornate 19th-century palace (I would use that term lightly!) with traditional Islamic gardens, plus a shop & cafe. It’s certainly a calm oasis away from the souks.

Next we head to the photography museum, but unfortunately it’s closed for refurbishment as it had some damage from the earthquake. Some interesting streets and buildings as we wander around.

Locals keep telling us the museum is closed and suggesting we go to the market as the Berber women are here for one day only …. I’m pretty sure we were told the same thing yesterday!!

We pass the Mausoleum of Sidi Abou Faris Abdelaziz Tebbaa. Oh and the pomegranate juice being sold on most corners is delicious.

We ramble through the souks again and go to the Marrakesh museum. It’s housed in a former palace so the building itself is very nice.

It’s a manageable size to get around in an hour.

Back to the riad to relax by the pool which is nicely shaded, so we can make plans for the rest of the evening.

We decide we’ll try “mechoui” which is the famous slow-roasted whole lamb or mutton that is cooked in underground clay pits. There are a few restaurants in a row and we chose Chez Lamine Hadi Mustapha – apparently they are all family run and this one has a photo of Gordon Ramsey outside!

The lamb is served with bread although later we realise we could have ordered salad and chips with it but we were so excited when the waiter pointed us to a seat and said “lamb yes!” we just agreed and were happy to get what we were given!

A tour passes by and the chef opens the whole in the ground to show the tourists – there’s a bit of commotion so I sneak over for a look and it turns out the guides sunglasses, which were sitting on the top of his head when he looked in, have fallen into the pit!!

Hocine (our guide from the tour) had told us that the square will be more “animated” at night so we take a walk around sussing out the entertainment and all the food options for tomorrow night. It certainly is a very animated square!!

Next morning I’m not feeling very well… not sure if I overdid it on the fatty bits of the lamb or if the two weeks have just caught up with me. I try to sleep it off as I don’t want to miss out on the cooking lesson we’ve planned for today.

We head for Moussine square (which happens to be right by our original riad where we stayed!) and meet Chef Leila who takes us to her home for a lesson and lunch.

There are two other couples and we all help prepare the food. It’s great fun and we pick up a few tips for some nice Moroccon dishes. The spices look so colourful and everything is so fresh.

No surprise his lordship is a dab hand at all the tasks he’s asked to do!

We make three delicious salads – tomato, aubergine and cucumber.

We make two different mains – lemon chicken and a vegetable tagine. The lemon has preserved lemons which they keep in a huge plastic “bin”… they add to them for months and they’re so tasty in the dish.

We also make a simple desert of yogurt and pomegranate seeds and each couple gets a tagine to bring home – hooray! That’s coming home with me! I’ve really enjoyed the afternoon and was able to eat a bit of lunch but I’m still not 100% so we have a quiet evening and hope to be fighting fit tomorrow.

Next morning I’m feeling a lot better so we head off for more exploring. We want to visit the cemetery and then head out of the medina to the new city. We walk through the Jewish quarter where it appears most of the damage from the earthquake took place.

Most of the places we want to visit today are closed. We walk to the Jewish cemetery which isn’t open on a Saturday. Bad luck. We continue around the Koutoubia mosque and come upon the Muslim cemetery. There is a sign above the gate, saying restricted area and no photographs, obviously we comply with the rules.

Love the toilet sign.

We stop for lunch in a little bakery that has lots of delicious looking treats. We settle for some pastisse that look like samosas of chicken and veg. I love watching the locals pop in to buy bread and pastries.

Passing Bab Nkob which was created during the French protectorate to connect the old city with the new district of Guéliz, we walk to the new town, which is approximately 3 km away.

The heat is brutal, but we’re trying to stay in the shade. It’s a very different vibe over this side of the city. Obviously modern but still has a Moroccon feel.

We are heading for Musée Macma which is a private art & culture museum celebrating the work of contemporary & historic Moroccan artists. I’ve also read it has some excellent photos.

It has some unusual artworks including motorcycles and lots of drawings with musical notation… not really what we were expecting but interesting all the same.

We walk back to the medina through Cyber Parc Arsat Moulay Abdeslam.

It’s a lovely park away from the busy main streets.

Some relaxing pool time before we head to a rooftop bar for a final sunset.

They have cocktails so we have a very nice mojito – so much fresh mint you can’t go wrong.

It’s time for our final meal in Jemaa El Fnaa square. There are so many stalls, mostly serving the same food – all look colourful and inviting. Every stall has someone trying to entice you in but we’ve decided on no.54 as we chatted to the guy last night and we liked the cut of his jib!!

We order skewers of meat and salads and of course accompanying bread and olives. It’s all cooked there at the stalls and is very nice. No booze here – water and soft drinks only.

Shane also has some type of lamb stew poured from a tanjia…. Now he’s happy!

A spot of local entertainment to finish off the evening.

Next morning it’s an early start as we leave a quiet medina – I can’t imagine it’ll stay like this for much longer… maybe an hour or so!!

We get a local taxi to the train station and head to Casablanca for our outbound flights – Shane to Sydney and me to Nashville (through Miami). We have loved Morocco – I have to say a better experience than I had ever anticipated. I hope to get back someday.

I’m traveling to Nashville for work. I always loved getting the chance to visit California for work in my last job, but how delighted am I that the Global team I now work with are based in Nashville. Total score! I arrive after midnight from Casablanca and head for the hotel Sheraton downtown.

I love that when you arrive in Nashville airport the messages over the tannoy to remember to pick your own luggage etc are courtesy of George Strait and Darius Rucker…. “This is George Strait welcoming you to Nashville and reminding you to check your luggage tag as bags can look the same”… hilarious!!

After a few hours sleep it’s already Monday morning and time to head to the office. It’s about a 10 minute walk and passes by Legends Corner which I can’t pass without a photo. In particular, because today is my mam’s birthday, and last time I was here was with her and the family.

I still have a touch of a dodgy belly from Morocco, so the first couple of days I’m not eating. Bit of a bummer as there is such good food here in Nashville. However, as the days go by I’m feeling better and manage some dinners with my work colleagues.

I’m staying for the weekend as my Texas girls (Jennifer and Renee) and Molly from San Fran are flying in to see me…. Woohoo girls weekend in this party city!! I get myself through a busy week and by Friday lunchtime I’m ready to check out the town…..

The girls arrived last night, so we had a quick catch up at the hotel, but the weekend is about to get started. I have to work for a few hours Friday morning so the girls have already gone for breakfast. By lunchtime I am done, meetings finished, emails answered I’m ready to party. I meet the girls around the corner from the hotel and we head straight for Broadway. Robert’s is first on our list of bars to check out.

In 2006, I came to Nashville for the first time and met my parents, big brother, Michael, little brother, Con, and big sister, Ange who’d all flown in from Dublin. We had the most amazing time and will never forget being in Roberts bar. I think we may have been there every day, sometimes for so many hours that we would just get a burger so we could stay longer without being starving..

It’s just how I remembered it. The stage looks the same, all the cowboy boots lined up along shelves, and burgers and cheese toasties being made behind the bar. We intended to stay for one but end up being there for about five hours. The music is just so good, we are loving it and it’s bringing back so many good memories. Old school country mainly but mixed in with some other tunes… Delta Dawn is a new one on me (how is that possible!) but I certainly know it now!

The modelo goes down very well…

Eventually, we have to leave as we have dinner plans for tonight. We are going to a restaurant called Janes Hideaway.

It’s a small urban restaurant about ten minutes by taxi and we have cocktails at the bar until we’re seated at a huge booth. Live music in the corner to go with my chicken pot pie!

We’ve made a reservation for drinks at White Limozeen. White Limozeen is a Dolly Parton themed indoor-outdoor rooftop bar that sits atop Graduate Nashville on West End Ave, walking distance to Vanderbilt University.

It has some very interesting decor, including this large round bed, which full disclosure we only jump on for a photo op…

We order drinks and also around of Jell-O shots – this is such an American drink and it’s got to be done. They’re actually very nice, not too sweet and not too alcoholic.

There’s a little bit of rain but we go outside to get a photo at the big Dolly statue.

Saturday morning we hit a local institution for breakfast and I’m very excited to have biscuits and gravy….

Rather than going back to the hotel to shower and get ready for the day (I’m rocking a just out of bed look!) we decide to head to the Ryman to see if they’ll honour our tickets from yesterday! Molly had booked the tickets ahead of time to do the tour but we didn’t get there as we spent so long in Robert’s. We are hoping they’ll let us use them today and we have a secret weapon – her name is Renee. We send her off to use her charm and get us in… of course we never doubted her and we are in!

The tour is just how I remembered it but this time it’s set up for a show tonight so you can’t actually stand on the stage. Last time I was here the big brother picked up the guitar and sang a John Prine number for the visitors – it was class!

The exhibitions are fantastic – loads of great info on all the country greats and Elvis of course.

The lady’s spot the recording booth and put my name down to record a song. You chose from a specific list so the obvious choice was “Walking After Midnight” by Patsy Cline. Well worth $15 for the experience and the recorded track.

After a spot of shopping at the gift store we head back to the hotel for a quick cleanup before catching a ride on the hotel golf cart driven by Asher the Dasher back to Broadway!!

For the rest of the afternoon we hit bars on Broadway… most are now owned by famous county singers and there’s a few I’m very interested in….. we start with Ole Red which is Blake Shelton’s bar.

I’d love to meet Blake but have to settle for his cardboard cutout!

The band playing are amazing – I love the stage and space to stand around and dance… it’s brilliant.

Next we hit the Whiskey Bent saloon and see a girl who apparently was on American Idol. Her name is Taryn Papa and she’s really good. I throw $10 in the tip jar and ask her to do “Girl Crush” by Little big Town and she does a really good job of it.

I’m insisting on a selfie in every bar…..

Next is Miranda Lamberts!

This bar is huge… multiple levels with multiple live music acts. I like the easy vibe on the ground floor …

It’s packed with youngsters getting their booze on so not really our cup of tea…. A quick drink and… NEXT!

We pass Dierk Bentleys and go into Laylas which I remember from before and is more low key with mostly blue grass bands. The band of ladies are fantastic.

We round off the afternoon/early evening with a final drink in Robert’s… sure you’d have to! Molly and Jennifer head back to the hotel while Renee and I have just one more before following suit.

Tonight we are hitting a well known pizza restaurant called City House before going to the grand old Opry. The pizza and red wine is delicious. Anthony Bourdain was here in his “parts unknown” series.

We have managed to get tickets for a Keith Whitley Memorial show – “I WONDER DO YOU THINK OF ME: THE OPRY REMEMBERS KEITH WHITLEY”. It has quite the lineup, and we see Ashley McBryde, Keith Whitley‘s son Jesse, Lorrie Morgan (Keith’s wife), Terri Clark, Mark Wills, The Grascals, topped off by none other than Mr Garth Brooks.

The main man is hard to beat. There’s no screaming and you can actually hear him sing – LOVED IT!

Sunday has come around very quickly so we pack up and head to our brunch spot for a final meal together. It’s a place called Husk and it’s in a beautiful old house with lots of history. They have a significant breakfast/brunch menu, including appetisers and mains. We make the most of things and order savoury dishes each with some sweet dishes to share. Throw in a Bellini cocktail and everybody is happy. I think we stay over two hours at the restaurant and then we slowly make our way back to town.

We check out a different area of town on the walk back and see lots of little shops, cafés, bars and you guessed it – more live music.

Eventually we find our way to the cowboy boots store. We know we shouldn’t but about an hour later, Molly and I have bought matching pinkish red cowboy boots. We’re so long in the shop, we have to say our goodbyes to Renee and Jennifer who need to get to the airport for their flight.

Molly and I decide we need to go to Roberts for one last drink …. it has to be done. Yet again, the music is fantastic and it’s hard to leave this place.

I could stay for hours. I feel I’m all beer’d out but I manage one more (actually I think we had a cider!) to send us on our way.

It has been an amazing weekend so happy I got to see the girls and delighted that we all loved the country music and the bars. It is a crazy party town in a lot of ways, but once you find the right bars it’s amazing. It’s defo the best place to visit if you’re a country music fan or even just a fan of good music.

Until next time, Nashville, be seeing ye!

Chefchaouen nestles in the hollow of two mountains – ech-Chaoua, meaning the horns – from which it takes it’s name. It is commonly known as the blue city with its Andulucian style colour and architecture. We arrive before 6pm and stop at a viewpoint before climbing (by bus) up the hill.

There is another climb (by foot) to reach our riad which is called Riad Jasmine.

It is fairly high up and offers beautiful views of the town especially as the sun is setting.

After the obligatory mint tea welcome and checking out our beautiful rooms Shane and I take a walk towards town to have a look around.

The narrow streets and painted blue walls are very picturesque.

There are pretty blue narrow streets around every corner….

And great looking doors!!

Having climbed back up to our riad, we are roasting so we decide to have a quick dip in the pool… initially cold but so refreshing once we’re in.

Dinner tonight is on a terrace overlooking town and it is just beautiful. There is no alcohol at this riad so we are delighted to get the chance to drink what we carted from Fez. We have a white, a rosé (or Gris as they call it) and a couple of reds which are particularly good… all local Moroccan wines and all averaging approx €5 at the Carrefour! The waiter insists on opening and serving them to us as if we were in a fine dining establishment. We are served a mix of delicious starters and lemon and olive chicken tagine.

The temperature has gone down significantly so it is really pleasant sitting outside looking over the somewhat blue town.

Next morning we have a very fancy breakfast where we have a choice of eggs. I go for the eggshouka which has peppers and lots of oil with two eggs.

Only one night here unfortunately so we get packed up and are ready to explore all that is blue.

So many pretty photo opportunities. It’s hard not to keep snapping.

We seem to be ahead of the hordes …

A couple of group shots before we go….

And one more for good measure… it’s just such a nice setting for a photo, it’s hard not to click!!

Having maxed out somewhat on the blue photos we head downward to the main square. At the centre is the Alcazaba. This fortress was built by Moulay Ali Ben Musa, the founder of Chefchaouen, in 1471.

We also see the Great mosque which was built by Prince Mohammed Ben Ali Ben Rashed during his reign (1540 – 1560).

We see the Bab El-Sour gate built during the reign of Prince Moulay Ali Ben Rashid 1471 – 1511.

The Bab El-Ain Gate located along the walls leads us out to the street where we’ll pick up the bus.

First there’s time to taste some prickly pear which tastes very refreshing – like a pear with a lot of seeds! Another beautiful water fountain along the side of the road

We’re on the bus again and have a journey of about 4 hours ahead of us. We pass some salt pans and Hocine tells us this is where the majority of Moroccan salt comes from. [side bar: we see a lot of Dacia Dusters on the roads and I see a lot of these at home too. Apparently they’re made in Morocco]

We pass olive farms and fields of wheat and barley and spot a few lambs… or sheep.

Shortly after seeing said lambs we stop for lunch at a town called El Arba Du Rharb and are served up lamb chops!! It’s 32 degrees (i.e. roasting) and we are served enough meat for about ten people – kofta, chicken and lamb all grilled on the roadside.

Seriously good food which by the way included salad, bread and chips, in a humble roadside cafe with the most hospitable locals serving us. So so nice but I may now have meat sweats!!

We arrive to Rabat, the capital city by the late afternoon and get straight to seeing the key sites. First off the mausoleum of King Mohammed V (that’s the current kings grandfather). It is indeed very grand.

We go inside and see the tomb which is guarded at each side.

In general you’re not allowed to photograph any military or police but at the mausoleum the guards actually pose for a shot with visitors!! Rav and I reckon we’ll take the opportunity although we don’t get too close.

The mausoleum is located opposite Hassan Tower, the minaret of an incomplete mosque which was commissioned near the end of the 12th century and intended to be the largest mosque in the world but the mosque was never finished. The minaret which would have been the tallest was damaged in the 1755 Lisbon earthquake.

Many pillars were brought from Volubilis (where we visited yesterday) to build the mosque that never was.

There’s a great view of the Mohammed VI Tower which is a 55 storey, 250m skyscraper and one of the tallest buildings in Africa.

As is the norm in pretty much every town we’ve visited we walk through some gates and admire the walls.

Some small streets with craft shops lead us to an ocean view.

We check in to our accommodation for the night – another lovely place in the old medina called Dar Shaan. We are all on the first floor.

Time for a dip… decent enough size pool on the rooftop that I can actually swim in!

Nobody is keen on a big dinner after the magnificent lunch earlier so after a couple of g&t’s by the pool, we take a walk around the medina.

We do need a little something so we go into a very local restaurant for a small bite. We finally get to try the harira soup which is like minestrone – grand but nothing to get too excited about. Mind you everyone in the restaurant is eating it. It’s a very cheap meal…. I ordered an omelette which was less than €1.

We take a walk before breakfast along the coast the next morning. It’s quite misty and there are a handful of people out running and doing various exercises along the way some even taking a dip!

We continue to the lighthouse.

From there we cross the road and do a loop back to the medina passing the graveyard which is huge and covers both sides of the road.

As we leave Rabat we drive along the Atlantic coastline and there’s a beautiful long stretch of flat pathway lined with trees. There’s also a huge rock pool which would rival any rock pool in Australia, if there was actual water in it! I’d love to have my runners on here and run the length of the pathway….. flat and straight with a sea breeze.

We arrive in Casablanca and visit the mosque of Hassain II. This is the third biggest mosque in the world. Mecca and Medina (Saudi Arabia) being the other biggest and it has the highest minaret in the world. It was started in 1987 and taking 7 years finished in 1993.

It sits on the Atlantic and is really stunning inside and out. In total it fits more than 100,000 worshipers in the overall complex – 85,000 outside and 25,000 in the inside prayer hall. It’s like a a massive football stadium!

The ablution room is particularly impressive.

When you get up close the detail is magnificent. There is marble everywhere most of it from Agadir but a small piece of white brought in from Italy. The woodwork is cedar wood all local to Morocco. The ceilings, doors and columns are all magnificent.

It’s one of the few mosques in the world and the only one in Morocco where non Muslims can visit.

We walk along the coast to get a view of the mosque from the sea but the tide is out so not quite as dramatic a view. Still striking though.

It’s lunchtime now and so that means seafood. We get dropped at a seafront restaurant called Tropicana Space. It’s a bit chaotic as there are a lot of tour groups arriving and Hocine is insisting on finding us a good table where we can look out at the ocean. We eventually get to order and while the fish is ok the drinks are terrible (we ordered virgin mojitos but they are made with some awful mint syrup that tastes like mouth wash). I have “beignet calamari” but it’s not a type of calamari donut, it’s fried calamari! Of course I knew that but a little part of me was hoping for a beignet!!

Back on board the bus we have about a four hour journey to Marrakech. It might be time for a nap! I hope this truck makes it under this bridge… they carry very wide and high loads!!

The scenery continues to impress…

We arrive in Marrakesh and we’re staying in the same riad as our first night. We have some drinks on the terrace and an amazing final meal together.

Goodbye to our friends and safe onward travels. A few more days in Marrakesh for me and Shane in the final instalment coming soon.

Next morning after a bit of a lie-in and a leisurely breakfast we meet our guide at 10am to start a tour of Fès. Fès was built in 1276 and was the administrative centre of Morocco until 1912. We jump in the bus and head to the palace. You cannot go into any of the palaces of the king. This one is the oldest in Morocco dating to the 14th century.

We drive up to the highest point to get a full view of the medina and it is very impressive.

Back in the air conditioned bus (thank God!) it’s time to go to a pottery shop. It’s impressive to see how the tiles are made and cut into pieces then assembled on tables etc… such a lot of work.

We also see bowls and tagines being made.

I really want a tagine but Hocine tells me to wait for a different opportunity. I do buy a beautiful serving dish though… can’t wait to use it at home assuming I get it safely to and from Nashville (oh yeah, I’m not going home from Morocco I’m going to the US for work so all my purchases will be coming with me!).

As we head into the medina we stop to look at a number of storks on the roof of one of the buildings. They are huge and build massive nests on top of the buildings.

We spend a couple of hours walking through the souks, they seem bigger than Marrakech but I’m not sure how that’s possible!

Among the souks, hidden behind a large door is the Bou Inania Madrasa. Built between 1351 and 1357, it housed students and was an important mosque, known for its beautiful mihrab (prayer niche).

The tiles again are beautiful….

Cats are everywhere….

There are also beautiful water fountains randomly throughout the medina.

We are also treated to some entertainment… Fès style!

We also see the building (called a Zaouia) which contains the tomb of Moulay Idriss who was the founder of Fès. We look inside as “to non-Muslims respective glimpses possible through open doors”.

We are invited into a family friend of our guides house for a lunch of couscous. Hocine introduces us to another Hocine who walks the souks with us directing us at corners and regularly on his phone and greeting people along the alleyways. (It’s quite amusing) He is one of ten siblings apparently and his mother is cooking the couscous!

I’m excited as I haven’t had couscous yet. It is a giant serving that initially we think is just vegetables but there seems to be nearly a full chicken under there and it seems never ending.

We all eat our fill but there is still lots left.

We finish with fruit and of course some mint tea that Hocine pours for us.

There’s a fair amount of shopping getting done today. We buy beautiful blue scarves (that was on my list) and now we’re heading to the tannery. I’ve never seen a tannery and it’s very impressive but the stink is rotten. Luckily on the way in we are handed a bunch of mint – I have mine practically shoved up my nose!

It’s time for a bit of bargaining as these Australians aren’t very good at it (sorry lads I know you’re reading this but I think you’ll agree!!). Belts, slippers and bags have been purchased and I think I did a fairly ok job on the price but I know if I had my sister or supperclub girls with me we’d have gotten an even better price!!! It’s fun though… and the sales guy tells me I bargain like a Berber woman – apparently that’s a compliment!

There are so many pretty little streets around the medina.

The walls of Fès are extensive. I like the ruins just outside where we are staying…

It gets to 37 degrees today and we are all roasting and a bit knackered. A couple of the crew have a touch of the lurgy or, as we like to call it the Monique-a-virus!! time to jump into the cold pool to cool down…

There are beautiful products in the huge bathroom in our rooms so I take advantage of the black soap and scrub to do a mini hamamm!

At 7pm it’s time for a sundowner on the terrace and we listen to the call to prayer from up there… it is impressive when it starts as there are many competing calls.

Once it’s dark we take a walk to a low key restaurant that we can see from our terrace. There’s a camel burger on the menu so I know what I’m having.

Next morning another lovely breakfast is served at the riad…

And then we take our leave of Fès and drive approximately an hour to Meknés.

More walls to see and we visit the mausoleum of Moulay Ismaïl, who ruled Morocco from 1672 to 1727 and was considered the most bloodthirsty in Moroccan history. He also fathered 867 children with 500 women!! He founded the current dynasty (the Alouite dynasty) and the current king – King Mohamed VI is a direct descendant.

The current king has just two children a son 19, and a daughter 10 and seems to be separated from his extremely popular and progressive wife. Apparently before this wife (who doesn’t seem to be given the title of queen), no one ever seen the wife of the king. This is the first one they’ve seen!! Hocine assures is that the rights of women have undergone a lot of changes for the better in recent years and a lot of this is down to the king and his wife.

Every section has more beautiful archways doors and tiles

The most beautiful gate in all of Morocco (the blue gate) is unfortunately under renovation That was a short stop but a good one.

Meknés (the capital of Morocco at one point) is a busy town and before we exit we stop for an ATM and some water. There’s a bit of confusion as the bus needs to move from where we pulled in. After a bit of rambling around all are accounted for and we can continue on our way.

We stop for lunch in the town of Moulay Idriss. This is the birthplace of the founder of Fès and is a picturesque town on a hill.

It is a holy city and for those Moroccans who cannot get to Mecca they make a pilgrimage here. Moulay Idriss was the first Islamic leader and a direct descendant of the prophet Mohammed. He died in 791 and was buried in this town although I’m pretty sure we peeped into the place of his tomb yesterday in Fès (slightly confused.com). Non Muslims are not permitted to visit his mausoleum. At least that stacks up!

We have a delicious meal of meat on the grill with beautiful tomatoes and grilled onion.

We are eating with some locals who all bid us Bon appetite.

A short journey by bus back down the hill and “across the road” to the Roman ruins at Volubilis.

Founded in the 3rd century BC, this was an extensive city and the ruins are quite vast. They are the most extensive in Morocco and are impressive by any standards.

Among some mosaics and lots of pillars, we see the impressive basilica.

The countryside is very different from what we’ve seen in previous days. Meknés and the surrounding area is where most of the vineyards and olive trees are.

We continue the drive toward Chefchaouen but I will save that for the next blog post…. Inshallah!

We arrive in Marrakech by bus and are met by the guide who will be with us for the next 10 days. The rest of the pals are flying in from France later and tomorrow we will officially start our tour of the country. What we’ve seen so far of the city is mostly unaffected by the recent earthquake. It’s good to know that we will hopefully provide some income for the people who work in the tourist trade in these hard times.

We’re not quite sure what vehicle to expect and having seen some six seater vans earlier are thinking it might be a bit of a squeeze but when we’re brought to our “van” we’re very pleasantly surprised. It is a beautiful brand new Mercedes that seats 15 people in addition to the guide and driver.

Our guide’s name is Hocine and he takes us straight to the Riad so we can check in. It’s called Riad Melhoun. The manager welcomes us with some mint tea and coconut biscuits and one of the staff shows us around. It is stunning and we are very excited.

Shane has organised the tour and been the main point of contact, so the tour company called ahead to tell the manager of the riad that he should get first choice of rooms. There are two regular rooms on the second floor and one bigger room on the top which we obviously choose.

The riad itself has only nine guest rooms so it is quite small but it has a lovely terrace and overall is just really impressive.

We take a walk to Ozadriya square which is near the Jewish quarter and have some lunch at Mazel cafe. I have the most delicious lamb in a bread roll and Shane goes for some vegetable couscous. Fresh lemonade is the perfect thirst quencher to accompany it.

From here we take a walk to the main square in the medina – the famous Jemaa El Fna square. Since 2001 this is a UNESCO world heritage site. It is a huge open expanse exposed to the scorching sun. You definitely need a hat here and if you don’t have one you can certainly find one to buy. There are stalls in the square selling juice and fruits, ladies waiting to give henna tattooes, musicians, men with monkeys and strange pets (we saw baby turtles and exotic tiny birds in the one cage) and the infamous snake charmers! The square and surrounding souks have been on Shane’s list of must see’s for years so he’s very happy to be here.

As we are leaving the square we see the remains of the minaret of the Kharbouch Mosque in Marrakech’s Jemaa el-Fnaa Square which collapsed during the earthquake. This one was all over the news.

Looks like the flight is on time, so we’ll head back to the riad to rest our feet and anticipate their arrival! They arrive around 4 pm and I greet them with my feet in the water! We decide to eat at the riad tonight and they told us they will surprise us with the menu.

We have a drink upstairs on the terrace – a very nice white wine and San Miguel for the boys – that’s all they’ve got!! A first selfie with the gang back together before we move downstairs for dinner.

The surprise menu does not disappoint, it is delicious and such a nice venue around the pool.

We have two different starters, one is tomato based, the other aubergine. I’m not sure how to describe them, suffice it to say they are gorgeous. Then onto the mains which are served in tagines (of course!), one a lamb dish with apricot and prunes, the other chicken with vegetables. It‘s all served with bread and of course the obligatory olives. We finish our meal with a chocolate mouse and they have black tea with milk so I’m happy out!

Next morning we have a leisurely breakfast as our guide has suggested we meet at 10am. The breakfast is much like what we had in Essaouria including yogurt, jams, breads and fruit. Delish!

Our guide arrives and we are off to our first stop – Koutoubia mosque. This is the largest mosque in Marrakech and can accommodate 20,000 faithful! The area outside is closed off due to the recent earthquake, although we cannot see any visible damage. Friday is the busiest day as everyone goes to the mosque to pray.

From here we walk around the mosque and head through one of the many beautiful gates (bab Agnaou), toward the Jewish square.

There is a spice market that our guide recommends so we spend a half hour in there being served tea and learning about the benefit of different herbs and spices and of course Argan oil.

We all buy a few bits and pieces and the ladies get a gift of a green lipstick which actually is pink or red on your lips depending on your temperature. I’m particular excited to try my ras el hamout spice when I get home.

Onwards through more winding alleys and narrow lanes.

We are supposed to visit the beautiful El Bahia Palace but it’s closed due to some clean up needed after the earthquake so instead we visit Ben Youssef Medrasa. A medrasa is an Islamic school or Qur’anic school. This one dates back to the 14th century and is no longer in operation but had 900 students at any one time.

We visit the small rooms where the students stayed.

The moorish design with its many arches and bright tiles are beautiful.

We explore the souks around Jemaa El Fna square. There is so much to see – hides being dried, leather shoes being made, blacksmiths, shoes, hats, wood carvings, it’s insane! We’re not in shopping mode yet but there’s so many things to buy at good prices.

We stop for a local lunch on a terrace where there’s a nice breeze from this 30 degree heat.

Throughout the medina there are communal ovens where local families still being their bread to be baked.

Majorelle gardens are next on the tour. Jacques Majorelle who settled in Marrakech and ended up designing much of the new city (we have mostly been in the medina which is the old city) built these beautiful gardens and placed a striking blue building at their centre.

It’s quite a change of pace roaming around the gardens and the trees have a cooling affect. There’s a lot of variety of cactus and there’s also, as you’d imagine, an awful lot of posing for photos going on…. And it’s not by us!!

After Majorelles death the estate fell into disrepair and it was purchased by Yves St Laurent. At the end of the garden there is a “love gallery”. Apparently YSL designed a postcard each year to send friends and it was always about love… I love it! (pun intended)

Driving back, you get a great sense of the size of the medina and it’s walls which apparently are 19 km long.

We have booked a birthday dinner for James at a restaurant called Naranj close by the riad on a terrace along one of the narrow streets into the middle of the medina. There’s no alcohol here but the food is gorgeous. I have aubergine served like a steak and covered in mince with a yogurt sauce and topped with fried pitta.

After dinner we go to “Cozy” bar in the Jewish square which is only a few minutes walk from our riad. Again they have Spanish beer but they also have an 8% beer from Casablanca which is the obvious choice for the lads. A few of those with white wine for the ladies on the outdoor terrace is lovely. I’m impressed by the background music which is a cool French jazzy tune and comment that’s it going on for a long time. I even Shazam it to see what it is. Then I realise it’s the same 3 minute (ish) song playing over and over again…. Argggh. It’s time to go!!

Next day we are driving 200km to Ouarzazate so will be driving for approx 4 hours. Our guide tells us lots of interesting things along the way. He tells us that today is a holiday in a lot of Muslim countries as it is the prophet Mohammad’s birthday. For some reason this is a bit of a controversial holiday not celebrated everywhere. He tells us the people respect the king and are grateful for the improvements he’s making in Morocco.

There’s some great scenery on the journey especially as we start to climb up high.

We pass through the Tizi-N-Tichka pass and take a quick pit stop to admire the view from 2,260 metres, the highest road pass in Morocco.

We are heading toward the most famous kasbah (Aït Benhaddou) and seeing many new and old ones along the way. A kasbah is a fortified family dwelling and they appear among varying landscapes across the country.

We arrive to Aït Benhaddou, an expected highlight of the trip. It is a fortified cluster of kasbahs and the best preserved in the country. A popular spot for tours, it’s a UNESCO world heritage site.

Before we climb to the top, we have lunch of Moroccan salad and kofta and egg tagine. Very nice. Outside it’s over 30 degrees but it doesn’t stop us clinging to the top and enjoying the views.

This is the oldest ksar (fortified city) dating to the 13th century and currently there are only five families still living within its walls.

We continue through Quarzazate and stop for two things. Firstly at a Carrefour for some booze as our accommodation for the next two nights does not have alcohol. This however, is a bit of a disappointment as due to the feast day of Mohammed’s birthday there is no alcohol for sale. The second step is to see the picturesque Taourirt kasbah.

We see an amazing concentrated solar power system. There are five across Morocco and they generate solar power by using mirrors or lenses to concentrate a large area of sunlight into a receiver. It’s so bright, I’ve never seen anything like it. Hard to capture in a photo.

We do a quick drive by the Atlas film studios where many movies have been filmed taking advantage of the surrounding landscape.

We continue on the road of a thousand Kasbahs to Skoura where we will spend the night. It’s another beautiful accommodation in the middle of nowhere with a huge gate keeping us in!!!!

We are served mint tea and biscuits on a very relaxed lounge.

There’s a nice swimming pool so after checking out our digs we go for a dip….it’s cold – just want we need and feels great.

Our dinner is included at our secluded little resort tonight. After watching the sun set and “enjoying” some local music put on for another Aussie group staying, we sit outside and are treated to a beautiful meal of salads, chicken on skewers, kofta and even some homemade chips. It’s really tasty and all the better when halfway through Hocine arrives having found some wine for us! Hooray!!!

Tomorrow we will travel further south toward the Sahara… coming in Part III

I’m travelling to Mumbai for work but hoping to have some blog worthy experiences in between the office stuff! I leave early Saturday morning and fly through Abu Dhabi. From there it’s only a three hour flight to Mumbai. Unfortunately we’re smack bang in monsoon season so I’m not optimistic about the weather. I am staying at the 5-star St Regis hotel though so that’ll be nice.

Business class on Etihad is really comfortable and I have one of the best meals I have ever had on a plane.

I arrive at 3am and get through the airport fairly easy…. it has a very 70’s feel to it with the decor!

My butler (yes I have a butler service at this hotel) asks if I’d like him to unpack my case but I can’t get rid of him quick enough so I can get into bed. It’s a very comfy room and I can’t believe it’s 1pm on Sunday when I wake up. One of the guys from work has text me so I agree to meet him and go out to explore. We stop at a local eatery first as he’s hungry for lunch. I decline any grub for now as I’ve made a decision to be very careful and hopefully get through the trip without the dreaded Delhi belly!! We’ll see how that goes……

We take an Uber to “The Gateway to India” which is Mumbai‘s most famous landmark. It was the first site to greet travellers to Indian shores during the heyday of the British Raj. It was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911.

There are lots of people around but not too many foreign tourists. I definitely stick out as a white western woman and I’m asked to get in some family photos. A man hands me his baby and gathers his family around for a photo with me. Hilarious!

Across the street is the famous Taj Mahal hotel. In 2008 there was a terrorist attack which led to the deaths of approximately 31 people over a four day siege. Gunmen who had attacked and killed over a hundred people at other key locations, seized the hotel with hundreds of people trapped inside. Since I’ve been home, I watched the movie “Hotel Mumbai”. It’s a great watch and it’s amazing to see how quickly the staff and people of Mumbai rallied to get this historic building back to its original glory.

Next we go to the famous train station known as Victoria Terminus. It is an impressive example of Victorian, Gothic revival architecture. Also known as the CST, it is considered the most beautiful railway station in Mumbai.

Opposite the train station is the municipal Corporation building. This building is among the tallest structures in Mumbai and was completed in 1893. It’s a popular spot for photos.

I’m already tired so it’s back to the hotel for some dinner and an early night. My first meal is delicious. I go for butter chicken with naan and it’s just a little spicy.

I’m up and ready for a busy week at the office. Breakfast is spectacular…. There’s so much choice across a range of cuisines. I try something different every morning.

Ready for the training sessions with my colleagues.

I’m knackered after a long day so opt for some room service – biryani and paratha.

There’s a really nice pool at the hotel and I make it there a few mornings for a swim before work. The locals don’t tend to start super early so it’s manageable.

The food at the hotel really is fabulous, breakfast in particular. There are about eight different stations and every type of food imaginable, this morning I’m trying the dosa and it is really tasty.

I’m loving all this delicious local food but a few days in and I have a touch of the Delhi belly. I think it’s a combination of everything, the spicy food, change in temperature, time difference and just the overall environment. I avoid food for 24 hours, take some medicine and seem to be ok. We’re going out for dinner tonight and I can’t miss it. I have one cocktail (I fully believe some alcohol might kill whatever I picked up) and I don’t go mad but I taste plenty of the food that we order. It’s a Chinese restaurant and it’s all delicious. As if by miracle the next day I feel fine. I avoid breakfast and eat little over the next couple of days, avoiding lunch and having a banana that I’ve taken from the breakfast buffet. This seems to have worked and by the weekend I’m feeling back to normal.

It’s Friday night so myself and my colleague Bharath head to Marine Drive. The reviews say it’s a beautiful walk along a path approximately 3 km long. We head straight from the office with our driver and have him drop us at the beach end of the walk.

The walkway unfortunately is mostly closed. We have to walk on the road which is a significantly busy dual carriageway. After about 2 km. we get to an overpass and we literally have to cross in front of the cars to get to the other side,

Eventually there is about a kilometre of seafront where we get to enjoy the view of what they call the Queens necklace. There are lots of people standing on the wall looking out to sea and the views across the water. It seems to be a very popular meeting place for locals.

We stop at the Dome bar, which is in the Intercontinental hotel and have a cocktail upstairs to admire the view.

Carrying on, we walk to the end of the walkway and look out to the sea. We turn back and walk a few hundred metres to the Bay View where we will have dinner. It’s getting dark now so we can see some of the lights from the restaurant but the views are not great through the monsoon battered windows. We order paneer and butter chicken, which we have with naan and roti and it’s very tasty. I have a Kingfisher beer (my first of the trip) and it goes perfectly. Home time now so I can rise early in the morning as I’ve been invited to join the work crew for their annual monsoon trek. The meeting time is 6am at the office, however I’m fairly confident the bus won’t leave on time so after checking with a couple of the folks who are going they reckon a 6:30am arrival would be more realistic.

On Saturday morning I jump out of bed at 5:55am and I’m out the door in ten minutes. On the way to the office there’s a message in the WhatsApp chat to say the bus has left… I can’t believe it, thought I was being clever now I’m in a panic and wondering can we get to the second pick up place. I call Prachi who I met yesterday and she tells me they’re joking around on WhatsApp and she hasn’t even left her house yet!! Seriously people!!! We get to the office at 6:20am and the buses are there with a handful of people hanging around. There’s still about 70 people to arrive so I’m early!!! A request for ETA’s on the WhatsApp range from “I’m 15 minutes away” to “7am” to “I will reach at 7:15”!!!!!! After signing the consent form and a lot of hanging around we finally depart just after 7:30!

There’s a quick shout out to Ganesh to keep us safe on our journey and finally we are off. We are heading southeast away from the coast to Karjat which is still in the Maharashtra region. It’s about an 80 kilometre journey but takes around 3 hours!! There’s lots of fun on the bus!

I enjoy the views and have lots of fun getting to meet people along the way.

The trek to Bhivpuri waterfall is easy with just a few slippy bits due to the rain along the way. But today the sun is shining and it is not so much a monsoon trek that was expected.

When we get to the waterfall most of the gang go straight in, in full hiking gear, including shoes. Everyone gets soaked and are loving it. I’m a bit reluctant at first, but I go to the smaller of the waterfalls and really enjoy the gust of water that hits my back and shoulders. It feels fantastic and the temperature is so nice as we are hot and sweaty from the trek in the sunshine.

I sit on the rock to dry off a bit, but I’m convinced to continue to the bigger part of the waterfall for more soaking action. It’s really exhilarating, and at one point terrifying, as every so often the water gushes really strong and nearly knocks me over. We are trying to smile for photos, but cannot open our eyes because the water is so strong. It gives a nice massage to the back and shoulders.

It’s a very squelchy walk back to the campsite where we switch into some dry clothes in some very basic changing rooms. It’s worth it though. It was such great fun. Time for lunch now and there’s a buffet of spicy chicken, paneer, rice, and of course paratha.

The bus journey home is the best fun. We play charades which is hysterical – all movies, some Hindi, which is a struggle to partake in but some are in English so I can play along. The singing then kicks off and there is even dancing. I wish I knew some of these songs so I could join in more. This gang loves the craic. It’s after 8 pm by the time we hit home, and I’m happy to get back to the hotel for a shower and order some food.

On Sunday morning after another delicious breakfast myself and Barath head off to explore more of Mumbai. First stop is Dhobi Ghat, the famous laundry area where they wash clothes, and you can see them hanging on many many lines.

Onwords towards the Gateway of India to catch a ferry to Elephanta island. It’s an hour journey on the ferry which is fairly bumpy but good fun and we are very lucky with the weather as there still is no rain.

It’s a bit hairy scary, stepping off those boats as they’re still moving but there is help at hand. There is a small train that takes you to the beginning of the steps up to the caves, and I convince Bharath we can walk.. on first glance, he tells me it’s quite far and we should probably take the train but in reality it’s less than a kilometre and the train is only arriving when we are already at its destination. There are quite a few steps to climb to get to the entrance to the Elephanta caves, and we are very sweaty once we reach the top.

The Elephanta cave temples were carved into the rocky cliffs in the sixth century A.D. They are considered among the great masterpieces of Indian sculpture and are a UNESCO world heritage site.

The caves are dedicated to Shiva and there are many impressive carvings throughout the numerous caves.

There are monkeys on this island and although they’re not as bad as those on the rock of Gibraltar, they do pester us a little bit looking for food. At one point one makes a run towards us and I have to throw my water bottle at him.

On the ferry back, the lady sitting beside me tips me for a selfie and tells me it’s friendship day.

I chat to a man sitting on my right and he tells me he’s from Iraq and also just had hair plugs!!! He’s lived in Mumbai for a number of years and his parents are visiting as the health system here is better. He’s a physicist and I have a very interesting conversation with him that makes the journey seem much shorter. As we arrive back, we get a great view of the India gate and the hotel Taj Mahal.

Just enough time for a quick photo bomb with some visitors.

Next we had to Mani Bhavan which is where Gandhi lived and worked between 1917, and 1934. Admission is free, with a request for a donation and the exhibits are really interesting.

There were some very interesting letters that he wrote in particular one to Hitler in July 1939. There were also some letters that he received in particular a really interesting one from Albert Einstein lots of interesting photos and facts about his life and we got to see the room in which he worked.

I would like to visit the famous mosque that is on the water, however, there is a massive queue of Sunday worshippers and the viewpoint across the water is closed off because of construction. It seems like the whole town is under construction. So we call it a day and head back to the hotel. I have a fish curry with naan for dinner but I don’t over do it as I’ve booked myself a massage later this evening before bed. I opt for the traditional iridium massage which is a pretty strong full body massage, honing in on tension and stress points. It lasts for 90 minutes which fly by. The therapist is a small young Indian woman who climbs up on the bed and uses her elbows all the way up my back. Fabulous!

More new things to try at the breakfast buffet.

The team of colleagues who we have come to train are a lovely bunch. I’m getting lots of tips for food that I should try while I’m here, one must-try being a wada pau (or vada pav), which is a vegetarian deep-fried ball in a bun. It is considered a snack and although it’s street food (which I’m told to avoid) they tell me it’s safe for me to try and bring some into the office in the afternoon for us all to have. It is delicious with just the right amount of spice, a good kick but not too crazy.

One of the guys from work tells us he is a state champion at table tennis and there is a table in the cafeteria. I challenge him to a game considering I just had some practice recently at the villa in Spain. I’m pretty sure he’s being easy on me, but I give him a good run for his money. He shows me how to do the killer smash shot and I’m delighted with myself when I trash him. 🤪

An opportunity to have a lunchtime dosa….

Tonight we make it to the lobby for 6:30pm for the free glass of champagne that is served to guests each night. Apparently this is a ritual in every Saint Regis around the world at this time. The lobby area really is lovely and the fresh flowers throughout the hotel are stunning.

A couple of staff arrive down the stairs and announce that they will be opening a bottle of champagne with a very large knife…. it’s all very exciting! There’s no sign of the champagne coming which is a bit of a worry but eventually the complimentary glass arrives. We sit and chat for a while and low and behold another member of staff appears to be shaking some cocktails and he appears to be offering them to guests sitting around the lounge. He eventually comes our way and we are treated to a Bombay Sapphire gin cocktail which is very nice and we enjoy with some spicy nibbles.

The hotel is attached to a huge high-end shopping mall that has lots of restaurants. The lads are tired of Indian food and insist we go to an Irish bar for dinner tonight! Apart from pizza at a Jamie Oliver restaurant last week this is the only non Indian meal I’ve had….. I’m sure you can guess what I had!

On my final night we go for a team dinner. The name of the restaurant is TAP. We’re told there will be dancing but I’m anticipating I won’t stay out late enough for that!!!! In true Mumbai style we arrive an hour late! There’s some event at the hotel and it takes the driver 20 minutes to just get out of the hotel grounds. The dinner is secondary to the dancing and I learn a whole lot of new moves.

It’s a slow morning following our night out and most of the team don’t arrive to the office until noon! We finish our training and then are treated to some food cooked by the man who has brought us our teas and coffees each day. It is a type of dahl called khichdi. It is absolutely gorgeous and demolished by everyone. An authentic final meal.

I say goodbye to the team who then all follow me to the car for even more goodbyes…

I have a couple of hours at the airport so I get to try some local Indian wine in the lounge and it’s surprisingly good.

Overall it’s been a really successful business trip with a lot of fun exploring during the two weeks. My tummy isn’t the best as I head home but it seems par for the course! Until next time Namaste!

Time to move a short way down the coast to Benalmadena and meet up with the family for a week in the beautiful Villa Una Maria. We were here nine years ago and have all been looking forward to getting back. So on Sunday morning Shane and I pack up and head for the train station.

It’s an easy train journey but the station is a fair way up the hill from the villa. We have a while before check in so we sit at a cafe and have some breakfast. I do love the toast with tomato sauce.

While sitting outside watching the world go by some men on horses pass and it looks like they are ready to party….

When the bulls arrive we realise it’s a full on parade…. Not sure what they’re celebrating but we have a front row seat for the whole thing.

There are lots of horses and lots of bulls so as you’d imagine there is poo! A large one in particular “laid” right in front of us!!! The onlookers are laughing and the people walking in the parade are trying to avoid it, there’s a lot of nudging and side stepping. But one of the Spanish cowboys (let’s just call them that!) decides it would be a good idea to dance in it… no joking he jumps in it like lord of the dance and it flies up and hits some women in their beautiful dresses… funny for us to watch but I’d have killed him! This is what remained…

We watch the whole parade and the clean up that happens immediately after the last cart goes by – it’s pretty impressive. Having lingered long enough over brekkie we head out into some drizzly rain and head down to the hill to the villa. It’s just as I remembered it and the caretaker is the same English guy (Lee) from last time. We get settled and wait for the others to arrive.

First to arrive is the big brother with girlfriend Jenny, and my sister Linda with my very cool nephew (watch out fashion influencers!) Matthew.

They head out for lunch and after familiarising ourselves with the Casa we go for a walk and paddle our feet in the ocean. It’s officially the Alboran sea which is the western most portion of the Mediterranean… there you go!

Back at the Casa we await the arrival of the bus with the rest of the gang…. There’s great excitement when they arrive – Ma and Da, Ange and Emily (now 10 but only a toddler when we were here last), the full complement of Wards (Deb, Pat, Vicky and Laura), Con and Maja and the youngest newest addition to the family “baba” Anya 😍

The villa is essentially two 5-bed houses attached as one so there’s a kitchen and living area on both sides and two huge basements – one with a ping pong table and the other with a pool table…. Handy if the sun gets too hot or if it rains! The owners leave a welcome pack which includes milk, biscuits, teabags, wine and beer. The pool action kicks off immediately!

Everyone is settled in and ready to head out for some dinner….

For dinner I have black squid ink rice and it’s different to the one in Malaga but just as tasty. Shane has a beautiful tuna dish and we pair it with the hosue Verdejo – delish!

We’ve split into smaller groups for dinner and then all meet for a drink on the front afterwards.

Some of the gang go on to another bar for some music and dancing. [Now those of you how know us O’Dohertys know who the party animals are and who the ringleader is right!] I’ll say no more!

The next few days are all kind of mixed together… I was too busy to be keeping track but suffice to say there was a lot of pool action, hanging around, messing, eating and drinking!!!! Here a few snaps to give a flavour….

There’s a lot of pool time to be had which includes a lot of jumping in…and yes that includes jumping in by me!!!

Emily’s swimming is amazing. She is jumping in the deep end, swimming, diving, doing tumbles and headstands … she’s like a fish and must be exhausted every evening after so much pool action.

It’s hard to have such a large group eat together every night in a restaurant so some nights we’ve been splitting up to suit everyone’s different tastes – we do manage to get everyone out for the obligatory holiday Chinese. Lots of glamour for the nights out….

It’s a lovely walk along the marina and you can walk all the way to Toremelinos. It’s great to come back home and jump in the pool. It’s sunny until 8/9pm so it’s easy for it to all of a sudden be very late after some downtime in the evening. Early or late there’s always some messing going on at the pool!

More delicious dinners tonight…

One of the hotels has a singer on that we check out… she’s delighted with us cause we’re singing and dancing among some very stiff ole foggies!!

One of the mornings we walk the opposite way along the coastline to where we would normally walk. We’re kind of at the end of Benalmádena but there’s another really pretty piece of coastline that we explore. You can’t avoid the steep steps down to the beach but it’s very quiet and has some nice romantic looking cafes on the waters edge.

Tonight we’re going to have a bbq so Shane, Mama and I hit the Mercadona (you gotta love the Mercadona) to get the groceries. We have oceans of burgers, sausages, steak, chorizo, veg for skewers and 3 full fresh fish – I think there’ll be enough!

There are two bbq’s – one on each side of the garden. Shane as chief chef enlists Pat as chief helper and burger flipper!

A song from Milly Mac!

Some of us are a bit knackered after last nights shenanigans so we’re having a slow morning. Eventually I manage to get my act together and We meet Mike and Jen for a swim in the sea and a beautiful lunch. The white sangria is delicious.

Lucky for me the water is calm so I’m happy to join in and we go for a dip….. the water really is gorgeous

Everyone rallys for an evening on the town and even hit a karaoke bar (full disclosure, Shane and I don’t make it, we’re lightweights!). In fairness it was a big day for me swimming in the sea but seriously I don’t know how my family do it….. no bother to them to be out til 3am… I’m happy to hear all the stories the next morning.

Today Shane and I book a Bolt (Uber is here too but Bolt seems be the most popular) and we go to Mijas. It’s up in the hills and really is gorgeous

We get a map from the tourist information and follow it to see all the places of interest.

I insist on going into the museum of tiny things (leaving himself to have a coffee).. it’s the oddest place. You view tiny pieces of art and “stuff” through lenses…. Mental!

The views and white washed buildings along the narrow streets are very picturesque. There must be rules about the plant pots.

We stop for a wee tapa in a very old school locals bar….

Then after a little more exploring we decide it’s gonna be paella for lunch.we haven’t had it yet and it doesn’t disappoint.

More pool fun back at the villa…..

Tonight we take the folks to one of the fish restaurants on the front to have fish cooked in the coals.

As we’re sitting there some of the rest of the gang arrive and can’t get a table as it’s jammers everywhere so they go next-door.

Apparently today is a big holiday here – the feast of San Juan – it’s like St. Patrick’s day. Mad busy with music and parties on the beach plus fireworks.

On our last day there are trips to Malaga and souvenir shopping to be done. There are tattoos and hair braids to be sorted so everyone is busy.

Shane and I take the bus with destination Stupa and head to Benalmádena pueblo (old town). It’s gorgeous… I definitely haven’t been here before. It’s much further away than just at the top of the hill. The views are fab out across the coastline.

The little streets are so picturesque, not unlike Mijas yesterday and the views out toward Fuengirola are stunning

It’s roasting so we sit in the shade outside a really cute cafe for our final lunch.

We’ve left it til the last minute but we want to get a family photo before the sun goes down… it’s hard to get everyone in the one place at the same time so unfortunately we are missing Con, Maja and Anya…. But here’s the rest of us!

What a great bunch and a brilliant holiday ….. Adios Espagna!!