Took the train for an hour from Meknes to Fes. Had a little trouble finding a hotel, finally saw a sign to Riad Louna/ We followed the signs round one corner after another along increasingly narrow alleyways, finally arriving at the front door. It was like entering a magic world through a nondescript door into this beautiful house. A courtyard with palm trees and orange trees a trickling fountain in the centre and 3 floors of rooms around this. We took one on the top floor, unfortunately the ‘en-suite’ was on the ground floor. Had tea and sweet things on the roof terrace then set off to wander the medina. It was initially quite a confusing maze but we got the pattern of the streets, two main ones and then you concentrate on landmarks each time ... read more

After the bustle of Marrakesh the whole of this road trip has been as if we were the only people in this part of Morocco. Partly due to Ramadan when many business only open a few hours and people spend the day quietly in their homes asleep during daylight and it’s the low season in this part too, so the peace and quiet was wonderful. At times of course frustrating when you forgot to stock up on food and water early in the morning or the previous evening, visiting closed museums, doors to guest houses firmly closed or if open no one around and then finally after calling “Bonjour!” in the open hotel a sleepy host is roused. But we would rather have had it like this it made it feel special and relaxing. In every ... read more

Days have been a bit more relaxed, visited a number of museums, the highlight was the Koranic school and library building. It is very ornate with more lovely delicate stonework and tiles. Lots or rooms upstairs where the once 900 students were accommodated. Enjoyed sitting in squares, drinking mint tea and watching the world go by. Outside of the city walls we walked to the Jardin Majorellle that was designed in an art deco style in the 1920s. Yves San Laurent and Pierre Berge bought and restored it in the 1980s and their trust keeps it going. Although quite small it is beautifully laid out with colour and order carefully maintained. The paths are shiny red and there are strategically arranged pots in only one shade of blue, yellow or orange. The house/ art studio is ... read more

New Year Traveled up the coast to the town of Seeb north of Muscat. A couple of worthwhile stops were a Bimmah Sinkhole, located in Hawiyat Najm Park , similar to the cenotes in Mexico. Lovely clear water, in a dramatic setting with a few people swimming. Then Wadi Dayqah dam, the biggest in Oman, which was an impressive structure in a stunning location. They had nicely landscaped a viewpoint at the top making a good place for a picnic. There’s a small area to walk around to take pictures of mountains reflected in the water. About an hour west of Seeb towards the Hajar mountains is Nakhal Fort. We assumed it would be similar to Nizwa and Bahla, so pleasantly surprised to see such a huge fort with the impressive backdrop of the mountains. The ... read more

Hiking in the Mountains Our first big hike happened by accident. The guidebook had only mentioned a short walk into Wadi Ghul, instead we enjoyed a 14km return walk to a deserted village. Each of the following days we did parallel walks gradually higher up the canyon. It was a stunning walk and probably our favourite of the three, partly due to the unexpectedness of it. Huge 1000m high cliffs in different colours, following a partly dry stream and ending at a deserted village that is still farmed with date palms and other crops. No one else walking but we were passed by a number of 4WDs. Steve had booked a resort hotel up in the mountains as a surprise for Christmas Day. Drove up first ting and we’re very happy that they had the room ... read more