My piece of paradise

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[youtube=acqmdxNUvX8]

Apologies to all my Canadian friends, especially those in Alberta who are suffering through -30C and a winter that feels like it will never end. Please turn the sound up nice and loud when you listen to the video. That's the sound I wake up to every morning, and every day it sounds sweeter (last weekend we enjoyed a BBQ in +23).

My driver also loves to garden, so while I was out touring the countryside with a busload of locals last Friday, he planted flowers in all my pots and cleaned up the garden! Such a sweetheart. He also has the magic touch with the TV and the computer, and he takes out the garbage. Who needs a man about the house when you have a driver?

Also included in this blog are photos of the two carpets purchased in the old city a couple weeks ago. More carpets to come, but carpet shopping is a serious business that takes half a day just to get started. I learned that you should buy old carpets because the new ones use synthetic materials and non-natural dyes in very bright colors. They are also made quicker with larger knots. It's because "everyone" can now afford to travel and the average tourist just wants a carpet and doesn't want to pay the full value. So the carpet makers are forced to make more carpets and make them cheaper. That’s what the market demands. But the real art of carpet making will be lost.

I'm currently on my second field trip into Al Badia and have the photos sorted, just need a little time to write about the experience. No need really, as the photos say it all. Stay tuned...

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