moroccan dreams

Magical Morocco is all I can think about, talk about and write about!

I got off the plane mid-October and it was sultry hot. As we rode in the van, first through the old part of Marrakech and past the medina and La Mamounia Hotel, I recalled my last trip here in the early '90's when I stayed at la Mamounia for nearly a week. Had Marrakech changed I thought? But when I saw the camels with the Berber blankets strapped to their backs, I thought, NOPE! Nothing ever really changes... Thank Allah!

Jnane Tamsna, which means the gardens of Tamsna, was to be my oasis for the next couple of weeks. Surrounded by olive and orange trees, blooming jasmine and palms, I once again fell in love. Yes, I'm back in Morocco and it's just as I left it, both physically and in my mind and heart.

The last time I left Marrakech, I promised myself I'd be back and here I was again. I pinched myself a few times to see if (1) I was really here and (2) to make sure it wasn't a dream. Yes, I was really here and it made me smile.

For me Morocco is magical... It's about the sounds, the smells, the flavors, the sights. It brushes with all of my senses and touches my soul.

"A glass of freshly squeezed orange juice?"

"Sure, I'd love that!" I said as I dissolved into an outdoor divan soaking it all up. And just then there was a call to prayer, that eerie music that becomes so familiar 5 times a day. I'm home!

And I hadn't been on the ground for but an hour....

Stay tuned for lots of recipes, cooking classes with Chef Bahija and walks through the old medina with guide Abdoul. You're in for a treat, as was I.