We left the Myvatn area and headed west towards Akureyri. The stops today included Godafoss (waterfall of the gods), then the town of Akureyri followed by a drive through the countryside with a brief stop at a very old farm, now open as a museum.

Godafoss

Godafoss rips straight through the Bardaralur lave field. It is definitely one of Iceland’s most beautiful waterfalls. Legend has it that the law speaker Porgeir was forced to make a decision on Iceland’s religion. On his way home he tossed his pagan carvings of the Norse gods after declaring the country would be a Christian nation. Thus the waterfall became known as waterfall of the gods.

Akureyri is Iceland’s second city with only 18000 residents. It has cool cafes, quality restaurants and a late night bustle within a very scenic setting. It nests at the head of Eyjaforour, Iceland’s longest fjord, at the base of snow capped peaks. We stopped for lunch at Strikkid, followed by a brief tour of the city and surrounding hills.

We then headed towards Laugarbakki, our stop for the night. But we did stop first at the old farm at Vidimyrarkirkja, which dated back some 200 years and some of the buildings have been restored. Of particular interest was the old churches.

We soon had an opportunity to see some of the Icelandic horses closeup. These were developed from ponies brought from Norway in the 9th and 10th centuries. They are purebred as importation of horses is not allowed. The breed is pony sized, long lived and hardy. They are seen widely, and used for sheep herding and for leisure activities.

Our last stop was what our guide called a “canyon”, which turned out to be quite spectacular. Kolugljufar waterfall runs over into a rather deep canyon in a relatively flat area. Legend says that the troll Kola sleeps in the canyon, and fishes by hand for salmon or arctic char.

Our overnight stay with a fine meal was at the Hotel Laugarbakki.

We waited for the road to open until late morning, then off we went to the north. Lots of wind still, and Johannes had to be very diligent at the wheel. We left Hofn, headed for Djupivogur, where we were supposed to have stayed the night before. A few scenes along the way:

We reached Dujupivogur and stopped for lunch at the Hotel Framtid, situated right on the harbor.

This village has a very interesting exhibit called the Eggs at Merry Bay. The artist Sigurdur Gudmundson has created a series of 34 giant Chinese granite eggs which represent the eggs of each of the nesting birds of this area.

From Djupivogur, we drove for a few hours back and forth through a series of rather large fjords, then up and through a long mountain tunnel and on to the snowy highlands, eventually reaching Myvatn.

Our nephew Christopher from London came to Austin recently, and we wanted to do something special. So we decided to drive to Big Bend country in the west of Texas. So this is a bit of a travelogue of a five day “circle tour” of this beautiful and different area. A fast way to get to Big Bend country is to head west on I-10. However we chose a more scenic route, down 281 to the fringes of San Antonio, then west on 90 through Uvalde, Del Rio and Marathon.

Our first brief stop after about four hours of driving was on the outer part of Del Rio at Julio’s for a tasty family style Mexican lunch – Chili Rellenos and fajitas hit the spot.

Then we hit route 90 again. Shortly after Del Rio we drove across Lake Amistad (from the Spanish word for friendship), a reservoir that borders the US and Mexico. Located at the confluence of the Rio Grande, Pecos and Devils Rivers, the US portion is a National Recreation Area.

Since we crossed the Pecos River shortly after Amistad, we were now “west of the Pecos” and soon reached the small town of Langtry, home of the museum honoring the famous Judge Roy Bean. We stopped to investigate. The museum is quite well done, consisting of a very nice visitor center, the original courthouse/bar and lovely gardens heavily filled with a wide variety of cactus. The center was “manned” by a lovely lady named Maggie, who filled us in on the history. Judge Bean was known as the “Law West of the Pecos“. He was the west’s most colorful justice of the peace, and he ruled America’s last frontier in the last decades of the 19th century.

Our first overnight stop was at the Gage Hotel in Marathon, built in 1927 by famed architect Henry Trost for pioneer Texas rancher Alfred S. Gage. The beautifully restored Gage Hotel is an excellent example of Mission and Spanish-style design. Marathon was established in 1882, and was a main shipping point for large Brewster county ranches and the newly built railroad. It is now a gateway to Big Bend National Park 40 miles to the south.

After breakfast the next morning and a visitor to Gage Gardens across the street, we headed south to Big Bend NP, an 800,000 acre park with spectacular views and varying terrain – mountains to desert, bordered on the south by the Rio Grande as it makes a big turn initially south, then north. Our first stop was at the Fossil Center with its’ excellently displayed dinosauric fossils and depictions of the area that was once 100′ under water. We then checked out the east end of the park down to Boquillas, followed by an enjoyable tour back to park central. With much recent rain, there was an unusual level of color especially with large areas of colorful Texas sage.

We checked in to our rental house, then joined old friends at the Chili Pepper Cafe in Study Butte for a home-style Mexican dinner. These were friends from the Austin area who are building a remote cabin in Study Butte, and an old photography friend who lives in Terlingua.

The next day we joined our photography friend Lee (an outstanding photographer) for a full day of touring the park. But first a stop at the Terlingua Ghost town cemetery.

Then a brief stop at Lee’s garden – another skill the man has. And a favorable review by Christopher, an accomplished landscape designer.

Then on to the park, from Chisos Basin at 5400′ elevation, and cooler weather, to the Ross Maxwell Drive with various stops along the way. There has been so much rain that the road from Castolon to Santa Elena Canyon was still closed due to high water in the Rio Grande. Nevertheless we had some wonderful views of a spectacular area.

The next day we headed to Marfa via Lajitas and Presidio. Christopher and I had a date for a tour at the Chinati Foundation in Marfa. But we did stop for a view of the river and hoodoos.

Arrived in Marfa at lunchtime. Chris found a highly rated burrito cafe; we stopped and ate great burritos in a very very casual environment, evidently visited by many well known people.

Next we checked in at the Saint George, a fairly new four story hotel in downtown Marfa. Then on to the Chinati Foundation for a three hour tour featuring three prominent contemporary artists. The museum was created based on the ideas of Donald Judd to link contemporary art and the surrounding land. The collection includes art from 13 artists; we viewed works by Judd, Dan Flavin and Robert Irwin.

The first of Judd’s two major “pieces” included 100 untitled works in mill aluminum in two ex-artillery sheds, each 41″ x 51″ x &2″ – all different and laid out with fascinating precision.

The second was 15 untitled works in concrete placed in a large open field; each was 2.5 x 2.5 x 5 meters.

Dan Flavin’s work, spread over six C-shaped old barracks buildings, illustrates his use of fluorescent lighting.

Robert Irwin developed the art of perception through manipulation of space and light.

After a quick dinner at the famous Paisano Hotel – where the stars stayed during the filming of Giant – we jumped in the card and headed to the “star party” at the McDonald Observatory in the Davis Mountains via the scenic route around the south and west side of this mountain range. The mountains are an irregular jumble of isolated peaks and ridges separated by flatter areas, and occupy a rough square about 50 km on each side.

The McDonald Observatory is an astronomical observatory located on Mount Locke in the Davis Mountains, and is part of the University of Texas. They operate four research telescopes, the largest of which is 10 meters across. During the summer the observatory holds star parties during which many constellations are identified and one gets an opportunity to view certain stars/planets through smaller telescopes. We had a wonderfully clear night and enjoyed seeing Jupiter, Saturn and a star cluster, as well as observing many constellations.

On our last day of the trip, Chris went to see Donald Judd’s home and workshop, while Karen and I strolled through some of the shops in Marfa.

After a brief lunch, we headed home.

Essaouira, located on the Atlantic Ocean, is a great side trip from Marrakech, either for the day or for an overnight stay. The drive is about 2.5 hours on a paved road, with some interesting sights on the way. The city, with about 80,000 residents, is beautifully situated on the sea and has become a very popular tourist area as well as being the most important commercial port in Morocco. The crescent beach combined with trade winds is a mecca for surfers. The medina is protected by 18th century ramparts called Skala de la Kasbah. Old brass cannons line the walls, and the ocean views are lovely.

The site was an important trading port in the 5th century BC. Around the beginning of the CE the Berber Juba II established a tyrolian purple factory to produce dyes from local sea shells for the Romans. The city was known as Mogador in the Middle Ages. In fact Roman ruins have been unearthed on the island of Mogador which lies just offshore from the beach. In 1506 the Portugese king ordered the construction of a fortress. In the 16th century Mogador was a haven for the export of sugar and molasses, and an anchorage for pirates.

Jewish people once represented the largest part of the population, and there are many old synagogues in the “mellah” or Jewish quarter. Almost all of the Jews left once Israel became an independent state.

Highlights of the Drive

Several miles outside the city one comes across a tourist version of “goats in trees“, where several goats are ensconced in argan trees for the purpose of eating the argan nuts. In other parts of the area this is in fact a natural occurrence.

A few miles later, one can visit a local winery Domaine du Val d”Argan, established in the 1990’s by Charles Melia, a Frenchman from Chateuneuf du Pape; he still owns a small vineyard there as well. The winery grows a variety of grapes and produces several types, mostly in the Rhone style. We had a delightful lunch, with wine, in the sunny courtyard by the pool. One can also stay there.

We also visited the Afous Argan cooperative operated by Moroccan women, selling argan oil and a wide variety of products made from the oil.

The City Tour

We engaged a guide for half a day. Highlights included a visit to a Jewish synagogue, a tour of the souks and the fish market and a visit to a cooperative making all kinds of marquettry from a hard wood grown in the area called thuya.

The Harbor and Ramparts

Muhammed’s Spice Shop

One visit we really looked forward to was a return to this spice shop, located just beside the fish market. Karen and I visited Muhammed Seddiki six years ago, and enjoyed seeing him again and buying an assortment of spices. These included several of his spice mixtures for fish, chicken and vegetables, and of course saffron.

We enjoyed a 4 hour food tour in Marrakech, which involved frequent stops at street stands to taste a variety of foods. Our guide picked us up at our riad about mid-morning, and we began a stroll through the nearby streets.

Our first stop was a small eatery close to our riad, where we tasted a local breakfast dish of hssoua belboula, or barley soup. This was akin to starting the day with cream of wheat. However this was a soup made from barley – a common grain grown in Morocco – and infused with olive oil and cumin. Quite tasty.

The next stop was at a street stand, where three women were producing a pancake/crepe like dish called msemmen. These are made from a basic bread recipe, flattened into a square, fried on a hot metal cooking surface and brushed with a mixture of spices. Best eaten hot, the crepes were very tasty.

Our third stop was another street stand, where the gentleman was producing sferj/chfanj, or Moroccan donuts. These are produced from a water/flour/sugar/salt dough, deep fried and served with copious amounts of drizzled honey.

After a short walk, we came upon another stand which was serving brissara, a soup made from dried fava beans and served with lots of olive oil, cumin and cayenne. This was accompanied with the traditional Moroccan mint tea.

At our next stop we crowded into a very small cafe and squeezed into a table for two – with five people. Our guide then brought us a dish called loubia, a bean soup served with Moroccan bread. This was eaten with folded over small pieces of the delicious bread.

Next was a stop at a local “Starbucks” for strong Moroccan coffee. We watched while the vendor ground the beans, covered them with hot water, placed the container in a barrel of hot and heated sand and allowed the mixture to blend. The result was a wonderful but very strong coffee.

After another stroll through the souk, we came upon a series of olive stalls. Olives are a staple of Moroccan food, and these stands contained a huge variety of olives. We tried several, including a flavored and spicy variety.

Our last stop was for lunch at a restaurant near the main square. We climbed two sets of stairs, finally settling in at a spacious table on the rooftop. After a series of Moroccan salads – all delicious – we were served the main course of a very traditional dish called a tanjia. A tanjia is a Moroccan stew – usually lamb with saffron, cumin, preserved lemon and garlic – cooked in a ceramic jug or amphora for many hours while buried in hot ashes. The end consistency is akin to a confit of lamb, quite delicious.

That was the end of a quite enjoyable food tour. The guide service offers such tours during the day and also in the evening, and offers a good way to experience various foods and to tour part of the medina.

What better activity to take on next than a cooking school. So off we went to a three hour class at La Maison Arabe, a cooking school located within the riad of the same name.

We met with Alia Al Kasimi, a well-known author of Moroccan cookbooks. She explained the herbs that form the base of cooking in this country.

We then moved to the kitchen where Ouda, via a translator, began to teach us about Moroccan cooking. She began with preparation of the semolina-based dough used for Moroccan bread; the prepared dough was transferred to an nearby oven. We then began preparation of the ingredients for a chicken tagine, accompanied by a zaalook salad (cumin, ginger, tomato and aubergine) and a taktuka salad (green pepper and tomato).

When the dishes were prepared, we retired to a dining area to enjoy our meals.

There are a many activities outside Marrakech that are worth considering. On this trip we chose to experience the High Atlas Mountains in two ways. One involved a 1.5 hour drive to the north side of the mountains to visit a Berber village. The other was a much longer drive over the mountains to the Sahara side to see two casbahs.

Berber Village

One day we drove about 1.5 hours to the village of Imlil, situated on the northern banks of the mountains, a distance of 60 miles. Imlil is a small village which is the starting point for climbing Jbel Toubkal, the tallest mountain in northern Africa at 4167 m. We were meant originally to hike one hour up the mountains to a small village overlooking the valley. Once the hosts saw our ages, the plan was to carry us on donkeys to lunch, again up the hill. When we had difficulty mounting the donkeys, the decision was to call on a very old 4 x 4 to drive us up a winding, switch-backed narrow road to the lunch place.

We arrived at Auberge Roches Armed, a ten room Berber hotel and restaurant perched atop the hillside with magnificent views of both the valley Ait Mizane and the mountaintops including Toubkal. Interestingly one can make bookings at this facility through Booking.com and other sites.

We were greeted warmly, led to a rooftop table complete with table, table settings, carpets and the like, all awaiting the presentation of a Berber meal. The meal included two tagines, one with lamb and another with vegetables, and both were delicious.

After lunch we returned to Imlil village and drove back the Marrakech. Shortly after leaving Imlil we went past a large tourist vacation facility owned by Richard Branson.

Over Tizi n’Tichka Pass

Another long day we drove from Marrakech over the Tizi n’Tichka pass, one of the most scenic in the country. A series of hairpin turns carves its way up the valley rising to the 2260 meter summit, with impressive views over the rugged, rocky mountains below. On the downhill side we visied Telouet Kasbah and a local market there, then on to Ait Ben Haddou.

Telouet was once the fortified home of the Glaoui family, who ran the trade routes to south Morocco. It is estimated that the decorations on the ceilings took 300 workers 3 years to complete. Unfortunately Telouet has been left to decay and is almost abandoned today.

The local market was quite fascinating, including all kinds of locals vending various foods, equipment and other things.

The scenery was quite different and interesting at the same time.

After a lengthy drive we arrived at Ait ben Haddou, a fortified town on the banks of the Ounila River. Built from local mud bricks, it’s one of the best places in Morocco for a captivating sunset. It has been partially rebuilt for iconic films such as Gladiator, Jewel in the Nile and Jesus of Nazareth.

The city of Marrakech is a real favorite of ours, as Karen and I have each been there three times – together the last two. In fact, the name “Marrakech” was the first subject she and I ever spoke about! Together with our dear friends Molly and Carl, we spent six nights in this delightful place on our recent Moroccan tour.

Marrakech is the fourth largest city in Morocco. The city is situated west of the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. The region has been inhabited by Berber farmers since Neolithic times. The city was founded in 1070 by Emir Abu Bakr ibn Umar as the imperial capital of the kingdom. Beginning in the 17th century the city became popular among Sufi pilgrims for its seven patron saints who are entombed here.

Marrakech comprises an old fortified city packed with vendors and their stalls. The medina quarter is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city has the largest traditional market (souk) in Morocco, with some 18 souks selling wares from traditional Berber carpets to modern consumer electronics. Crafts employ a significant portion of the population, who primarily sell their products to tourists.

Our first day was primarily taken up with a medina tour conducted by Fatima, a lovely young tourist guide. We met at the Koutoubia Mosque, a familiar landmark in the city. The mosque features intricate tile work, salmon-hued walls, expansive archways and an impressive 253-foot tall minaret. It was built in the 12th century.

Our first stop was a visit to the Saadian tombs. This cemetery features more than 160 tombs filled with the remains of prominent Saadians, who were members of an Arab dynasty and descendants of the prophet Muhammed. The tombs date back to the 14th century and the decor from the 16th century includes cedar ceilings, colorful mosaics and Carrera marble headstones.

We then visited the Bahia Palace. This 19th century palace exemplifies the lavish lifestyle of the Moroccan elite. The property housed various Moroccan royals. The public areas are open and feature rounded entryways that lead to colorful mosaics and intricate latticework, as well as cool shady walkways that lead to vast, sunny courtyards and gardens.

We then enjoyed a delightful lunch at the LeJardin Restaurant.

After lunch, we diverted from museum-like visits to wandering and shopping in the souks. There are literally miles of narrow, winding “streets” (no cars, only people, donkeys and motorbikes) with shops, cafes, bakeries, hammams, spice stands, etc. to ogle at. The bakery was quite interesting. Each neighborhood typically has a local bakery which bakes bread supplied by the residents.

And nearby a man is heating fires to supply steam for the adjacent Hammam (Local baths) and cooking tanjias for a local restaurant – beef or lamb dish baked in a clay pot under ashes.

And then the souks and shops.

A major highlight in Marrakech is the main square known as Jemaa el Fna, filled during the day with food stands, vendors, orange juice stands, snake charmers, donkey carts and hundreds if not thousands of people milling around. Then at night the hot food stands come out, offering sheep’s head, tagines, tangias, fried seafood, snails and other Moroccan dishes.

Volubilis is a partially excavated Berber-Roman city near Meknes, Morocco. Established late in the BC era by Juba II, it became the capital of Mauretania and was one of the most remote Roman cities of the time. It is quite near the holy city of Moulay Idriss, which overlooks Volubilis from the adjacent hillside.

It was once home to about 20,000 people, it was actively part of the Roman Empire until the Romans left in 285 AD. The Berbers took over the site in the 800 AD range, managed by Idriss I.

The French began early excavation of the site in the 1830’s, and work continues to this day. It was declared a World Heritage site in 1997. Volubilis is well worthwhile visiting as part of a stay in Fes. There is a nicely done visitor center with historical information, pictures and a few exhibits.

One day while in Fes, we drove about 3.5 hours north through the farmlands to see the beautiful city of Chefchouen (“the Blue City”) in the Rif Mountains. The city nestles in the hollow of the two mountains -ech-Chaoua (the Horns) – from which it takes its name. Steep narrow streets with white and indigo limewashed buildings, small squares, ornate fountains and houses with elaborately decorated doorways and red tile roofs make this a delightful town. It was founded in 1471 by Idrissid shorfa, descendants of the prophet Mohammed.

The Drive

The drive was beautiful as the road would through a somewhat hilly terrain filled with farmlands, orange groves, small villages – and the most olive trees in existence!

The City

Many of the older buildings in the medina are painted blue. We heard of several reasons, including “to look nice”, to attract tourists”, “it repels mosquitos”, “blue is the sky according to the Jews”, “blue is cooler”, “blue represents water – essential for human life”. Who really knows but it is pretty!