Morocco Journey II

Day 2-3- Camp Oasis

Camp Oasis was the ideal starting point for discovering the Dades Valley. The arid, barren landscapes of the Dades are stunning.  The camp is located next to a river in a Oasis, so when the sun sets, the valley glows with magnificent colors.

While at the camp I was able to learn more about Islam.  There was a little village close by and we could hear the calls to prayer, 5 times a day. While at the camp we found out that an important religious holiday was taking place, the Eid al-Adha or "Festival of Sacrifice".  The families get together and after prayer, a ram is offered in sacrifice.

Day 4 - Camp Oasis - Boumalne Dades

We left Camp oasis to head to Boumalne Dades, and on the way there we saw a couple of sacrifices next to the road.  We spent the day on the road, had some delicious meal on the road. We got to our hotel and decided to stay in and relax.  The hotel was so nice we didn't mind, we played some cards, ping pong and after a delicious dinner we were off to bed, we were leaving early next morning to visit  Gorge du dades and head to the desert.

Having her last meal

Boumalne Dades

Day 5 - Gorge du Dades - Merzouga Desert.

After a short drive we arrived to Gorge du Dades an extraordinary red rock formation.  This is a  spot that is visited by rock climbers looking for a challenging spot. After some obligatory photos of the Gorge and amazing vistas of the meandering road which lazily climbed steeply off the valley floor we were gone.

Gorge du Dades

Old water wells in the desert

After some more hours of driving we finally made it to the desert.  We got ready for the sand dunes the morning after.

Morocco Journey

Morocco was absolutely amazing.  From the Atlas Mountains, the breathtaking Sahara Desert, to the coastal town of Essaouira.  Every moment of our 12 day trip will forever be ingrained in my mind.

 We drove a total of 1,300 miles.

 DAY 1 - Marrakesh "Red City"

We arrived at the Marrakesh-Menara Airport at night after a short flight from Madrid.  We had a quick talk with Corbin Bernsen while waiting for our bags, pretty cool guy by the way. 

Marrakesh has an old fortified city,  called medina,  and an modern city,  Gueliz.  On our first day we stayed in the medina, at the beautiful Les Jardins de la Koutoubia. 

The hotel was located a couple of blocks away from the largest traditional market in Morocco, the magnificent Koutoubia mosque, and the busy square of Djemaa el Fna.   We went for a stroll after dinner and walking into the square we could see the smoke, and thousand lights. There were acrobats, story-tellers, water sellers, snake charmers, musicians, and food stalls that looked like a huge busy open-air restaurant.

DAY 2 - Atlas mountains

We drove out of Marrakesh, up the Atlas Mountains where the road snakes along precipitous cliffs. After a couple of hours on the road and so many curves i started feeling sick, too many turns for my weak stomach, I thought.  

The views from the mountains were incredible.

On our drive we passed by Ourzazate city, were we visited Kasbah of Taourirt, I wish I could say I remember everything about it and could describe it for you,  but I can't.  While Paul enjoyed the tour of the kasbah, I was visiting their bathrooms, yes I admit it, I got the tourist bug.

After 6 hours on the road we arrived to Camp Oasis.  It is located between two palm groves in the valley of Oued Izerki, halfway between the oasis of Skoura and Ouarzazate.

The camp is welcoming, with carpets, low lighting, excellent food and great service.  The experience of the desert with the full comfort of a luxury hotel.

Vacation Time

The day has finally arrived, its time to leave on our vacation to Morocco, I'm so excited about this trip.
While on our vacation we will be celebrating our 3rd Wedding Anniversary. I can't think of a better way to celebrate than traveling to a new place, being immersed in a different culture,  delicious food, and building new memories with my hubby.
We will be back in 2 weeks, and I'll be sharing our experience.

Until then.....
Enjoy Life.

Via Spotlight

Dreaming of Morocco

One week from today, Paul and I will be finally be taking off for a well deserved vacation, our destination, Morocco. 

We will be visiting Marrakesh, Merzouga, Valley of the Dades, Ouarzazate and Essaouira. It is going to be an amazing experience.

Right before a vacation, the days feel longer and work so much harder than usual.  My mind and body are already in vacation mode, I can't wait until takeoff, but until then I'll be Dreaming of Morocco.

Via Tnt Mag.

Via Adam Salkeld

Via Girls guide

En la Cocina - Homemade Granola

I have always liked granola, but I've never been 100% satisfied with the options at the store.  I have purchased almost every brand available, and most of the boxes have stayed in my pantry for months after trying them just once.  So instead of continuing to complain about not finding the right brand , one that tasted like I remember granola to be while growing up, I went on a mission to create my own (insert mission impossible theme song)

I have been making this granola for a couple of months now,  and I have to say that I am more than happy with the outcome, and so is my hubby. 

So if you want to give it a try, the recipe is below.

Ingredients

• 6  cups  rolled oats
• 1/4  cup  chopped almonds
• 1/4  cup  chopped pecans or cashews, even both if you like.
• 2  tablespoons  brown sugar
• 1/4  teaspoon salt
• 1/3  cup  maple syrup
• 1/4  cup  honey
• 1/3  cup  pineapple juice
• 1/2  teaspoon  almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cooking spray
• Your favorite dried fruit.  I like the ones below
• 1/4  cup dried cran-cherries
• 1/4  cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/4  cup dried blueberries.
• Sprinkle some coconut flakes 

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl combine the maple syrup, honey, juice, almond and vanilla extract;
Pour honey mixture on the oats mix, toss well.
Spread mixture evenly onto a pan coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 325° for 45 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 15 minutes.
When done, stir the dried fruit, you can even add some chocolate chips.  Cool completely. Store in a zip-lock plastic bag or air tight container.

Delicious with some yogurt or sprinkled over ice cream, and its a great and healthy substitute for my husbands midnight cookie attacks (seriously he can't be stopped)

Enjoy!!!

Terrarium

Finally this weekend I did a project that I have been postponing for a while. A succulent terrarium, It is really easy and awfully cute. Below are my how-to steps.  I highly recommend it!

SUPPLIES

GLASS CONTAINER: If you are using succulents, it is best to have a glass container with a large opening.  Succulents prefer dry, desert-like conditions. 

ROCKS: You need a bag of rocks for drainage and air circulation for the roots.

HORTICULTURAL CHARCOAL: This is the second layer in the terrarium. This helps lessen the chance of any molds or bacteria.

SOIL: Use cactus soil, or potting soil mixed with sand.  Succulents and cacti need soil that have extra good drainage. 

PLANTS: When you pick the succulents, select ones with similar sun conditions. 

Pour around  2" layer of rocks, smoothed them out and then pour in 1"-1 1/2" layer of charcoal. 

Pour in soil 2-3" and smooth out evenly. 

Plant the succulents,  Arrange them before planting so you can decide what set up you like better.  I went through a few configurations before deciding on the winning one. 

Plant them and pack the soil surrounding them. If you are using cacti, make sure to use thongs to move them around, I tried without them and got pocked more than once.

Care: Water every 2-3 weeks. Test the moisture of the soil before you water.
So easy and also almost no care needed. Perfect for me.

One Picture Recipe

The photographer Marina Ekroos has a collection of lovely photographs.  In one shot she shows the ingredients and all the steps of a recipe. Beautiful and clever.

All images via Marina Aurora Portfolio