My Great Auntie Margy

My great Auntie Margy, my mother's mother's sister, is 96 years old. She has been living on her own in her little house in Maghull until only about a year ago. She is a lovely, smart, feisty old gal and though I have only seen her when I've visited England, and once when she came to Canada many years ago, she is someone I love and respect. I find it so heartwarming to see how loved she is by the family here. Both my aunts are devoted to her as she is the last remaining of her generation still living, and the closest relative to my grandmother. She never married or had children but lived a rich and purposeful life. As her health begins to fail, she has made it clear she does not want to go into hospital and it seems that her time is near. I am so thankful that she is surrounded by many family members who visit her regularly - I think she has a visitor every day - and in her final days, she will be loved greatly. It doesn't matter the age, when someone you love passes, it is very sad. I know she will feel loved and honoured no matter when her time comes, but most of all, she will not be alone. Having said that, she is pretty strong and may rally again, but she tells us that she has told Our Lady of Lourdes that she is ready anytime.
God bless her!

Serendipity

So I'm standing on the platform in Kent, getting last minute instructions to Euston from Nineeta's sister Rada, and a woman standing next to us had an extra London underground map which she generously gave me. I said goodbye to Rada and this woman and I got chatting. She asked me where I was from, where I was travelling to and I told her I want to go to India, specifically, Calcutta. Turns out  she was born there and knows of the place I want to volunteer at, as well as the sister who runs the place! She also told me that she is married to a Nigerian who lives in Lagos and spends her time between Calcutta and Nigeria. Needless to say, we had plenty to talk about on the short journey to London. We have exchanged details and will keep in touch as I make my plans to go there. It so happens she will be there at the same time as I hope to be and has offered to help me find a place to stay and get settled. It absolutely astonishes me when these things happen. I mean, really! I was supposed to catch the train before this one but ran late and ended up on the the next one. I continue to trust that things will unfold for me as they are meant to and all my needs will be met.
Wow.

This weekend I am off to the Lake District for a few days of walking and enjoying the verdant green lush beauty of the area. It may rain the whole time, but I have the gear and am really looking forward to walking again. It's weird how much I miss it after my Camino....it's a form of meditation that seems to really ground me.
I am still trying to upload photos from my iPad so will try one now....

London Revisited

Back in the crazy, busy, crowded, expensive, exciting city of London! It's a love-hate thing with me I think. I love London for all it's history and vibrancy, but let's face it, I'm a small town girl and totally out of my comfort zone here. Having said that, it would be fun to live here for a short time and really "do" London. 
The purpose of this few days in London was to connect with a colleague from my Cowans days, Nineeta Drepal, CEO of the buying group we belong to. She and I are the same age and have always connected. Now that I am no longer in the business, we can be friends! Our original idea was to spend our 50th birthday year together at some point. For ten days, we are the same age (she was born in 1960). The idea of Barcelona came up when I told her of my plans to do the Camino. As it turned out, we couldn't get together until now and it has worked out just great. She is one of those totally amazing women that I aspire to emulate....someday! It has been SO great to seeing her again, and meeting some of her family was an added privilege. We are talking bout doing a trip together, though she tells me it will have to be a "comfort" trip. None of this traipsing around with a backpack for her!! I was also able to connect with my lovely friend Laura, whom I met on the Morocco trip. We met at Oxford Circus tube station and found a pub where we had a pint and our final gab/giggle session! It was amazing to see her again so soon and I will miss her terribly.
So, back to Liverpool today and where I will sort myself out again for further travel. I am starting to get questioned in immigration now as they want to know where I'm going, how long I'm staying, how I am supporting myself and whether I have a relationship in England. Ha!! I wish!! I am in the process of applying for my British citizenship so hopefully that will help. As I've said, I'd like to go to India for a few months but if that doesn't work out, I would like to do more of the Middle East. I really love Africa and could just remain there forever! I also met a wonderful couple, Marina and Les from New Zealand who I adore and would really love to visit as well. So many choices!  Anyway, I know that once I take my head out of the proverbial sand, reality will sink in and I'll have to go home. In the meantime, I'm happy to just keep on trekking!

Marrakech

Last stop before leaving this amazing country. We spent our last two nights in this bustling, colourful city. We arrived at our hotel and then walked about 30 minutes to enjoy dinner at the infamous Djemaa el Fna, the ultimate el fresco experience. Every night the main square comes alive with endless food vendors and rows of tables waiting for you to sit down and be enveloped in the tastes of Marrkech. This was an unforgettable introduction to bustling City where we  wandered though the crowds hoping to see the singers, drummers, dancers, snake charmers, fortune tellers, tooth pullers, storytellers, jugglers and even old medicine men, who all make up what has been dubbed the 'greatest spectacle on earth'. I did not see any of this, but did have a monkey hop onto my shoulders! Marrakech is a feast for the senses. Enticed by the alluring scents and brilliant colours of the spice markets, the sounds of the musicians, the rich folds of fabrics, and delectable foods, I was totally caught up in the energy of this vibrant city.
The next day, three of us decided to hire a guide who took us on a walking tour of the city. We explored the amazing Medina and the seemingly endless mosaic of souqs. Each is devoted to a separate trade: pottery, woodwork, copper, leather, carpets and spices. 
The monuments of Marrakech are numerous and range from the well-known Koutoubia Mosque and its superb minaret, the Palais Bahia, a superb example of Muslim architecture, and the ruins of the Palais Badi, reputedly one of the most beautiful palaces in the world in its time. The Saadian tombs are a recently uncovered gem of the Medina. Our guide, Abdul, was a delightful young man and we enjoyed our tour immensely. 
The last dinner was on a rooftop at a fancy restaurant where we ate lamb tagine and couscous for the last time. The next day, most of us were catching flights for further travel, or going home. I really enjoyed this group of people and our guide Aziz who became very dear to us all over the 15 days. I miss them all and will never forget my amazing experience in Morocco

Essaouira

We left the mountains behind and headed towards the windswept Atlantic Coast and the old fishing town of Essaouira.
The name Essaouira means image, which is appropriate since it's such a picturesque town. Its charm is undeniable - within the stone ramparts you'll find whitewashed houses with bright blue shutters, art galleries and wood workshops. This laidback artists' town is a former Portuguese trading colony and was once home to sizeable British and Jewish populations. The town faces a group of rocky islands - called the Mogador - and is surrounded by an expanse of sandy beaches and dunes. Really beautiful, but more importantly...really warm!!!
It's still a busy fishing port and its pretty harbour is filled with colourful boats which go out early every morning for the day's catch. Visitors who have been seduced by its charms include Orson Welles and Jimi Hendrix, who (according to local legend) spent much of his time here in the 1960s. More recently, filmmaker Ridley Scott chose the ramparts as an important location for his film, Kingdom of Heaven.
We had a local guide who took us on a walking tour through the old Medina, Jewish mellah, port and skala (sea wall). 
We stayed in a wonderfully restored riad - a traditional nobleman's house unique to Morocco - an escape from the hustle and bustle of the Medina. Our riad had a central courtyard and was beautifully designed and decorated in traditional Moroccan style.
Everything in the small centre was within walking distance and the beach was beautiful and clean.  It was wonderful to be by the sea again. I took the time to browse the shops and art galleries that make this little town a particularly pleasant place to be. It has a growing reputation for its unique art including its burled Thuya wood - delicately formed and inlaid in tiny shops, which are built into the thick walls of the Portuguese ramparts. The scent from the oils used to polish the richly coloured wood permeates the air and made for a pleasant change from the meat markets with sheeps heads, entrails, and God knows what, filling the streets!
Our guide Aziz took us to a very fun restaurant for dinner. It was Laura's birthday and we were in the mood to celebrate. The food was amazing - fresh seafood caught that day and traditional live music to dine to. We all ended up dancing until midnight and then walked back to the hotel to have birthday cake. It was one of the best nights of the trip, and, I'm sure, one of Laura's most memorable birthdays!

Aroumd

Today we journey'd over the Tizi n'Tichka Pass (2260 m) to the scenic Toubkal National Park. The route is an epic journey as we bid farewell to the landscape of the Sahara, passing over the desolate high altitudes of the Tichka, before traversing some stunning lush valleys and winding our way to the end of the road at Imlil.
We stored our main luggage and took our daypacks up to the peaceful  village of Aroumd where we spent the night. We had the option of putting our bags on to pack mules, but i felt i needed the extra exercise so decided to carry mine the one hour climb. Plus, I just feel sorry for the mules as it always seems like they carry way too much weight. 
A family-run mountain home (gite) was our accommodation for the night and perched on a great rocky outcrop we had an incredible view of North Africa's highest peak - Mount Toubkal. Facilities at the mountain gite were shared - both the bathroom and sleeping arrangements - but it was quite comfortable. The temperature had dropped dramatically, down to -4, and even though there was a fire in the common area, I just couldn't get warm. Eventually, I just went to bed, slept in my clothes and piled as many blankets as I could on top of me. My new room mate is a lovely girl from Australia named Laura. We have become great friends over the past 10 days and spend much of our time giggling and being silly together. She is a breath of fresh air.
The next morning we were led on a four hour hike up the mountain to an ancient shrine. It was for me, another highlight. The hike was fairly steep and rocky but it was a beautiful sunny day and we managed to stay quite warm. A few people opted out of the hike so we were a small group of only 6. As we approached the shrine, we came into the snow, making it a little treacherous to walk, but as usual, well worth the effort. The shrine is only about halfway up, the rest being much more challenging and with more snow and ice. With the sunshine it was stunning, and I wished I could have gone on to the top. We met a group of Polish people who were staying overnight at the top and I was so envious!
We had sweet mint tea to fortify ourselves for the descent down and kept ourselves amused by singing musicals all the way down. Laura can sing like an angel and Les and I did our best to keep up to her. (Les, from New Zealand, is a big burly steer farmer, self proclaimed redneck, and I was most surprised at his affection for singing the songs from the Sound of Music!)
Once we arrived back at the gite, we were served an amazing lunch on the terrace in the sunshine. Still quite chilly, but the views of the mountains in front of us made us forget the temperature altogether. After lunch, we packed up and made our way back down to the village and our patiently waiting driver Hassan.

Ait Benhaddou

We left the Gorges region and traveled further south towards Ait Benhaddou  This scenic drive offers a glimpse of times gone by via the ruins of ancient kasbahs, former colonial military outposts, austere mountains, wide-open spaces, and valleys of palm trees and irrigated fields. En route we stopped for lunch in Ouarzazate, the film capital of Morocco.
We had a short visit to Project Handicapped Horizon, an organisation dedicated to the rehabilitation, health and empowerment of people with disabilities. This project is supported through The Intrepid Foundation.
Centuries ago, Ait Benhaddou was an important stop for the caravans passing through as they carried salt across the Sahara, returning with gold, ivory and slaves. Today, its grand kasbah is still one of the most beautiful in all of Morocco and a World Heritage site. This fortified village is a fine example of clay architecture and is also famous for its role on the silver screen, featuring in numerous films such as Lawrence of Arabia, The Jewel of the Nile and Gladiator. We walked up through the Kasbah, lined with the usual shops selling their colourful wares of scarves, trinkets, carpets and jellabas.
At our guesthouse we had a  cooking demonstration of Morocco's most famous cuisine: couscous and tajine. We dined and went to bed fairly early as it was still quite cold and bed is the only place to stay warm! In the morning, we had breakfast on the rooftop patio in the morning sun. It was lovely and warm and we were treated to a boiled egg, yogurt, oranges, bread and coffee, a departure from the usual bread or Moroccan style pancakes.
Back into the van and on our way to the High Atlas mountains. We have had a lot of time on the bus lately, which has bonded us as a group and we have had many laughs and good chats with each other.I am really enjoying my new friends!