Naples and Orlando, Florida

We left Key West and headed toward Orlando, driving up the west coast of Florida through the Everglades. Let me make this very clear....I will NEVER get into one of those air boats and go thru the swamps. To me, the only good alligator is a purse or a pair of shoes. Maybe a wallet. To me, that is the only reason I can find for these creatures to exist. I would never intentionally go somewhere to see one of them. The thought that all of Florida is a swamp, and that they can be anywhere, is really distressing to me. So we drove thru the Everglades very quickly.

We stopped in Naples to break up the trip and spent two nights at the Ritz Carlton. The first night we had dinner in the Grill Room at the hotel. It is their major restaurant, and it was great....but a LOT of food! So after touring Naples and discovering that it is a lovely golf resort town and nothing more, we decided to "stay in" the next night.

As I have said, the Ritz Carlton hotels are amazing, and the club floors as so worth the extra money. They have food presentations all day and each setting is better than the next. We found ourselves and well as six other couples having cocktails and eating there in the evening.

BTW, the Ritz in Naples has an amazing Nature Club for the children on property, and actually, as an adult, I enjoyed visiting it. It is not as big as the spa, which is amazing, but it is filled with animals and information about wildlife. It is great if you have the grandkids and you want something special for them to experience at the hotel. The Ritz staff have done a lot of wonderful things at this property, and this is certainly one of them.

On Friday, we headed into Orlando. Our timing was perfect since our adult children were off work for the week-end and the grandkids were out of school. We went directly to their new house and got a chance to see where they were now living. After 16 years in Raleigh-Durham, this was a big change for them. But it is an exciting time for all of them....and change can be a good thing.

We never knew there was a city in Orlando apart from Mickey's House, Universal Studios, and Cape Kennedy. It's nice to know that one does exist. As in our family there, some of the people in this city are doctors and some are lawyers. Some run cross country and some play the tuba. And some are program computers . So my friends, it is not all Universal and Disney World.

We stayed at the Grand Bohemian Hotel, which is a kick. It is a full-service hotel with a wonderful restaurant, and one of four oversized Bosendorfer Concert Grand pianos in the world.
The hotel is in downtown Orlando, and has quite an art collection. You need to see it to believe it!! We had an exciting time exploring Winter Park and Leu Gardens, the Science Center Museum and some new restaurants. This will be a fun city to get to know...and now when I skype my grandchildren, and I see them sitting in a room, I know where that room is!

Sadly, it quickly became Monday, and everyone had to return to their normal lives. I always hate saying "good-bye"...but I know all good things eventually have to come to an end...and I also know there will be more good times ahead.

Florida and the Keys

Having left our wonderful visit with our Chicago family, we flew to Miami, picked up a car, and made a 30 minute drive to South Beach. We had never been there, and our only Florida experiences were from the 80's at Miami Beach, so an overnight stay in South Beach seemed to make sense.

We checked into the Ritz Carlton hotel, a fabulous re-do of a 50's art deco hotel, and it was incredible. I would live in a Ritz Carlton if I could....FOREVER. The staff was so wonderful...and the club floor was amazing. This are what hotels are supposed to be....an escape from reality into something dreams are made of.

We took a long walk all over the pedestrian area surrounding our hotel, seeing properties that I had heard about forever. It a was a lot of fun. Then we went back to the hotel, changed for dinner and went to the main walking area along the water and sideled into Quinn's. It was a perfect choice, and although we couldn't get stone crabs (cause they weren't in season yet), we made do with a lot of other seafood!

After dinner, we took a walk around this area of South Beach, hearing the Cuban music drifting out onto the street and smelling the spices from the delicious food. It was really a lovely experience. We were only sorry that we just had one day and night...but we sure crammed a lot into that short time.
The next morning we got up and headed into the Keys with Key West as our ultimate destination.

The Keys extend for 170 miles southwest from the mainland, and for years I have wanted to experience them. You can swim with the dolphins, snorkel, deep sea fish, or just enjoy the beauty of these islands (which is what we did). We stopped in Key Largo,the first major Key out of Miami, and being a Bogie fan, we tried to find the "African Queen", the magical boat from the movie of the same name, which is mired there somewhere. With no success, and wanting to get to Key West early enough, we headed on.

Route 1 starts in Key West, and heads north to Miami. The mile markers along the road tell you how many miles from Key West you are. Key Largo was at marker 112. These markers were the original mile posts installed along the old railroad bed which you can still see running parallel to the highway. That railroad was a marvel in engineering. Mr. Flagler, the railroad builder, would have been proud.

The Keys were founded by the Indians heading south after the Ice Age, herding bison and elephant. Then came the pirates...the farmers...the fisherman... the railroad people...the salvagers, Ernest Hemingway...Harry Truman and Jimmy Buffett. And everyone left their mark on this unique place.

One island, called Marathon, got its name from the railroad people, who said building the railroad was a Marathon!!! There are 42 bridges that connect the Keys, but the longest is 7 miles, and it starts on the south side of Marathon and goes to Little Duck Key and Missouri Key. All of the islands have swimming with the dolphins and great sport fishing. But we wanted to get to Key West, and by 2 o'clock, we arrived....a really lovely ride.

Our hotel, the Ocean Key, sat at Zero Duval Street!! Isn't that a fabulous address? And what an exceptional hotel it is. It sits right on the water, and has so much flavor and history....and did I mention that the rooms are incredible? All with balconies and great views. We were lucky enough to have one overlooking the pier, and later I will tell you why that is so great.

As we always do, we got out onto the street and began to explore. What a great place! Many friends have described Key West as racy, touristy, bawdy and tacky....but no one has ever said it was boring. It was a mecca for drop-outs and drop-ins...millionaires who dock their boats and need to relax from a lot of hard work and people with no particular bent except to enjoy the weather and the scene itself. Whatever your likes, you can find something in Key West. The near perfect weather and the unbelievable coral reef make this a wonderful outdoor place for all kinds of sports people.

The art and architecture in this place abounds. The hotels are all either re-done homes or new resorts. The guest houses and small inns are just lovely and recall a time in history that needs saving. Some of the painstakingly restored historic houses were inhabited by the likes of Harry Truman (who had his Little House here), Tennessee Williams, Ernest Hemingway and John Audubon. These homes are now museums and welcome visitors with great tours.

The waterfront attracted sea captains, pirates and salvagers. There is a museum filled with treasures as well as the Key West Aquarium, the Clinton Square Market and the Shipwreck Historeum. At the end of Duval street, where our hotel sits, is a pier where everyone comes to watch the sun set. As I said earlier, we had a view of this pier from our room, so if we couldn't get a seat at the always packed bar, we could "bid the day good-bye" from our private viewing balcony.

And the music plays on. A lot of people say that Key West is honky-tonk. Well, there are lots of t-shirt shops along Duval Street..as well as bars, restaurants, art galleries and TOURISTS!! But inbetween is a fabulous old movie theater (which is now a Walgreen's), amazing old homes and an opera house. Further along Duval is the house where Hemingway penned many of his books and nearby where Robert Frost came to visit and write.

Yes, it is a little like the French Quarter in New Orleans, but Key West is its own charming place to visit. I would do it again in a heartbeat. And I even had a margarita as per Jimmy Buffett!!!

Chicago

Our "children/grandchildren alarm bell went off, not with a murmur, but with a CLANG, so we made plans to visit the kids in Chicago and Orlando on our latest venture from Los Angeles.

Since all of the grandchildren are in school, we needed to be with each family over a weekend so we had to work around their timing.

We headed to Chicago first...and it was quickly becoming Fall. The "something in the air" was rain....but it was kind of fun to smell the wafts of autumn coming through. Zoe and Ben had soccer practice and a game (that got rained out)...and we even got to see some of a dance rehearsal. But the most fun was being able to take the kids alone on a double-decker tour bus that did a major loop through Chicago and the neighborhoods. The kids LOVED the bus...and the driver....and we loved seeing the new Trump Tower and hotel that is now larger than the Sears Tower!!! Millennium Park is great to walk through, as is Navy Pier, and we had a fun lunch at the Rainforest Cafe.

The Fairmont Hotel at Millennium Park was our home away from home for 4 nights and it was just perfect. It is on the other side of the river...which means a little longer walk down to the shopping area...but manageable. The rooms were large and wonderful. We loved having a coffee bar in the room for late night/early morning "wakeups". We even managed to sneak in an anniversary dinner with just the adults at Le Colonnial...and it was a lovely way to end our visit.

According to my mother, a very wise woman, "fish and relatives smell after 3 days"...so not wanting to take that chance, we kissed everyone goodbye on Sunday. We had 5 days to kill before arriving in Orlando to visit our North Carolina newly re-located transplant children/grandchildren, so off to our own Florida adventure we went.

Carmel and San Francisco

Our adorable 12-year-old grandson Jacob came to visit Dick and me for two weeks, thanks to his parents for letting us have him, and thanks to his older brothers for letting us take him. This has been his 8th time in LA, so we have done most of the amusement parks and children venues from here down to San Diego.

So we did a Dodger vs. Yankees baseball game and saw the Broadway rendition of South Pacific at the Ahmanson... and then we packed the car and headed up north.

The first stop on our sojourn was the Hearst Castle. We took the introduction tour which included both swimming pools, a guest cottage and the gardens. It is an amazing place, and now is managed by the Park System of California. Mr. Hearst owned 30 properties around the world and this is one of the ones he gave up. I can only imagine the others that the public will never be able to see. They must be mind-blowing!!!

After our tour, we headed for Carmel-by-the-Sea....which as you know, if you have read any of my earlier entries on my blog, is one of our favorite places to visit. We travelled along CA HW1 which is the most scenic road imaginable; however, if you are faint of heart or have a tendency to get car sick, the 101 might be a better choice. We wanted Jacob to experience this magnificent stretch of road...but it is almost 80 miles of curves thru the mountains with a steep drop to the ocean. What a way to enter Carmel-by-the-Sea.

If you don't have time to visit the Cotswolds, this charming village is as close as you will get in the US. Since we didn't have Dolly, (our bearded collie) we were able to stay at the Dolphin Inn....a lovely b&b that had a pool (and no dogs) . Jacob swam one afternoon...and he became a member of the "Polar Bear Club"....as the temperature must have been about 50 degrees!!!'

We showed Jacob all around the town walking for at least two hours...just meandering up and down the streets of the town. Then we had dinner at a lovely place...Bistro Giovanni...which was perfect for all of us. After gorging ourselves on spectacular Italian food...we walked a bit longer..hoping to work off some calories to make room for an ice cream and latte. After that, we went back to the hotel and collapsed into bed.

The next morning we got up early and headed into Monterey to get to the Aquarium right when it opened. They have a new exhibit of flamingoes and seahorses and it was amazing! Jacob has been to Aquariums in Los Angeles, Washington and Boston...and he rated this one right up there. The collection of jellies is not to be believed...along with the anemones.

I personally love the penguins....but what can I tell you.

After our visit to the Aquarium, we walked around Cannery Row and Fisherman's Wharf telling Jacob all about John Steinbeck and Jack London.

We then headed for Pacific Grove and the Pinos Lighthouse...having lunch Latitudes, a great little place overlooking the rocks and water. What a heavenly spot this penninsula is. It has everything I need to nourish my soul.....water, wind, sun, beach, and don't forget the cypress trees!!! I never get tired of this vista.

We toured the lighthouse and were impressed that it is still a working one. We have seen others that are not operational..so this was a treat.

We came back to Carmel via the 17-mile drive...heading over to Pebble Beach. The US Open had just been there, and they were still taking down the viewing stands and huge tents. We have spent a lot of time here with good friends, and have many good memories. Dick still remembers birdie-ing the 7th hole!!!

Jacob plays Pebble Beach on his Wii,...so it was fun for him to see the "real deal".

We ended the drive at the beach, where Jacob cascaded down a sand dune numerous times. It was a glorious day...the tide was first coming in..and we all just enjoyed the experience.

After that, we went back to the hotel...passed the swim...and got dressed for dinner. We headed back into Pacific Grove to one of our favorite restaurants....Fandango. We have been going here for at least 12 years...and rarely vary our dinner. The paella is spectacular...even better here than in Spain....and with some sangria...who could ask for anything better?

The next morning we got up early again, packed the car, and headed to San Jose. Jacob was dying to go to the Winchester Mystery House....and so we did. This was the home of Sarah Winchester...heiress to the Winchester Rifle Fortune. She lost her baby at 6 months and then her husband when he was 41.

So she moved West to San Jose, and bought hundreds of acres of land, and built a house. But this is not just any house. The spirits, whom she consulted all the time, told her that if she continued to build this house, they would not come and take her life. So, since she was very superstitious, she continued to construct this home 24/7. She NEVER stopped adding rooms and stairways, and closets and passageways. It is really very sad...but the house is quite something. Jacob especially liked the "Stairway to nowhere". You just opened a door and fell out!!

We were going to stop to see the Computer Museum, but it was closed for renovations...so we headed into San Francisco. What an amazing city...and how fun to be able to share it with "new eyes".

We pulled up to the Ritz Carlton, in the fabulous turn-of-the-last-century Met Life Building, and we welcomed graciously. This is a magnificent hotel...truly a gem in the Ritz Carlton family, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. We were escorted to our gorgeous room on the Club Floor, and went there to make some arrangments.

I had been so clever and bought tickets in advance for Hearst Castle ..and the Monterey Aquarium...but it never occurred to me to do it for Alcatraz. Well, when the concierge told me that it was all sold out, I freaked! That was the one thing Jacob really wanted to do...and I didn't want to disappoint him. What a terrible grandmother!!!

The concierge on the Club Floor, Alexander , saw my distress and "Went to Plan B". He told me about a company that did a tour of San Francisco, ending with a tour of Alcatraz! It was a perfect solution, as we only had one full day in San Francisco. Thank goodness for Urban Safari!!!

After making the arrangements for tomorrow, we headed into town...showing Jacob Union Square and the surrounding fun things. Then we queued up for a Cable Car ride back up to Nob Hill, where the Ritz is located. What fun for Jacob to stand on the side of the car and look up and down the steep hills.

After changing, we walked into China Town for dinner. We ate at a restaurant called R&G Lounge....which conceivably could be the best Chinese food I have ever eaten in my life. The special crab was just exquisite, as was the special beef. Just an amazing dinner. Walked home and collapsed. Tomorrow will be a LONG day(as was today)

We got up early and grabbed the cable car down to the Wharf area. We walked around, and showed Jacob a different Fisherman's Wharf and Cannery than the one in Monterey.We took the trolley and went downtown, and made a loop back to the Wharf. Then we had a light lunch of seafood, and headed to the spot where we were to get our jeep for the city safari

The tour was great, and included an Up Close and Personal of the Golden Gate Bridge...plus a drive around Golden Gate Park,a short tour of the Presidio, the Castro area, the Painted Ladies houses and much more. A wonderful and fun overview.

Then they dropped us at the Pier, and we boarded the ferry for Alcatraz. This is a wonderful tour...taking about 3 hours. Needless to say, after all the walking, and the ferry ride, and the length of the day....we needed a little "pick-me-up". So we walked over to Ghiaradelli Square and bought Jacob a 3-scoop

ice cream sundae...with the BEST chocolate on top (as well as nuts, cherries and whipped cream).

What a perfect way to end a perfect day!!

We hopped into an empty limo, and he took us back to the hotel, where we decided to pass on a fancy dinner. Jacob wanted to swim in the hotel pool (this one was heated), and it was nice to work off some energy. Then we went into the Club Room and had a snack. It was all we needed after this day.

The next morning, we said good-bye to all our new friends at the hotel and we headed back to LA. It had been a wonderful trip, filled with windy coastal roads, otters waving at us, cypress trees bending in the breeze, cobblestones waiting to be walked upon, golf courses, glorious food, and the ever present sound of the cable cars moving up and down the windy, steep hills. And lest we forget.... the ever present Pacific ocean.

It was a magical 5 days....and all of us enjoyed every moment. What a joy to share it with a 12-year-old. We are very grateful to everyone who helped make this happen.

Madrid

After an incredible journey through Morocco, we headed to Madrid where we were lucky enough to spend two glorious nights before returning home.

Remember when I talked about Magic hotels? Well, the Ritz in Madrid is one of those. It is not just a hotel.....it is an institution...a way of life.

When we checked in, upon giving them our names, the lovely man behind the desk said "Welcome back, Mr. and Mrs. Kite. Do you still live at this address?..and he handed us a card with our address printed on it. He then said, "It has been a while since we have seen you (1998 to be exact)...we hope you will enjoy your stay and not be strangers". Now that is a wonderful way to enter a hotel. The entire staff in this hotel is so well trained in service, it is just a pleasure in every aspect.

We had a glorious room overlooking the park and the Prado....and we couldn't wait to reacquaint ourselves with the city. It is just a glorious city....what can you say? The layout is spectacular and the architecture is gorgeous. We walked for about 5 hours...all thru the Prado,the Thyssen and the Reina Sophia art museums. So nice to visit "old friends" and see how they have weathered. They have done better than we have!!!!

We ate dinner the first night at the oldest recorded restaurant in the world (according to the Guinness Book of Records) called Botin...established in 1725. What fun! We met the great grandson of the original owner, and he and his father work there every night. We didn't have the baby pig (which they are famous for) but the chicken and the lamb which were wonderful! It was just kicky to be in this place. After dinner, we got a tour of the kitchen which had the original stone oven...and then went down to the lower level which had the original walls. I would highly recommend this delightful eatery.

The next day, we again took off for a 6 hour walk around the city, just wandering with no specific purpose. It was a beautiful spring day....a "good day to be alive"..and we reveled in the splendor of this majestic city.

That night we ate dinner in a new restaurant called Lua, with a pre-fixed menu that was a lot of fun. It was very gourmet...which we normally don't tend to like, but this was really nice.

And then, boom, our trip was over. We headed to the airport the next morning, and got back to LA without a hitch. Now for the hard part....re-entry. I am not complaining, I want you to know. It just gets harder and harder each time.

When I think about this trip, there are so many people who pop into my mind...Joel and Michael who made this happen for us, Souad and Mohammad who showed us their Morocco and made us understand so many things, Fabien, Mokhtar and Leesa who let us experience their incredible hotels, Soufiane and Mady who let us peek into their hotels and Marcelo and Begona who made sure our return to Madrid was memorable. Without them it wouldn't have been the same. I only hope the same could happen for you...and that you will enjoy the world as we have.

How lucky we are!!!

Marrakech

Some say we saved the best for last...Marrakech, the city of dreams. But, honestly, it will have to really be something to outdo what we have seen and experienced so far.

Marrakech is, like most of the big cities in Morocco, a blend of the old and the new. And it is now recognized as one of the world's GREAT cities. It has everything that a tourist would want... incredible history and historic sights, wonderful museums, great food, top designer clothes and an amazing combination of ethnicities. The Arab/Berber/Jewish/Muslim/French mixture produces beautiful people and interesting vignettes.

We checked into the legendary La Mamounia Hotel which recently reopened after extensive renovations. As I mentioned before, there are magic properties in the world, and then there are hotels. Mamounia is MAGIC. From the moment you enter, until you are seated with a glass of sweet milk and a best date I have ever eaten, you feel as if you were transported back in time...into another dimension. Winston Churchill lived at the Mamounia after retiring and spent many days painting...as was his passion.

Our room overlooked the gardens which have been in existence for hundreds of years. Amazing to think that this city was laid out in sections, and still is. The 12th century tiled minaret of the Koutoubia mosque is the landmark in the city. From there, you can wander around to the Medersa (religious university), the museums and the incredible Djemaa el Fnaa...the square in the middle of the city that is the most famous in Africa. It is quite calm during the day, but by evening, food stalls are erected, storytellers, snake charmers and various other street people come out to entertain the passersby. It has been designated a World Heritage Space and whenever you see a picture of people watching cobras, it is in this square. Needless to say, we cut them a wide berth.

The souk in Marrakech is amazing. Unlike the one in Fes, which is all enclosed, this one is open. And if you are not careful, you can get swallowed up in its myriad of mazes and winding streets. As in Fes, each trade has its own place, and even if there are 20 people selling what appears to be the same thing.....there are differences. We watched a young man making handmade soccer balls. He learned the trade from his father, and charges a couple hundred US dollars for one. It takes him 4 days to complete the ball.

There are other areas in Morocco to shop other than the souks. There is a French area called Gueliz and a newer industrial area where a lot of the manufacturers put their items into art galleries. Marrakech is indeed an amazing blend of old and new...you sense the caravans moving through as well as the jet planes.

One of Marrakech's favorites sons was Yves St. Laurent. He lived in the Majorelle Gardens ( the original home of painter Jacques Majorelle) and his final resting place is there. His gardens are open to the public, but not his house. Many of his famous designs come from old Moroccan sketches, and his caftans went for thousands of dollars.

We spent 4 lovely days and nights in Marrakech and were never lacking in something to do or see. It is a tourist's dream...and I would heartily recommend you not running in and out. That you can save for Casablanca. But, before going there, we left Marrakech and drove to the seaside village of Essaouira. What a lovely place. We watched the fish catches coming in from huge boats and then went to one of the stands by the port and pigged out on fish and seafood for lunch. It was beyond amazing. You just pointed and they cooked it right in front of you. We must have had 15 items all of which were delicious. For you movie lovers, Orson Welles' "Othello" was filmed here in the maze of alleys and fascinating little streets lined with wonderful stores. Out of Central Casting, and Locations-R-Us!!! We would have enjoyed 3 nights here...but our two weeks was rapidly coming to an end.

The next day we drove 4 hours to Casablanca, had a lovely dinner at Rick's Cafe (saw the piano, the crap table and the movie playing...almost like "Night of the Iguana" in Puerto Vallarta...).but no Rick. It was fun just to get the t-shirt. Casablanca itself is not much of a romantic city. Most people just use it as an "in-and-out". It has no charm like Fes or Marrakech...but the seaside helps as does the gorgeous homes in the wealthy areas. If you are limited in time, as most of us are, this city is a "quickie".

Well, there you have it. I am in love with Morocco. The people, the sights, the sensuality of the cities, the music, the food, the history. It is truly a step back into time, with nomads walking through the souks along with tourists from Japan. It is a contradiction between the old and new.....tagine restaurants next to a McDonald's. And let's not forget the ubiquitous Starbucks.
But please... bump this destination up on your bucket list. It is rapidly changing and you should experience this wonderful country before it becomes so Europeanly modern that all vestiges of what it is now disappears. Dick already felt that it wasn't quite the Morocco he had envisioned...that it was too modern. I felt that it still has a way to go before things changed too drastically. Please try to enjoy it soon.

Sahara Desert

On May 15, we left Fes for a 9 hour drive to the Sahara desert...with stops along the way. We drove south thru the Middle Atlas Mountains, following the Ziz river valley until it ends at the Tafilet oasis at the edge of the Sahara. The oasis was the last stop on the trans-Saharian trading route before arriving in Timbuktu (where my mother always threatened to send me when I didn't behave). The city is called Erfoud, and we stayed at a wonderful hotel called the Xaluca Maadid. We had a delightful swim, ate a lovely dinner, and got ready for our morning ride on the dunes!

The dunes of Erg Chebbi are the largest in the Sahara...the ones you always see in pictures. We got to the base at 5:30 AM where our camels were waiting. Actually, they were dromedaries since they only had one hump (as my grandson informed me). We rode to the top of a very large dune, about a 25-minute ride, and waited for the sunrise. It was awesome...and I don't say that lightly. You can only imagine what it must have been like to travel the desert in a caravan. From where we were, it would have taken 54 days to get to Timbuktu on our trusted steed....with no foul-ups.

Just one word about camels (dromedaries). They didn't smell and they didn't spit....but it was a bit scary because it was dark and we couldn't see. The camel gets up by rocking back and forth and you feel you could fall off. You must remember to lean back, because if you lean forward, he will go down again. All of this aside, it was AMAZING!!!...a definite "E" ride. We got back on board and rode to the tented camps so we could see what we missed by staying at a hotel and not in the desert in a tent. Dick was glad about our decision. I would have camped outside, but life is all about compromises....and at least I got him on the camel.

We went back to or hotel, showered, packed and headed to the Skoura Oasis. We were picked up in a 4x4 and taken to a 19th century kasbah that has been renovated in a great blend of Morocco and Italian. Dick and I have stayed in many wonderful places in our lives...but Dar Ahlam (House of Dreams) has to rate in the top 5. It is AMAZING.

Our host, Fabien Guilluy, met us with the greeting "Welcome to my kasbah"!!! He showed us to the garden and explained that there are no set hours or places to have any of our meals. We could eat whenever and wherever we wanted! He showed us the Hammam (the Moroccan steam room) where we made an appointment to get a body scrub and massage.

Then we unpacked and realized we had no key to our room. We were informed that there were no keys but we not to worry about leaving our room unlocked. When in Rome.....we headed to dinner. They had selected a room inside, and when I asked if we could sit outside, within 2 minutes a new table was laid outside overlooking the pool. It was a glorious evening. Later that night, when I dreamt of the dunes, the camels, the sunrise, and days gone by.....I also dreamt of Dar Ahlam. The best part was that we had another wonderful day to spend here.

Our local guide picked us up in the morning and took us to the old Jewish Cemetery. There are no Jews presently living in Skoura, but there were at one time. They even built a new synagogue that will open June 17th to have festivities for Jews from Casablanca, Marrakesh and Essouria. This new place was built with money from Moroccan Jews who left for Israel and wanted a place when they come back.

Our guide took us for a long walk in the Palmarie and showed us how the people lived . There are over 150 kasbahs in the oasis, and many different tribes. We went to the Monday Market and tried to buy some chickens and a goat....but it started to rain, so we had to run for the car. Oh, well, I got close.

Five musicians entertained us during cocktails, and either the music will drive me mad....or I will learn to love it. The jury is still out on that one. Dinner was in a private dining room lit with at least 50 candles. They put us inside because rain was threatening, but opened all of the doors. It was fantastic. Just like Disneyland. I had mentioned to Fabien in the morning that the chocolate Pastilla in the cookbook looked wonderful.....and guess what we had for dessert? Can I say anymore about the luxuriousness of Dar Ahlam? I would not consider any trip to Morocco complete unless I could stay here again.

We left, sadly, the next morning and started our long trek. We stopped at Ouarzazate, a former outpost of the French Foreign Legion. Ouarzazate was the setting for dozens of movies, from Gladiator to Lawrence of Arabia. The kasbah there is the cover shot for a lot of films, and it was fun to see. Atlas Studios is based there. We headed thru the High Atlas Mountains this day and drove hairpin roads thru the passes. It was a spectacular drive, albeit long. Then we arrived at the Kasbah Tamandot, Richard Branson's retreat in the High Atlas.

It is a shame that we back-to-backed these two wonderful properties, because Tamandot had to pale by comparison. Whereas everything at Dar Ahlam is included in the price, it is not at Tamandot. And it is very expensive here.....and I mean VERY. Dinner, and you are a captive audience, ran about $100 a person, and that was fairly bare bones. $14 for a martini, too.

The rooms were lovely, but there were notes on everything telling you that you could purchase the beach bag/the robe/the laundry bags in the gift shop. In other words, DO NOT TAKE THESE!!!. The hammam cost $120 and the other spa treatments were about the same. They had a cocktail party every night in a different spot, but informed you that the drinks would be charged to your room (so you didn't think that the hotel was paying for your drinks).

The GM was lovely and very hospitable. She made it a point of greeting everyone and making sure they were happy. But when I told her that I had bought a tagine (Moroccan cooking pot) and wanted a lesson in how to use it...she said that the chef was gone, and no one else spoke English....so she couldn't do it. I guess she could have had a translator...but she said "Sorry".

They have all Berber help at Tamandot, and they are lovely. There is also a Berber store called "Unite", and all the proceeds go to the villagers.

Did I mention that there are 6 tented suites that sit outside overlooking the oasis and they are fabulous? They are building 6 more, so I guess the people like them. Had we been in Marrakech and just came here for 2 nights, it might have been a better experience. But timing is everything, and we didn't enjoy this as much as Dar Ahlam.

Onto Marrakech.....and we are winding down.

Morocco

When you hear the word “Morocco”,it conjures up so many things….all of them magical, mystical and spiritual. Well, we were lucky enough to experience a great deal of Morocco this spring, and I want to share it with you in separate pieces. Too much to digest in one sitting.

Dick and I left the States and arrived in Spain to be faced with the problem of ash from a volcano in Iceland with a name that no one can pronounce. Landing at the Madrid Airport was like walking into a hailstorm…or worse, the Tower of Babel. Everyone was shouting in a different language, and no one knew what was happening…..except a lot of airports coming and going were closing….or closed.

After 3 hours and various lines, we finally found out that Casablanca was indeed closed, so he headed to an airport 4-star hotel (that , my friends, is an oxymoron), had a couple of drinks and a Spanish hamburger, took a long hot shower and collapsed. Thank goodness I heeded my own advice, and had put a change of underwear and clothes in our carry-ons for both of us. Our luggage was still at the airport, so thank goodness we could start out fresh the next day.

Got up the next morning and went back to the airport. It was business as usual, thank goodness, and we proceeded on to Casablanca. We lost a day of our trip, but we made it up on the end.

Our guide and driver met us, we loaded the van, and headed off to our first stop.....Fes.

Fes is a medieval city that goes back 6 centuries. and has been named as a World Heritage site. There are a lot in Morocco I found out. That is what makes this country so spectacular! It is amazing with its cobbled streets, minarets and mosques. It looks just like you want Morocco to look. The monuments are so impressive, you walk around with your mouths open just gawking. We stayed at the Palais Jamal and had a room with a view of the medina (old city). I never tired of that view....and it was the first of many to come.

Let me digress a bit here, and just say that Morocco sits on the extreme Northwest corner of Africa, bordering on the Mediteranean and the Atlantic Ocean. It was inhabited at the very beginning by nomads and herders called Berbers. When the Arabs came, they intermarried, and the people took the Arabic language (cause it was easier) and everyone got along. Then the Inquisition started in Spain, and the Jews fled to Morocco. They were also absorbed, and everyone got along. The next wave of immigration was the Muslim community...and they, too, blended into the Moroccan community. So it is a wonderful combination of peoples. And then the French arrived in the 30's and once again, people were blended into this amazing society of people....all getting along. This combination leads to a very safe, peaceful environment that we felt all over Morocco. Now, back to our narrative.

We had dinner at the Palais Jamai Moroccan restaurant and it was fabulous. Moroccan food is wonderful. Very sensual in its smells and tastes. And you quickly get used to eating with your hands. Forks are only for the tricky things!!!

The next morning we toured the city and wound up in the souk, a name for their marketplace. The shops are amazing and each category has its own area. Tha tanneries are all in one place, the dyers are all in one area, the jewelers....you get the picture. Old houses have been turned into stores of all kinds. Donkeys laden with goods have the right of way, and they take no prisoners. Believe me, you move out of their way. What to look at first is the problem. Your brain cannot begin to colate the spices, babouches (slippers), hides, jewels, household goods.....it just goes on and on. And don't forget the carpets!!!

All over Fes are the most amazing edifices covered in tile...so we went to the manufacturing center to see how they were made. Still in the same way, which is amazing!!

We toured the old Jewish Quarter but there are only 6 families left in Fes. The cemetery was unreal, and still used today. The Muslim man who takes care of the cemetery said "we are all brothers"...and it was quite apparent that he meant it.

Ate a traditional Moroccan lunch in the souk. Had 15 plates for our salad, then a pastilla , then couscous with chicken, and then fruit for desert. They know how to eat here, and I will be in trouble, cause I like all of it!!

Spent the rest of the day seeing Fes...the new part as well as the old. Had an amazing dinner, even though we thought we would never eat again, and collapsed. Quite a day....and the rest were equally as full and exciting!!

The next day we went to the Roman ruins in Volubulis . So much better than Pompeii, as there are still rooms with tile floors intact! Spent about 2 hours climbing around, and it is kind of creepy stepping on stones you know millions of people before you have done. The Romans were in Morocco for about 500 years, until they were driven out. Ptolomy was the grandson of Caesar and Cleopatra, and he was appointed King when his father died. He himself was killed in battle by his Roman rival, Caligula. At that time, the Berbers drove the Romans out and left these ruins, which was the ancient province of Mauritania. (does anyone remember this from world history?)

We headed to Meknes for lunch. The ruler Moulay Ishmael was a direct descendant of the present king...Mohammad VI, but whereas Mohammad V and Hassan II and the present king were wonderful rulers, Moulay Ishmael was nuts. He loved killing, horses and women. Had over 12,000 Arabian horses each requiring two slaves to take care of them, He had 500 wives and over 800 kids. His favorite wife was black, like his slave mother, and she is buried with him.

We spent the night in a riad, which is a home built around an inside garden. There are usually 8 rooms on each floor, and they face the garden. No other views. All are like suites, and quite lovely. The riads have terraces with a great view, and some have swimming pools. It is a wonderful way to experience a home here. It is like New Orleans or old colonial Mexico. You have no idea what is behind these huge wooden doors. And once you open these doors, you see this gorgeous garden, and you feel the dirt of the day fade away.

Ate a lovely dinner in the riad, and got ready for our next day....heading to the desert!!!

club med ixtapa

I have been in the travel business for 35 years and have NEVER been to or sold a Club Med. So, when our children in Chicago called and said "Let's go away somewhere warm with the grandchildren", I looked to the Club Med in Ixtapa, Mexico with some trepidation. I had heard that it was a wonderful place for children and our grandchildren (ours are 5 and 6), but I was very nervous about the choice I was making.

First, is Mexico safe for travelers? I can only tell you that Ixtapa is extremely safe, and we NEVER had one moment of concern....either in walking around, eating the food or drinking the water.

Second, how upscale is the Club Med for spoiled travelers like us? WELL, let me tell you that this resort is definitely 5 star!!! It was amazing from the moment we arrived and were greeted by a Human Arch of scrubbed, smiling GO's (the abbreviation for the french "Gentile Organistes") handing us cold, wet towels and drinks and welcoming us to the property. From there, it went uphill!!!

Dick and I were in a suite in the Sol Building, with a magnificent view of the ocean. We had a wraparound balcony, a computer in our room, two flat-screen TVs, a jacuzzi tub, a shower designed for two people, with two separate head sprinklers and a hand one, and a HUGE amount of closet space. It was designed perfectly, and I even had a dressing table.

Our kids were in a Family Suite, which was also designed perfectly for families. The parents had a king room with a balcony that had a sliding door closing off their room from the children's room. The accommodations were PERFECT!!! And we even had a Concierge Room with an adorable person to help us make any reservations we wanted.

The Club Med Ixtapa is like a lovely cruise ship that doesn't move. Every day there is a list of activities for your children, and for you. You can be busy from 9am to 11pm every day...and the programs are endless. As on a ship, there is a main dining room. I was concerned that with 1000 people, it would be crowded and unwieldy. Well, was I wrong. You walked into the dining room that had 5 separate rooms, all in a different color, so the kids could differentiate which room they were in. You were seated by an adorable greeter, who asked always "How many people today?" Once seated, the children headed for the various stations of food, which they got to know very quickly. There was Mexican (of course), American, Italian, Japanese and International Desserts!!! Drinks were brought to the table upon request, from wine to coffee. Remember, this is an "All Inclusive" resort...so everything is included...and that means wine and liquor. The children were in heaven, and as every parent knows, when they are happy, EVERYONE is happy.

There are also two specialty restaurants (one steak house and one Infusion) where there is seated dining. No extra charge...you just need to make a reservation.We ate at both of them, and they were just lovely. However, the kids enjoyed the main dining room the best.

Let me talk a little about the daily events. The children's activities are divided into the Baby Club(4-23 months) Petit Club (2-3 yrs) , the Mini Club (4-10 yrs and divided again into groups--juniors and teens) The day begins at 9 and usually ends at 8 . And it is a full day. Try tennis, arts and crafts, circus school, soccer, swimming and then lunch!!!! After lunch, archery, beach, pool again, mini chef, snack, and then dinner. WOW!!! And this is just for the little ones. The adults have their own schedule. You can do as much...or as little as you want. That is the beauty of Club Med. Everyone is happy.....and everyone is doing what they want to do.

BTW, did I mention that the beach is FABULOUS???? Gentle swells, and lots of shells. We got boogie boards for the little ones, and us older folk did a lot of body surfing!!. There is a sailing school, but the winds are usuallyso gentle that they call it a kayak school. And there are lovely palapas all over the beach and the pools, so if you need shade, it is there. AND, you never had to race to get a pool chair, or a lounge. There are so many wonderful areas to lounge in, you never have to be concerned that you won't have a place to sit and enjoy the area. And the "GO"s come onto the beach carrying pineapples with large skewers of fresh fruit for people who might be hungry in between meals and snacks!!

I cannot say "the best part", because there were so many "best parts", but the service here is outstanding. We had a missing bag upon arrival, and everyone at the front desk as well as the bellman and groundsmen spent hours trying to locate it. When it appeared at the airport, the hotel was apprised as well as us. They were as concerned as we were....and they didn't rest until the problem was solved.

Let me talk a bit about the"GO"s. They are an international group of young people who adore children, and are there to assist in any way possible. They meet/greet, entertain and generally make everyone feel welcome and good. If you have little ones (babies, especially) they are on deck to take over whenever you want. There is a charge for them to monitor the little ones....but not for the older kids. How nice to know your children are having fun while you are playing tennis or having a massage or just zoning out on the beach.

I cannot recommend the Club Med Ixtapa highly enough. I can't speak to the other Club Meds since I haven't seen them first-hand, but I understand they are all updated or in the process of being updated As I said at the beginning, I remember the Club Med of old...with the beads and the dorm rooms. This resort has no more relationship to that old concept than a bird to a swan. It is truly a wonderful vacation for everyone concerned. We cannot wait to go back.

San Miguel de Allende

When you hear the words San Miguel de Allende. what conjures up is a magical place, not only in Mexico, but in the world. To make sure that people know that, UNESCO has declared this city a "World Heritage" site.

Dick and I were lucky enough to be able to spend 5 days there this month, and I am still reeling from the experience. As I said in the beginning, this is a magical place..and the hotel we stayed in is a magical property. Not in the sense of sleight-of-hand magic (i.e. the Magic Castle in Los Angeles), but because the property is so special. Most hotels are just that....hotels. There are fabulous and breathtaking hotels...but most are not magical.

The Casa de Sierra Nevada, operated by the Orient-Express folks, is such a magical place. It is a combination of 37 guest rooms and suites in 6 different historical colonial houses within walking distance to downtown and the park. There are two lovely restaurants, each in a different house, plus bars, a spa and a swimming pool. The hotel runs a cooking school called Sazon, and there are business meeting rooms as well as major catering facilities for events. There was free wi-fi in our rooms as well as a business center if you didn't bring a laptop.

The staff at this hotel is amazing, and being bilingual (them, not me) helps a lot. There is nothing they could not nor would not do for you, including driving you the short distance into town if you choose not to walk the cobblestone streets (3 blocks to be exact to get into town).

Because the rooms are all in separate houses, you enter each from a locked door on the street. And once you open that door, what a surprise!! You walk into a lovely traditional courtyard filled with antiques and flowers. It is an amazing feeling, and we never got tired of coming back to our room.

Each home is different as are all the rooms. Our first room was on the second floor and had a balcony off the bedroom with a view of the city and all the churches. Our second room was in a different house, bigger but no balcony. As I said, each room is different, and that is the charm. All are old world Mexico, but updated with air conditioning and flat screen TV's. We were told that the Orient Express is planning to do some more updating soon.

The village was founded in 1542 as a place to bring the silver from the outlying mines for safekeeping and fabrication. The city itself was established in 1826 by Fray Juan de San Miguel, who was a missionary hoping to convert the indigenous to Catholicism. San Miguel changed at that point from an agrarian village to an industrial city with silver as its mainstay. The city today has over 12 major churches, each more splendid than the next. There are art galleries, jewelry stores, incredible restaurants and fun nightlife. The art galleries offer more than most cities in Mexico because the charm of this city attracted so many artists from all over the world. When people come here, they are as fascinated as we were, and do not want to leave. The art is eclectic and goes from the serious to the whimsical, from traditional to non-traditional. There is something for every taste.

Speaking of taste...the food is wonderful. There is a wide range of restaurants, and they, too, go from the traditional to the modern. Because of its international reputation, chefs from all over the world come here. They can get fresh produce from the Bajio as well as from Mexico City. The food and water are very safe. I, myself, couldn't get enough of the mole sauce on everything...along with the guacalmole. Quite spectacular.

To make things a bit clearer, SMA is like Santa Fe and Carmel with lots of history. It is a wonderful place to visit, and many Americans have found it to be a wonderful place to live. There are lots of ex-pats who live there permanently and people who just stay for 3-4 months. They take art classes, language immersion classes, jewelry-making classes and cooking classes. There is a lot to do in San Miguel, and when something is special, people find out.

Please put colonial Mexico on your bucket list. Most people who visit Mexico only go to the beach cities which are fabulous, and many have a lot of history as well. But this year, 2010, Mexico is celebrating its 200th anniversary of Independence and it's 100th anniversary of its revolution...and San Miguel has an important role in both of these. Colonial Mexico is very special, which is why there are so many UNESCO sites in the country.

If it sounds as if I am jumping all over the place, I guess I am. Just want all of you to know that San Miguel is a wonderful city to experience. It is very safe, and very fascinating. There is a lot to do if you are more adventurous as well. You can hike in the Picacho mountains to see ancient rock paintings, you can mountain bike through country lanes and you can ride horses and learn to rope. There is hot air ballooning as well as golf or tennis.And there are the neighboring cities of Guanajuato and Dolores Hidalgo to explore. That is why most people fall in love with San Miguel. Put it high up on your list. You won't be disappointed.