Travelogue: Trekking the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco

A baby goat, 1 day old

We travel for experiences like this. It was Day 2 of our stay at the Kasbah du Toubkal in the High Atlas Mountains. We were on a hike with a guide. As we passed through a Berber village, we came across a woman tending a goat and its kid. The guide asked about it, and the woman told us it was just a day old. The woman asked if my wife would like to hold it. Of course she did. Here's the photo to prove it.

I first read about the Kasbah du Toubkal in 1843, the Economist Magazine's lifestyle supplement. The article was about high altitude lodges and the description of the Kasbah in Morocco captured my imagination. It offered an "off-the-grid" experience (though not literally. We had reliable cell phone service in the Kasbah and on the hiking trails. Wifi was intermittently available, but not very fast or very consistent.). Morocco seemed like an exotic destination but reasonably safe for western travelers. We enjoy mountain hiking. The Kasbah pays attention to environmental sustainability. It also works to enhance the well-being of the local Berber villagers; a 5% charge supports local projects including a program called Education for All which promotes educational opportunities for girls in the region. And, it was reasonably priced.

So it was, shortly after reading the article, as we planned a trip to Europe, I showed my wife the info about the Kasbah and asked if it appealed to her. It did, and we decided to fit it into our itinerary. The package we bought included 3 nights at the Kasbah and 2 nights in Marrakech. It would have been fairly easy to fly to Marrakech from any of the other cities on our itinerary. We opted to do it after our stay in Lisbon.

Discover Ltd. is a British travel agency that specializes in travel to Morocco. It also owns the Kasbah du Toubkal. Our package included transportation during our stay, the room and meals at the Kasbah, and a room in a riad in Marrakech. Our driver met us at the airport, as we expected. The ride to the Kasbah took about an hour. You arrive in the village of Imlil. There your luggage is loaded onto a donkey and you hike up to the Kasbah. (If you don't want to walk, they will provide a donkey for you to ride. But if you're not going to hike, why come to the Atlas Mountains?)

Hiking through a Berber village in Morocco

The Kasbah strives to immerse the traveler in traditional Berber hospitality. When we arrived, we were invited to sit down and have a glass of mint tea and snack on some nuts before being taken to our room. The room, and all of the facilities at the Kasbah, was plain but comfortable. I thought it was consistent with the descriptions I'd read online. My wife thought it was more rustic than she expected.

Our package included breakfast and dinner. Travelers who want lunch generally buy it in Imlil or any of the villages you might be hiking through during the day. We enjoyed the meals at the Kasbah very much. Breakfast was quite hearty. It included bread, cheese, yogurt, fruit, granola, and an omelette, if you so desire. Dinner each night was a tagine. It is a set menu, you don't have any other option. The 3 tagines we had during our stay were chicken, beef, and lamb. On the night they served lamb, the couple seated next to us stated that they don't eat lamb. But they were satisfied with the bread and side dishes (mostly roasted vegetables and couscous) that were served with the tagine.

No alcoholic beverages are available for purchase at the Kasbah, consistent with the prevailing Muslim dietary rules. However, the staff will serve wine to guests at dinner if the guest brings it along. We observed a few of the other guests who did that. Most, like us, did not imbibe.

Each evening after dinner, most guests gather in the Kasbah's library. That's your best bet for connecting to the wifi. They also have a selection of board games (including backgammon) and some books to peruse.

We took a guided hike on each Day 1 and Day 2. On Day 3, we hiked on our own back to one of the villages that we'd passed through on Day 2. There we did a little bit of shopping before returning to the Kasbah. One option that we did not do - the staff will arrange a guided, overnight hike that includes going to the summit of Mount Toubkal which is the highest peak in North Africa. It's not supposed to be a particularly difficult hike. But we didn't want to do the overnight stay.

Besides hiking, we enjoyed just relaxing on the Kasbah's rooftop terrace, reading, snoozing, and enjoying the views. From our high vantage point, we could see several villages, and in the evening, you'd hear the imam from each village's mosque call the faithful to prayer. It was both eerie and awe inspiring.

Moonrise, as seen from the Kasbah's rooftop

Travelogue: Lisbon 2017 - a brief visit made shorter by travel delays

Last October, my wife and I spent nearly a month visiting several countries. As our itinerary came together, we had to give Lisbon the short shrift. We'd only have 3 nights there. But by prioritizing the sights we wanted to see, we felt that would be all right. We expected to have a half day when we arrived and then 2 full days, one of which would be a day trip to Sintra.

Alas, when we arrived at the Bordeaux airport for our flight to Lisbon, it was fogged in. Our flight was delayed and delayed again. We finally took off 4 hours late. By the time we got to Lisbon, we only had time to get settled in to our hotel and explore our immediate neighborhood. But that was alright because we picked a great neighborhood.

Our hotel was located right at the Miradouro de Santa Catarina. This is a popular plaza high above the Tagus River. In the evening, crowds gather there to watch the spectacular sunset, to drink wine or beer, to socialize and to listen to the street musicians who perform there. In the spirit of the location, we bought a bottle of wine and joined in the festivities each night of our stay. 

Cool jazz bar in the Bairro Alto

Our hotel also was close to the Bairro Alto. We strolled through the neighborhood and picked a place for dinner. We also looked at several possible fado bars for later in the evening. (Rick Steves has a very helpful blog post about enjoying fado music in Lisbon.)  But after dinner, we stumbled upon a jazz club, Paginas Tantas in the Bairro Alto. The music emanating from the doors was so inviting that we decided to postpone fado and enjoyed the jazz instead. 

The next day, we set out to do some power sightseeing. Fortunately, the weather was beautiful. Bright and sunny, but not too hot. We did not go to any museums. But we did take a whirlwind tour of the major plazas and monuments and neighborhoods. We discovered how compact and accessible things are in Lisbon. We were able to see everything on foot, though there were convenient and affordable public transportation options available as well. 

Here's what we saw: We walked along Rua Augusta to the grand arch leading into the Praca do Comercio. In the plaza, we saw the statue of Dom Jose I. Next we walked up winding streets to Castelo de Sao Jorge, and then back down the streets and wound our way up another hill to see the Carmo Convent and the ruins of the Gothic church, destroyed by an earthquake. Then we walked down into the Rossio Square with its hypnotic sidewalk mozaic and the Column of Petro IV. Next we went into the nearby Praca da Figueira (fig tree plaza) where we did a little shopping in the market near the plaza and saw the statue of King John I. 

Praca do Comercio, Lisbon

In the evening, we visited a fado bar recommended by a server at one of the restaurants we ate at. Tasca do Chico was great! Many of the fado joints we walked by offered dinner along with the singers. Tasca does have food, but it's mainly a bar. We listened to a couple of different singers before we called it an evening. 

The next day we took a day trip to the nearby town of Sintra. It was a short train ride leaving from the Rossio station. The town in pretty and quaint. We walked up the hill to the Pena Palace and Gardens. It was a long walk and fairly strenuous. The alternative would be to take a bus or a taxi or a tuk-tuk. But we enjoyed the beauty and peacefulness of the walk. I would say, however, it was a bit much to also walk back down. We should have taken some form of transportation. The Palace was beautiful and interesting. I would have liked to also see the Moorish Castle. But sadly, we didn't have enough time.

At the Pena Palace in Sintra

And that was it for our visit to Portugal. The next morning we got an early taxi to the airport and on to our next destination. We definitely didn't allow enough time in Lisbon, even if we hadn't lost a half day due to travel delays. So I guess this goes on the list of places to visit again someday.

Hotel: In Lisbon, we stayed at the Monte Belvedere. It was located right at the scenic overview where we relaxed every evening before dinner. We liked everything about it. The staff was friendly and accommodating. The provided great advice and suggestions for our stay. Breakfast was included with our room rate. We enjoyed the daily buffet on the rooftop cafe overlooking the river. The room was comfortable and quiet. The hotel is part of a local group called Shiadu, with hotels and guest houses in Lisbon and Porto. For a return visit to Lisbon, I'd definitely choose the Belvedere again.

Restaurants: 
On our first night, we at at Floresta da Cidade in the Bairro Alto. It was very casual and funky. We had a sidewalk table. Our server was great. Besides giving us good tips about the menu, she also made a suggestion for a nearby fado bar. I had a great octopus dish. It was a wonderful introduction to Lisbon's diverse dining scene. 

Day 2 we ate at Populi in the Praca do Comercio. We had delicious seafood at a table on the plaza and an excellent bottle of Portuguese wine.

After dinner at the rooftop bar of our hotel

For dinner on Day 3, we wanted to go back to Floresta. Alas, it was closed that evening. So we wanted the Bairro Alto until we came across Stasha. We picked it because on a night when most restaurants had walk-in availability, Stasha had a waiting list. In about 15 minutes, we were lead to a cozy table inside the crowded restaurant. I finally had the Portuguese specialty - bacalhao (cod). Excellent. It was a great way to end our stay in Lisbon.