When friends and family knew I was going to the magical city of Venice, Italy, everyone asked if I would take one of the famous Gondola rides. “Of course!” I replied. How could I not? And I did, and it was lovely!
Category: City
Aït Benhaddou is a fortified city in Morocco that is located along the old caravan route between Marrakech and the Sahara Desert. This UNESCO World Heritage site served as an important trading post in the old trade route that passed all the way from Morocco on the west coast of Africa, to Sudan on the east coast.
Old Québec City is the original old town historic neighborhood in Québec, Canada, that was first settled in 1608. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the only city in North America north of Mexico that still has a city wall. Visiting Old Québec City allows travelers to step back in time and visit an early North American settlement.
When we booked our trip to Morocco, we knew that we wanted to visit Marrakesh. Not only because of the song, “Marrakesh Express” by Crosby, Stills, and Nash, or the wonderful book, “The Drifters” by James Michener, but because of this lovely little book I read in school titled “Reflections on Fieldwork in Morocco” by Paul Rabinow. Jemaa el-Fnaa is the main square in the old part of the city where Marrakesh truly comes to life. Here, you can experience the sights and smells of all of Morocco into one small condensed area. It is a sensory overload in the most fantastic way!
There are several little corners in Europe where myth and reality are so intertwined that the lines between them are wonderfully blurred. Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, is one such place. Here dragons (or rather, the Ljubljana Dragon) play into history as much as any other sobering realities. The result is a magical, fantastical, and charming place.