We left the grandeur of Rabat in the morning just as the King was arriving. Street crews spent the night trimming, sweeping, and spit-shining every inch of the capital city in preparations as we headed east to visit the 2nd and 3rd century Roman ruins of Volubilis, proceeding then to Meknes and ending the day at the Riad Salam in Fes. Tired and then astonished by this grand gem, hidden …
Morning in Rabat, busy due to King Mohammed VI visit with the Parliament tomorrow. Flags flying, cobblestones washed in the square of the Royal Palace. Morocco is a Parliamentary Monarchy, emphasis on monarchy and HE’s coming tomorrow! The air is electric. Today’s itinerary and then the eloquence of pictures. After breakfast, a tour the capitol beginning with a drive past the beautifully tiled entrance to the Royal Palace, followed by …
It was an afterthought, a stop on the way from Madrid by way of Segovia and Avila to Salamanca. Easy to miss if you weren’t looking for the signpost at the end of a long driveway, mid-vineyard, bathed in a golden Spanish sunset. Had I known more about this little gem, I would have booked a week-long stay to enjoy all that the Hacienda Zorita Wine Hotel, Spa and Organic …
There are more famous residents of Malaga, Spain. Picasso for example. For art lovers, put the Picasso Museum Málaga on your must-see list. Several of his works are on display and there are art history and ceramic workshops. The great man is dutifully honored in the city park and you can take the requisite pics sitting on the bench. But for my money, a tapas lunch at El Pimpi offers …
Clos de Chillon The Castle has its own vineyard spread along the shores of Lake Geneva, just 10 minutes walk from the castle. Each year, its grapes produce a Grand Cru known as the Clos de Chillon. The white wine is made using the chasselas variety, and the red from a blend of the gamaret, garanoir and merlot varieties. I have no idea what that means but our guide mentioned …
You’ll never open another bottle of wine or champagne again without thinking of this. Cork is one of Portugal’s biggest and most important exports. In fact, Portugal is the biggest cork producer in the world and produces more than 50% of the world’s cork supply. The vast majority of this is made into those forgettable or collectable wine bottle stoppers but increasingly, more and more cork is being sold to …