Life in a year full of Saturdays

Saturday, October 21, 2017

Lisbon (Portugal) - Mass tourism, cool geography

Lisbon (Portugal)

21 October – 26 October 2017

There’s a lot to love about Lisbon. There’s a charm, elegance and a type of ‘time has forgotten’ type of feel to some its parts, then there’s the bold and modern challengers attempting to make their own statements as to the future of the city. For me, it’s the city centre and the warren of streets around Alfama, sited below the imperious and impressive Castelo de Sao Jorge, that makes this town what it is. Couple that with Barrio Alto which feels like the centre of the universe for bars and restaurants and Baixa which acts as the connector between these wonderful areas, and my, you have the makings of a mighty fine city full of beauty, beguiling charm and some other intangible quality that lets you breath it in fully.

Baixa - Lisbon - Portugal

Barrio Alto - Lisbon - Portugal

View over Baixa to Alfalma and Castelo De Sao Jorge - Lisbon - Portugal

For me personally, I love Alfalma, a labyrinth and maze of narrow streets that seems to wrap around the base of the hill where Castelo de Sao Jorge resides. It’s atmospheric and contains a part of Lisbon that in many ways is now the ‘oddity’ of the city rather than what’s common place, but in that sense, that’s the way cities are these days, those older, more genuine, authentic areas are no longer that, they’re relics that are preserved for tourists and as such are become parodies of their former, younger selves.

We occupied a room in a lovely boutique hotel on the border of Baixa and Barrio Alto. Perfectly located and quite handy for the view out to the Tagus, which to me, always seems to be reflecting the sun like glass back into the city and lighting it up in that typically Iberian way.

Elevador de Santa Justa - Baixa - Lisbon - Portugal

Lisbon - Portugal

View of Lisbon from near Castelo De Sao Jorge - Lisbon - Portugal

Alfalma - Lisbon - Portugal

We had this Jeep for our tour of Lisbon

Alfalma - Lisbon - Portugal

The Magical Mystery, now into its third city, was not just about arriving at destinations, we had plans to. Quite a few of them. From food tours, to city tours, to a night of Fado, we were able to get a look and feel of Lisbon from a number of angles and enjoyed the culinary delights, of which there are absolutely plenty.

Pastel de nata, I mean how good are these. Portuguese custard tarts in egg pastry, dusted with cinnamon. Delightful, moreish and just too difficult to resist. Then there’s the Bolinhos de bacalau, made from a mixture of potato & codfish, deep fried and absolutely exquisite. My own favourite and the king of discoveries which came from our first foodie tour was Bacalhau a Bras, a dish made from shreds of salted cod, onions and thinly sliced potatoes, all bound up in scrambled eggs! This literally was THE BEST, I absolutely loved it. It’s said that the dish was to have originated in Barrio Alto, which is not so hard to believe considering this area is your major hub for all activities nocturnal.

Barrio Alto - Lisbon - Portugal

Torre de Belem - Belem - Lisbon - Portugal

Pastel de Nata - Lisbon - Portugal

Baixa - Lisbon - Portugal

Alfalma - Lisbon - Portugal

On another one of our foodie tours we crossed the Targus to an area named Ginjal and spent some time at a typical restaurant by the name of Farol. It was there we were introduced to Vinho Verde (Green Wine). This is white wine that originates from the historic northern province of Minho. These wines are delightful, fresh, fruity and floral, and somehow just serves as the perfect accompaniment to Portuguese food.

Barrio Alto - Lisbon - Portugal

ABSOLUTELY

Hard Rock Cafe - Lisbon - Portugal

Barrio Alto - Lisbon - Portugal

Alfalma - Lisbon - Portugal

Barrio Alto - Lisbon - Portugal

Outside of Lisbon itself we did take the time to make to the village of Sintra, known for its 19^th Century Romanticist architecture, historic estates, villas and of course numerous royal palaces. The most well known being the Pena Palace, of the same architectural style, the castle itself occupies a hill above the town of Sintra and has unbelievable views all the way out to the Atlantic Coast. Apparently its said that on a clear day it can be seen from Lisbon some 30kms away, considering its colour scheme I’d say that I’m not entirely surprised. The build is actually an intentional mix of a variety of styles, Neo-Gothic, Neo-Islamic, Neo-Renaissance, and also has references to other historical and significant buildings in Lisbon, such as the Belem tower, which itself if a 16^th century fortification and occupies pride of place on the Targus, in Belem of course.

National Palace of Pena - Sintra - Portugal

The most westerly point in Europe - Cabo da Roca - Portugal

Cascais - Portugal

Cabo da Roca - Portugal

Now, Lisbon isn’t just ALL GOOD, it has its problems, and it appears, it has its problems with people like me directly. They are, along with Venice & Barcelona, one of the cities pushing back against mass tourism. Damage to residents’ culture, heritage and day-to-day lives is becoming a substantial issue. Being the victim of your own popularity is of course detrimental to those that need to work, live and play in the space every day.

Alfalma - 'Mass Tourism Kills Lisbon'

Apologies, we are killing you softly

Tram 28 Lisbon - such a scenic run

But look for yourself, all tourists...

Baixa/Barrio Alto - Lisbon - Portugal

Barrio Alto - Lisbon - Portugal

Responsible tourism is now ‘a thing’ and the need to factor in sustainability for the sake of these cherished locations is a must. And to an extent I get that. Go to Venice, Dubrovnik or the Vatican on any day of the week and your involvement is nothing more than standing in an endless queue that progresses slowly around the location you’re visiting. High season in places like these are brutal…absolutely brutal, so truly, God help the population that live it day in and day out.

I don’t know what answers Lisbon will conjure up in its search for balance, all that I know is that we’ll be back, if in fact we’re welcome.

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Merzouga - Erg Chebbi (Morocco) - Not the Saharan Sahara

MERZOUGA - ERG CHEBBI (Morocco)
19 October - 20 October 2017

As with most things, ones something because too popular then there’s always some group that feels disenfranchised. The tipping point always comes with either the real or perceived financial rewards that one party received against another. The party missing out lashes out against their perceived loss.

In Erg Chebbi, on Morocco’s eastern frontier, there has been a proliferation of desert camps built upon the overwhelming interest and increase of tourists coming to the area in order to see the legendary sand dunes and experience the solitude, if only for one or two nights, of the Saharan desert. As of March 2019 however the Moroccan military, under the direction of the Moroccan government, went into Erg Chebbi (just outside of Merzouga) and without notice, started to disband the camps that were set up in the Erg Chebbi dunes.

Merzouga - Morocco

Erg Chebbi dunes - near Merzouga - Morocco

The pretence for this action of course came under the heading of environmental conservation & security and safety concerns. The real reason, it appears, is that a relatively powerful group of hoteliers from Merzouga felt as though the camps were ‘dudding’ them out of potential income as tourists, such as myself, were not electing to stay in their hotels but rather in the desert camps.

Now these camps, for the most part, were and currently still are, legitimate business’s, registered in the correct manner, providing work/income for locals and promoting the tourism industry throughout Morocco.

The government it appears, had a different outlook, swayed perhaps by either family or friends that may indeed be invested in the hotel business in Merzouga.

The outcome, for now, is unresolved but it doesn’t seem that the camps will be back any time soon.

Erg Chebbi dunes - near Merzouga - Morocco

Our camp site - Erg Chebbi dunes - near Merzouga - Morocco

Technically speaking, the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi are within an area understood to be semi Pre-Saharan steppes and not really part of the Saharan desert, which actually lies a fair distance south of the area. Which then beckons the real question, why the hell did we go there? We thought we were going to the Sahara!!! That’s the way it was billed! The Sahara! But did we fact check? No? Did I even look at a map to consider if these statements were correct, no.

For most people the technicalities associated with geography don’t mean much. Ah, a desert in Morocco is close enough to being in the Sahara….right

BUT…NO, THAT’S BULLSHIT – IT’S NOT

Lets go ahead and say that the experience of an overnight stay in the desert was probably Sahara like, and hence we made our decision to head out of Marrakech for a night and take in the look at feel of what a Saharan like desert may be.

It’s a fairly sizeable drive from Marrakech out to Merzouga, around 560kms and 8-9 hrs of travel. Cutting across the Atlas Mountains, through Ourzazate and dashing east towards the border the day felt long and admittedly we slept for some large part, particularly over the other side of the Atlas.

Arriving in Merzouga we were ushered into a hotel, along it appeared with a few other groups of tourists that arrived to do the same style of trip. All of which aligns to what I’ve read about the disgruntlement of hotel owners who were looking to align with specific camps in order to provide a type of ‘enhanced service’, i.e., somewhere to get changed, have refreshments and have showers prior to and after the camp.

Erg Chebbi dunes - near Merzouga - Morocco

45 mins after arriving we headed out to the Erg Chebbi dunes. Dropped off on the edge of the desert we boarded our vessels of the desert and headed out into the dunes, Lawrence of Arabia style.

Moving slowly and methodically through the dunes, the further we trekked the more we lost touch with known man made elements and the further we dived into a totally unfamiliar environment.

Morning - Erg Chebbi dunes - near Merzouga - Morocco

Erg Chebbi dunes - near Merzouga - Morocco

It only took us passing a few dunes to come to the realisation that these hills formed by wind blown sand were both enormous, all encompassing and quite beautiful. What hits you more than anything though is the silence. Other than the sound of the wind passing through the only other sounds were the hooves of the camels hitting the sand and the odd pieces of chatter from its passengers.

The camp itself was situated in a gully, bounded by high sand dunes on all sides, so it felt sheltered and protected. The tents themselves were good enough and the beds were comfortable. Carpets were spread out within the camp site and of course within the tents themselves, all in all, a comfortable experience and enjoyable.

The only disappointment for the night came when the promised bonfire and musical accompaniment decided not to make an appearance, or, decided that they couldn’t be stuffed. Not a huge issue but it would have been cool to have had that to support our evening. Still, when you’re out in the desert, its pitch black, the stars wrapping themselves around your visual universe and the silence pounding like a drum, it’s a hell of an experience.

The next work it was go back to where you came from. But prior to boarding our transit train of the desert, we had the opportunity to climb to the top of one of the main dunes surrounding the camp and take some photos.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Atlas Mountains (Morocco) - Contrasting views

THE HIGH ATLAS (Morocco)
17 October 2017

The greatest mountain range in North Africa has historically acted as a physical barrier between the northern plains and the pre-Sahara, and its Berber populated valleys have been and remain, living remotely to the rest of Morocco.And yet, when you're in these mountains then you could probably understand why they choose to do so.

Utterly beguiling and unique in its beauty, I recall my mother totally and utterly falling in love with this part of Morocco. The range of colours and the shifting landscape captures you unaware. Again, there's a power aura and attraction in this area that seems to be consistent with a lot of Morocco, that something intangible that both captures your attention and leaves you with an indelible memory that lingers long after the event.

Ait Ben Haddou - High Atlas - Morocco

Inga and I took a day trip into the mountains with dual objectives of seeing Ait Ben Haddou and experiencing the mountains.

The village, Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou, has movie star qualities. Indeed I'm sure many people have encountered a seen or two with the villages as its star without even knowing its name or where it was located. Some of its film credits include Jewel of the Nile (1985), The Living Daylights (1987), Gladiator (2000), Alexandar (2004) and also appearances in Game of Thrones.

Ait Ben Haddou - High Atlas - Morocco

A great example of Moroccan earthen clay architecture, its brown as earth coloured buildings pile up spectacularly on a low hillock above a shallow reed strewn river which needs to be crossed from the village on the other side. Their impressive stature is even more discernible up close when you get an appreciation of both their volume and height, underlying the fact that their manner of construction was primarily to serve as a prime line of defence.

High Atlas - Morocco

We were also fortunate enough to make a visit to the Draa Valley during this excursion. The Draa is a 125km belt of date palm oases that eventually merges into the Sahara near the village of M'Hamid. Inga of course flipped out at the idea of seeing real date palms and took the opportunity to stop, climb one and eat dates right off the tree. An impressive site in itself. To me however it was the greenery which springs up along the creek/river that provides a wonderfully vibrant and lush colour as a stand out amongst the deep, rich browns which predominate the landscape. The contrast is almost unbelievable is the shift from one colour palette to the other is not gradual but quite distinct.

Draa Valley - High Atlas - Morocco

It's a fabulous area of Morocco and certainly needs more than a single day outside of Marrakech. Perhaps one day in the future we'll be able to take a week and travel more intensely in these parts because the landscape if simply too rich and impressive not to dedicate more time to.

Life in a year full of Saturdays

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Saturday, October 21, 2017

Lisbon (Portugal) - Mass tourism, cool geography

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Merzouga - Erg Chebbi (Morocco) - Not the Saharan Sahara

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Atlas Mountains (Morocco) - Contrasting views

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A year full of Saturdays