an invitation . . .

not being one wanting to be left out of the party . . .

it seemed to be the right time to join in and create our own facebook page

making it much easier for you to keep in touch with what we are up to

so click on the facebook logo

 to go straight to our new page and LIKE  us there

simple!

and a tile is made . . .

one of the {many} things I love about morocco is the continuation of traditional crafts in a completely functional day to day kind of way. 

In the town there will be a glass man, the well men, the henna ladies and of course, the tile man! These concrete tiles epitomise Mediterranean design and surface pattern, and pop up regularly in beautiful homes from Morocco to Monaco. What amazes me every time I walk through the tile  workshop, is that every single one is hand made, individually coloured and pressed  - and all in a matter of seconds (ok, well maybe minutes, but a little poetic licence is surely allowed ?)

So , in a very functional workspace

 sand is shovelled, 

designs are picked, 

and colours are put - quite literally - into the mix . . . 

 and a tile is made

and then another

and another

until you have a floor -full

would so appreciate it if you folowed the link above to my new Facebook page

 and gave it a LIKE

it's nice to go travelling . . .

yes it is 'nice' 

I love travelling

but it is indeed nice to be home . . .

 wherever that may be  - which is something of a family debate right with no obvious or conclusive answer

I guess time will tell, and for now our home is simply where we find ourselves together

x

le salon bleu

Just to prove that do I actually drink tea, sometimes even in Tangiers . . .   and that the title for this blog is not simply a result of my linguistic obsession for alliteration!

This morning you could have stumbled across me at le salon bleu, a tea lounge overlooking the kasbah where I went to escape the midday sun while sedately sipping some mint tea! 

I had had my fill of the sights and sounds of the grande socco - the main square of Tangiers that leads into the medina and surrounding shops and souks - and having spent the morning negotiating fabrics & colours, sizes & threads . . . I needed that mint tea!

And le salon bleu was the perfect place to retreat to - so put it on your list if you find yourself with time to spare in the kasbah of Tangiers!
Good tea, good decor, good location - what more does a girl need?

It is connected to the hotel Dar Nour, a place which I haven't stayed at yet (they where fully booked ) but it is definitely on my list for next time!

as promised . . .

 . . . in the previous post.

I am busy writing those postcards - there is still time to have one wing its way to you,

just let me know who & where!!

oh, and a {public} note to self  : I WILL be enrolling in those french classes when I get home!

postcards from the edge . . . of africa

lets talk about post of the old fashioned, handwritten, non-virtual variety . . . 

not about 'posting' on a blog or on facebook

 but a good old fashioned pen and stamp item that gets hand delivered days {& sometimes weeks} later, right to your door or postbox!

I am on my way to Tangiers and Assilah later this week for a little research and relaxation time, 

and I thought how lovely it would be, to sit sipping my coffee, or {as the blog title would have it } a glass of mint tea,

 possibly even at Cafe Hafa
looking across the ocean to Europe from the tip of Africa 

while penning a postcard or two

to you . . .

                                                                                                                  image via dar malak

So this is my idea . . .

 you send me your postal address - below on comments, via private message facebook, or to the email listed on my contact page 

 and i will write (just a quick hello, how are you, wish you where here) and post you a postcard from Tangiers, Assilah, or somewhere inbetween

Please do it -  make my day!

and just think, a new stamp to add to your collection!

whitewashed

Every year the small port of Assilah plays host to a cultural festival, the most striking aspect of which {for me} is the painting of the medina walls. Their whitewashed surfaces provide a year long canvas to works  created by visiting artists. The week before the festival, as you walk through the medina in the mornings - en route to your morning cafe au lait perhaps? - you can follow the transformation from blank canvas to colourful completion . . .

 

and then they are whitewashed off again to clear the canvas for the next years artists

and the walls are filled with colour for yet another year

image by Mário Tomé  via AsilahInfo.com