Cape Verde Dancers -

October 17, 2019
CAPE VERDE ISLANDS:  Tarrafal, Sao Nicolau Island
Arrive:  7:00 AM
Sunrise: 6:30 AM
Temp. 86F

By 8:30 am we were 'all aboard" the fleet of small buses for the panoramic tour

 of the island of Sao Nicolau, situated to the north of the Archipelago.

 The very active volcanic past of the island is majestically visible around

 Monte Gordo, the highest peak. The valleys are generally narrow and deep 

except for the Vale de Faja which is wide and fertile enough for agriculture

 to flourish - mostly sugar cane.

Dancing is an integral part of all events in Sao Nicolau, from waltz and square dance with instructions in French, to the typical Portuguese dances. What for me was the highlight of the Cape Verde Islands visit, occurred here in a village in Faja.

The beautiful recorded music for the dances was in itself perfect and, sitting on steps in the small church courtyard, when the dancers appeared, I was amazed. These dancers, dressed simply, were quite exquisite in their calm and gentle movements, facial expressions - and barefoot on cobbles you will notice - with the caller (man in red shirt) giving short, quiet instructions.

I didn't want them to ever stop and was sad when the lovely performance ended!

Cape Verde’s central location brings together musical currents from West Africa, Europe and Latin America. On each island, visitors encounter not only a unique natural environment but unique musical traditions. In the music of the leeward islands of Cape Verde, the significant West African influence can be found in genres such as batuque and tabanka (Santiago), bandera (Fogo) and lundu/lundum (Boa Vista). The windward islands have strong European influences such as the mazurka, waltz and contredance (Santo Antão, São Nicolau). Moreover there are strong connections between the leeward and windward genres; for example, the cola sanjon (Santo Antão) is related to the batuque, which has also been called the soul of the Cape Verdean people.

The living conditions on Cape Verde forced the islanders to be pragmatic. Survival requires creativity, perseverance and a zest for life, and one of the musical styles that expresses this zest for life is the coladeira. This style, which arose on São Vicente, is popular all over Cape Verde, while another style danced all over Cape Verde is the funana, which originated on the island Santiago. At the time of Portuguese rule, this distinctly African-tinted style was forbidden, because its lyrics, accompanied by diatonic accordion and ferrinho (an iron rod played with a knife) challenged social inequalities. The morna, a melancholy musical style the lyrics of which are poems of departure, love and saudade (longing for home), is considered by all Cape Verdeans to be their national music.

Mazurka

In Cape Verde, the Mazurka is revered as an important cultural phenomenon played with acoustic bands led by a violinist and accompanied by guitarists. The Mazurka, popular on the islands of Santo Antão and São Nicolau, came originally from the Mazovia area around Warsaw, Poland. The inhabitants of this region were known as Mazurs, and their dances, which probably date back to the 16th century, were called mazurkas. At the beginning of the 19th century, the mazurka took England by storm, being adopted from the German nobility and the French elite. From there, this dance in three-four time made its way into the musical traditions of many parts of the world. The mazurka is still played and danced at weddings and other celebrations, both on Cape Verde and at Cape Verdean festivities in places like Rotterdam. On Santo Antão and São Nicolau, the mazurka is often alternated with the contredance. The contredance is inspired in English country dancing and was introduced to the French court around 1685. In France, it became the most popular dance of the 18th century. The mazurka and the contredance were probably brought to Cabo Verde by seafarers, as were genres such as the polka, waltz and galop which were popular in the ballrooms of the 19th century.

A day and place to remember always for me.

Cape Verde Islands -

October 15-16-17-18, 2019

Cape Verde Islands (Republic of Cabo Verde)

Cabo Verde, or Cape Verde, is an island nation on an archipelago of volcanic origin

 in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwestern coast of Africa, about 600 km west of Senegal. 
Cape Verde shares maritime borders with Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, 

Mauritania, and Senegal.

The intriguing Cape Verde archipelago is an amazingly varied group of islands.

They have been used as a staging post by mariners throughout the ages. 
Visiting and exploring with in-depth discovery of volcanic landscapes, 
colonial towns and villages, and beautiful beaches, is really only possible
 by small ship.  

During our visit in October, we discovered the culture, flora, fauna, and lifestyle of 

the islands. Some parts are arid and flat with awesome shorelines, salt pans, 
beaches and dunes, contrasting with lush, tropical, mountainous islands. 

It is a little world of its own, each island having a distinct culture and atmosphere. 
On some islands the infrastructure is minimal and tourists are a rarity. . . . . it was
 definitely a unique opportunity to visit this part of the world.

Lunch at the Black Mamba restaurant was fun - thankfully no snakes seen!

In the distance, our ship docked at Palmeira on the island of Sal - other islands 

in the distance.

I'm now working on my last post from the islands to share with you. . . . . . .a visit

 to the island of Sao Nicolau. 

Music and dance was shared, scenery was spectacular, and the history of this

 special place held our interest as stories were told.

Atlantic Ocean in November ---------

Beautiful afternoon on our arrival yesterday.

Cool but calm with lots of sunshine.

Carolina Beach was quite busy. . . . . . mostly walkers

 at this time of year!

Note the cloud bank on the horizon - hopefully my waves to my UK family and

friends were visible, or at least felt!

Pleasure Island Marina

A few brave surfers!

Later in the evening we enjoyed dinner, a walk, and the annual town Christmas

 tree lighting - a really good day here on the coast.

Essaouira, Morocco. . . . . . . .

October 9, 2019

ESSAOUIRA, Morocco

Arrive:   7:30 AM

Sunrise:  7:35 AM

Temp.  85F

. . . . . and how do you pronounce it?  
You can say Ess-a-wee-ra, but Moroccans say something like Es-sway-ra as
 they speak quickly and often leave letters out.

The road there from the port of Safi was not a really pretty ride - and it took
 a good 1.5 hours to get through the rough, dry countryside.
Essaouria was founded in the 18th century and built to rival Agadir. 
Formerly it was known as Mogador, meaning "the fortress." Designed as a
fortified town surrounded by ramparts, it played an important role
 as an international trading seaport, linking Morocco and sub-Saharan
 Africa with Europe and the rest of the world.

Above, probably the best view along the road to the sea.

Another 'camel stop' with rude men who said "no" to photos unless you paid.

I managed this one with a glimpse of Bob with raised arm, for free!

FYI - camels in Morocco are actually Arabian dromedaries with just one hump.

The main difference between a dromedary and a camel is in fact the number

 of humps. However, the dromedary also has longer limbs than the camel and they

are lighter and swifter, often being trained for riding and racing.

When we reached the old fishing port at last, I realized the long ride was worthwhile.

The sight of the ocean, the smells and colors alone were mesmerizing and, although

 the locals were not too responsive to pose for photos, I did manage a few.

Surrounding Essaouira's UNESCO World Heritage Medina are its 18th-century walls,

 or ramparts. On the northern and western flanks, these ramparts protect the Medina

 from the crashing Atlantic waves This section of the ramparts is called Skala de la

 Kasbah, and a climb up the steps to the top platform -- with a line of Portuguese

 brass cannons still pointing out to sea and its northern bastion, Bab Ljhad -

offers a fantastic view of both the Medina and the ocean. 

The Kasbah was fascinating. 

Filled wall to wall with colorful, interesting shops selling local handicrafts

 such as paintings, leather, Argan oil, spices, and fragrant thuya wood turned

 into lovely boxes, and other decorative objects. . . . . . . 

. . . . . . such as these amazing bowls which I would have loved to bring home

 if it had been possible to pack them safely and deal with the extra weight!

Bowls and tagines for cooking and serving tasty Moroccan couscous dishes.

The fishing fleet was in, there was a lot net mending taking place.

Following the lovely bustling morning, we proceeded to the beach area for a really 

tasty fresh seafood lunch outdoors, followed by a walk along the quieter beachfront. 

Later we returned to the ship for our onward sail of 142 nautical miles overnight to

 the city of Agadir.