Travel memories and the fabric of life -

This time two years ago we were on what was to become our last overseas trip prior to the arrival of the pandemic.  Looking back through my blog posts from that trip to Morocco, Western Sahara and the Cape Verde Islands, I am noticing that many of my photos on that exciting and enjoyable journey included colorful fabrics.

Our colorful friend Kim preparing for a camel ride.

Today I'm starting to change over my wardrobe ready for cooler weather - although that won't be this week as we're due a heatwave!

I'm amazed that much of my personal wardrobe has nothing quite as vibrant and eye-catching when it comes to colors!  First things out of the storage boxes today are an unbelievable number of black jogger pants and basic black long sleeve tee shirts . . . . . . . which will now be my going to physical therapy uniform!

Perhaps COVID had me over-buying comfy, boring clothes these past almost two years.  After all I didn't travel anywhere to throw caution and neutral color dressing to the wind. I didn't pull out the portable clothes rack to assist in organizing a travel wardrobe for an expedition or cruise ship to a colorful location far from home.

Other than a small suitcase and a brief flight to New England this year, I didn't pack everything but the kitchen sink for a real adventure! Crossing oceans, and visiting colorful venues where one can buy bright swirling caftans, soft pashmina wraps, and silk scarves never happened.

Will dressing change back to how it was prior to COVID?

Will masks be my only splash of color for much longer?

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Regarding the knitting giveaway - love that so many of you have

 already left a comment on my previous post for the drawing next week.

Several of you are overseas but that's OK, posting something light 

is not that expensive.  

Also, some of you want the pattern to knit your own cowl. 

It's so easy that I really don't have a pattern, and you only need to know the 'knit' and 'pearl' stitches. . . . . . . 

On a pair of size 8 (US) knitting needles, cast on an odd number of stitches, I usually do 49.  

Knit first two rows into the back of the stitches for a neat edge.

 Next row, knit two stitches also into the back for a neat edge, then pearl one

knit one across the entire row to the last two stitches and knit those two into the back also. 

Turn and repeat the same on each row until knitting is about 25 inches long.  

Knit into back of one last row all the way across, then cast off - again knitting

 into the back of stitches for a neater edge.

Twist the knitting one turn and line up the two short edges, pin together, and 

hand-stitch them together (I use a crewel needle) with a length of your

 remaining yarn.

Voila - you have a warm cowl for your cool neck - and perhaps,

 like me, you feel you actually didn't completely waste all those hours

sitting in front of the TV!!!!!

I'm off to decorate with my pumpkins and potted mums!

Also to bake an apple and blackberry galette.

The sun is shining ~ the grass is growing - granddaughter is 

coming for supper and hopefully will share those Alaska 

wedding photos she took!

Mysterious Tangier, Morocco. . . . . . . . . . . .

Tangier, the 'White City', is one of the oldest and most vibrant cities in Morocco, 

and it has quite an air of mystery surrounding it. The lively souks, ancient mosques

 and Grand Sorocco (market place) offer a much different world.  Just a stone's throw

 from Spain's familiar Costas, and a ferry ride across the Straits of Gibraltar, Tangier 

is a northern gateway to the continent of Africa.

We had just a day to explore when our ship docked on a cool damp morning

 and we decided to walk into the city and do our own tour on foot.

Of course we did get lost, more than once, but we did see some interesting 

places and people. 

It was difficult to take photos of anything much when it started raining quite hard.

 Local people were definitely not thrilled when I pulled out the camera from 

under my raincoat and pointed it in their direction. . . . . . . .all except the 

smiling gentleman in the window below. He waved and seemed thrilled to 

have his photo taken, and I thanked him profusely from my vantage point 

in the narrow street below. 

Whereas, once in the crammed market places selling anything and everything 

imaginable, recognizable, or otherwise, the hundreds of people, including 

complete families as it was Sunday and a huge shopping day, and the
 shopkeepers, would wave me away and hide their severe faces. I love to 
photograph people going about their daily lives but here I realized
 that it was both a religious and/or a cultural thing not to permit photos, 
so I only managed a few.

The streets and markets were not a comfortable place to be for me whilst
 dealing with a cold rain requiring an umbrella all whilst negotiating dangerous,
 slippery narrow hills, speeding traffic, and huge throngs of local people.
 I had been warned that stepping out onto the streets of Tangier is a daunting
 experience for the uninitiated. However, putting up with a relentless barrage
 of beggars, so-called 'guides' and souvenir sellers made a lasting impression
 and I was able to absorb a little north African culture in just a few
 hours of sightseeing.

The tagine - one of Morocco's most common dishes.

Cunard's Queen Victoria from the hillsides of Tangier.

Leaving Tangier (click here for more on the colorful history) Morocco on the evening tide. 

We had walked up and down those hills through the medina, the old city, but I
 wouldn't relish doing it again in just a few hours. If there's a next time, which is
 doubtful, it might be fun to have a few days with time to learn one's way around,
 hopefully in sunshine with a parasol rather than an umbrella!

Surprise, had to share this with you.

The laundry lady did look out first, but didn't smile or wave for me like the
 man next door!