Siège Avec Vue

In this episode: the start of my homeward journey, with a Ramadan time-change panic, a sunlit walk to the station, and a scenic ride north from Marrakech. Camels crossing bridges, hazy Atlas views - and a game of Monopoly with eight students, shifting alliances, dubious rules, special prices, and more negotiations than the UN.

In this episode: Bus rides, medina wanderings, and a hunt for the elusive rooftop view. I explore the ornate Madrasa Ben Youssef, dodge mopeds in the bustling streets, and soak up the sights and smells of Jemaa el Fna as it transforms at sunset. Along the way, mint tea, harira soup, and local markets.

Day fifteen in Morocco: I take a scenic train from Casablanca to Marrakech, navigate last-minute riad bookings, and explore the vibrant chaos of Jemaa el Fna. Between mountains and mint tea, I hunt for the elusive Unriwalled Showabove terrace.

In this episode: nothing happens. Casablanca’s El Oulfa district, where little happens but plenty gets observed. From rooftop views and daring road-crossing practice to practical notes on Morocco’s trains - prices, layouts, loos, and trolley services. Everything you never knew you needed to know.

In this exciting episode: A rain-soaked day in Casablanca leads to an unexpected wander through a Moroccan Carrefour, where familiar staples mix with heaped spices, endless olives, pricey oil, surprising wine selections, and colonial comfort foods. 

A rainy day in Casablanca slows the pace, giving space for mundane curiosities: a quiet hotel checkout, coffee on a street-corner terrace, an unexpected shoe-shiner encounter, and an impressive inDrive ride through rush-hour traffic. 

In this episode: A puppet sizes up a minaret, I get sore feet and discover that Moroccan traffic is controlled entirely by honking and hope. There’s mosque marvelling, influencer-spotting, and a decent hotel shower. Plus: how to survive crossing the road and why I might be too principled (or too cheap) for a tour. And there was gin.

In this episode: a fearless taxi mission and Moroccan train travel - with unexpected prayers, and a theological engineering solution to an air-conditioning problem. Plus: chandeliers, man-spreading in motion, and excellent scenery that makes up for everything.

In this episode: Fès turns out to be fabulous. Cumin-laced eggs, an uninvited German-language tour, fridge magnet triumph, and a red-hatted man who just won’t quit. There’s goat, glue, and glorious architecture - plus one French girl who simply must pose in every (arch)way. Morocco, day nine: mint, poo, and UNESCO chic.

In this episode: An unstoppably forward taxi driver overshares his fertility, and a finger puppet dodges aggressive massage offers and overzealous tour guides. From stunning vistas to relentless hustle, there’s trains, harira, and a red-hatted man. I do special price.

A lazy afternoon in Tangier winds through fragrant souks and fishy halls, where kitties lounge like sultans and strangers offer lists of delights, if one would only ask nicely. In this short episode: there’s harira by day, mint tea at dusk, and whispers of riads behind carved doors. As the city glows and the market breathes its last, pizza is consumed, scandalously.

In today’s episode: drama, donkeys, and dubious oranges. After a night of mysterious voices, our hero embraces slow-sandal life, worships at the altar of the donkey, and contemplates sheep-walking as a lifestyle. There's mezé, mint tea, moonrise, and a man with a sebsi on a balcony. Somewhere, a possibly-mad woman may or may not be in a cell. Probably not with the sheep. Probably.

Abandon all plans, ye who enter Tangier. Tangier casts its spell over breakfast, and Fès is firmly postponed. A new room with a strategically awkward fridge is secured; lentil soup and baba ganoush carry the day. Historic hotels birth painters and earworms, sunsets come with red wine and muezzin semi-finals, and the locals roar for Real Madrid.  Tangier rains, but spirits remain high.

My first full day in Tangier begins with over-enthusiastic muezzin, seagulls, and mopeds - and a losing battle with sleep. Breakfast is bountiful, SIM cards are procured after cat-filled detours, and falafel is devoured with gusto. There's sunset chasing (with mint tea and blankets), and a gentle surrender to Morocco’s true rulers: the cats. Tangier: socks-with-sandals are fine, and the kitties re...

Day three of the migratory journey south, and things are getting real. In this episode: early-morning trains, endless scenery, ferry terminals, and a final push to Tangier via bus, boat, and blind optimism. Featuring window-based joy, mountainous drama, suspicious entertainment, leopard-print bedding, and close encounters with tasty local delights.

A not-so-first-class train journey from Donostia to Madrid takes centre stage in a tale of window-licking, toasted croissants, falafel, and thwarted expectations. With gratuitous snack-hunting and scenic miscalculations, this leg of the journey has everything except the promised comfort. Come for the trains, stay for the tapas, and find out what happens when your seat simply isn’t on the train tod...

What do you do when you’re out of firewood? Head to Morocco, obviously! In this episode: A snap decision over firewood leads to a cross-border train escape from French drizzle to Spain’s Basque coast. Delays, falafel, forgotten heating, and the cruel optimism of sunshine through clouds - it’s day one of a train journey to Morocco, via Donostia-San Sebastián.