MOROCCO: Rabat – Enough Already – Greece Me Up!
I find myself in Rabat in another Riad in yet another Medina. Mercifully this one is relatively non-toxic although I have encountered a few altercations between some testosterone poisoned, local male youth involving the throwing of large stones, chasing each other about, and beating each other up. The people of Islamic cultures in this part of the […]
MOROCCO: Casablanca – Give It A Rest, Sam.
After the all-day bus trip from Essaouira, I find myself in the filthy, noisy city of Casablanca. As the backdrop for a Hollywood classic of the same name, any of the glitz and glamour this city may have exuded has long since faded away. One bit of good news is that I am holed up in a […]
MOROCCO: Essaouira – Morocco’s Seattle
To say that Essaouira is an improvement over Marrakech would be a statement of the bleeding obvious. Although one is not besieged constantly by a series of touts and scammers, there are plenty of annoying panhandlers, and less aggressive shopkeepers who still maintain their perfect record of dishonest business practices. At any given time there is a parade […]
MOROCCO: Marrakech – Schmarrakech
It all started with an hour and a half wait in customs, and went steadily downhill from there onward. Now if you happen to be fond of lying, in your face, aggressive shopkeepers, heat, dust, filth and an endless variety of beggars and hustlers in a wok-tossed, clusterf**k format then Marrakech may just be the place […]
TUNISIA: Tunis – Marvelous Mosaics
There are virtually no Europeans here in the capital city of Tunisia. Just too many local, unemployed, sex-starved guys, smoking cigarettes, hanging out with each other in cafés while gift wrapped women pass them by on the street. I can’t say I am enchanted by the shabbiness of the city either. The food is just […]
MALTA: Gozo – Small, Charming & Delicious
After three action-packed days in Malta, I was ready for the relative calm of Gozo. As it turns out, the days were peaceful but filled with activity nonetheless since Katharina wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything of importance. She is a hostess with the mostess and is truly cut from the same cloth […]
MALTA: Perpetually Under Siege – Country #85
Punchdrunk from the Italian trifecta of Rome, Florence and Venice, I blew into Malta after a couple of delayed flights and a double dose of airport security shuffle. I met a nice guy from Finland waiting in line to check in on my last flight and we shared a cab into the city where we […]
ITALY: Venice
Venice was the final leg of my Italian tour, and also my first time in this very special city. A very pleasant bunk bed free hostel was there to greet me, as well as very welcoming staff and guests. One of the people that makes for a happy and well informed visit. The view of […]
SAN MARINO: San Marino – Mountainous Microstate
If you’re making the trip to San Marino then you are probably stopping off on the way from Rome, Florence or Venice. My advice is that you make this detour just to hang onto what little sanity you may have left after visiting these three crowded, klusterfuquian destinations if for nothing else, but for the […]
ITALY: Florence – Renaissance Revival & Population Explosion
I thought that the onslaught of humanity I encountered in Rome would somehow be relieved in Florence. Rome could be excused due to it being Easter weekend. If anything Florence was worse. Battalions of tour groups crisscrossed seemingly every block of the city in search of the next attraction. I was here about ten years […]
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