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As someone who lives and walks this city daily…my blog is all about delving a little deeper, seeing what it has to offer, and capturing the true essence of New York City. Whether you live in Gotham, or just visiting…feel free to look around my blog. Bet you might find something new to do!
P.S. As of the end of April 2013 my more personal postings will now be at The Next Few Years.
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Monthly Archives: March 2011
light underground
NYC subway station at 103rd Street, Upper West Side
moroccan co-co cookies
I ♡ coconut and I’m soooooo wanting a co-co cookie from Morocco!
kasbah tamadot – sir richard branson’s moroccan retreat
Oh…Sir Richard…I could so be your slave.
Tucked away in the rolling hills of the High Atlas Mountains in Asni, Morocco…one will find Kasbah Tamadot.
A touch of paradise, a true eco luxury retreat owned by Richard Branson. Yes, THE Richard Branson of Virgin Airlines. SIR Richard.
Incredible views. To the north, a steep river valley with rocky limestone and forested mountains. On the southern side, snow-capped peaks of the Atlas. To the east, a berber village built into the side of the mountain.
Incredible complex. Courtyards, staircases, extensive grounds and meticulous landscaped gardens.
Incredible staff. Local Berber people from the surrounding villages who get what “service” is all about. Only the best belong to the Virgin, Limited Edition family whose mantra is to serve, to delight, to exceed expectations.
So how the heck did Sir Richard end up with a place here? In 1998 he went to Morocco with the goal of traveling the globe in a hot air balloon. While he was there his parents found a beautiful kasbah (an older or native quarter of many cities in northern Africa) and dreamed of turning it into a wonderful moroccan retreat. He didn’t manage to pull it off on that occasion (but Sir Richard, I thought you could do anything!!) but did purchase Kasbah Tamadot (meaning soft breeze) and made his parent’s dream come true. Of course, only after a “little” refurbishment.
Three heated pools…24 rooms, suites or tents. Yes, tents. Luxury tents. Tennis courts, spa and terraces galore…a refuge from the craziness of Marrakech.
Posted in Morocco
Tagged Asni, Atlas Mountains, Kasbah Tamadot, Morocco, photography, Sir Richard Branson
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my nyc hat
I love wearing my hat. You know why? People smile… People are friendly… I wore my hat to the farmer’s market this weekend. Before I could leave my building, three people said they liked my hat. To and from the market, nine people said they liked my hat and ten people smiled at me. I love wearing my hat. People smile… People are friendly…
(thanks Trysette for taking this photo!)
villa maroc, essaouira, morocco
A must on the list of “to do’s” in Essaouira, Morocco. Dinner by candlelight at the Villa Maroc. And I mean really dinner by candlelight. The electricity went off for most of our dinner making the evening even more spectacular!
spring in the hood
A cold day needs just a touch of warmth!
essaouira, morocco
On the Atlantic coast…pleasant climate all year round…blue…a mecca for hippies during the 70′s…warm, golden, African evenings…blue…a haven for artisans…fresh catch…a favorite hangout of Jimi Hendrix…a UNESCO heritage site…the smell of the sea…blue…better pricing than Marrakech…wind surfer’s paradise…mysterious alleyways…pain-in-the-ass seagulls…a quintessential little Moroccan town called Essaouira. I call it Essa. Oh, did I happen to mention blue?
My travel buddy, Suzan, lived here for two years while she was in the Peace Corps. It was amazing how many people recognized and remembered her from five years ago. That so impressed me. Not only the impact that she had on their lives for them to remember her, but how warm and genuine they were, even with the language barrier.
There’s no history lesson here or my ramblings on about museums or palaces or mosques. Just normal everyday living in Essa…enjoy.
Blue…stay tuned for a future post on Blue Essa…
sunset on the hudson
As seen from the Gotham Den…let’s just say it was an “abstract” kinda evening…
allman brothers at the beacon
For twenty years the Allman Brothers Band have played close to 200 shows at the Beacon Theatre in the Upper West Side of Manhattan and last year someone in their infinite wisdom chose to book a Cirque du Soleil show instead. Big mistake as “Banana Shpeel” was a failure at the Beacon. Apologies were made and ABB was back for another rockin concert series of classics this year!
A big smile appeared when I read an article that mentioned the band members were thrilled to be returning to the Beacon because of it’s VIBE.
For one thing you can’t smoke at the United Palace (where they had to move last year) and there’s no drinking allowed. So how true…how can it be an ABB concert without smokin and drinkin? One of the members of the band was quoted as sayings “the looser atmosphere at the Beacon fosters a better environment for typical Allman fans.” Yep, you got that right! I’d say there was a bit of smoke floating around!
On a side note the article also said that Gregg Allman has been assured his band will have the Beacon Theater not only this year, but also for many years to come. ROCK ON! Until next year!
taxi to essaouira, morocco
You mean SEVEN of us are going to Essaouira in this piece of shit taxi and it takes two hours? And there are no seat belts? You mean one of us will have to sit in the opening between the two seats in the front where it just so happens to be the location of the stick shift? And it will take two hours?
OK. I’ll sit there.
OMG! He’s going to hit the car in front of us! Isn’t the left lane for oncoming traffic? Half of my ass is numb.
An adventure I wouldn’t trade for the world! Thanks to my travel buddy, Suzan! I know we made the driver’s day and the four guys in the back just had to love all the English chatter! As much as I enjoyed the calm of the nice bus trip back to Marrakech, it wasn’t near as much of an adventure as this taxi ride!
