For our mid-year break, Annette found an amazing home sit for us to do in Spain, just north of Malaga near the little village of Villaneuva de la Concepcion. As we looked for the easiest route to Malaga Airport, we discovered that this was through Casablanca. So, we took advantage of that opportunity and stopped in Morocco for four days.

Upon arrival in Casablanca, we jumped on the train and went straight to Marrakesh. We stayed in the center of the old city and souq area. That allowed us to walk to all the big sights including Jamaa Al Fna Square for their evening events.

You can find any kind of food from snails …

… to fruit drinks.

The souq is a busy place! You can buy anything from fancy shoes…

… which are made on site …

… to dyed wool …

.. to carpets …

… and one of my favourite things of all, Moroccan olives.

Originally, the souq was actually the old city, enclosed by the walls of the souq, which are still standing in most areas. As you wind your way through the souq, you start to discover how people lived in the old city in days gone by.

The Secret Garden is an old villa built in the 19th century. The owners have refinished it in a way that represents some of the key architectural and social features of buildings at that time.

For example, the garden is split into four quarters, and each quarter holds different fruit trees such as …

… pomegranates, and the whole garden is lined with olive trees.

We also visited the former villa of Yves St. Laurent. He started coming to Marrakesh in the 1960s and eventually bought this villa in the early 80s, I think.

As we walked through the souq, we stumbled across so many interesting and cool things. We saw people cooking in tagines…

… and selling so many things.

Being so crowded pushes people on to the roof tops where they live …

… and work …

… and have excellent views of the Atlas Mountains.

We also were lucky to get a good seat in one of the very few bars in Marrakesh (being a Muslim country and all) where we watched the World Cup (of Football). I am not a big soccer fan, but once ever four years, I watch a game.

En route to Malaga, we had to be at the airport in Casablanca at 6:00 AM. So, we went to Casablanca to spend the day, and be closer to the airport.

With the exception of the eponymous movie, there is little to grace Casablanca. We did see a giant mosque …

… and had an excellent experience in a restaurant, but then we just got on the plane and flew on to Spain.

Spain

I had been to Spain before a couple times, and Annette and I went to Barcelona in 2010, but I was not expecting the stunning countryside we found in Andalucia. As they say in real estate, location, location, location.

The owners of the finca, for whom we were house sitting, certainly chose their location well. From the finca, they have 360 degree views of the countryside.

The other fantastic element of the location was that it is less than an hour to Malaga …

… and just a short hop of an hour or so to Grenada and the Al Hambra …

.. and an hour in the other direction to Cordoba, of Roman and conquistador fame.

However, after a couple days running around, we realized that since the local area was so beautiful, we were already ‘here’. So, why go anywhere else?

Of course, we were not only house sitting, but dog sitting.

As you may know, I am very much a cat person, but one that can work with dogs! Especially if they live in Spain. It was a two-person task and we would bundle them into the car, drive off somewhere, go for a great walk amongst the olive trees.

When the vista for the dog walk is this, why not go for long walks.

As a huge fan of olives, and as someone who eats olives 2-3 times per day, I was quite intrigued by the endless olive groves that went on literally for hundred of kilometers in every direction.

Olive trees can grow very old. However, they are often cut down and replanted – to increase the harvest?

We were also quite taken with the food. A vegetarian does miss out on some of the delicacies …

We were also quite surprised by the wildlife that we found there. Although the area has been settled for millennia, the mountains provide habitat for surprising amount of wildlife to persist. The Torcal de Antequerra is home to a great deal of wildlife. This is the mountain you can see quite plainly from the finca.

We both fell in love with this area so I am sure there will be more posts from future trips. Here are a few more photos from the trip.