Ibn Ibn Battuta

From al-Andalus to al-Maghreb, and Beyond

Spain map

Before returning to Morocco, Jacqueline and I spent the last days of our Iberian roadtrip kicking around Andalucia.

In Zafra, we discovered secreto ibérico. At a café in the old town's main square, both of us ordered the mysterious "Iberian secret", left unexplained by the menu, on the waitress' recommendation. It turned out to be a tender pork fillet, seared to juicy perfection - perhaps our best meal of the entire trip.

Ronda was a picturesque stone-and-mortar town split by a deep chasm, its sandstone cliffs housing the swallows that swooped through the evening skies.

Sipping Porto in the Douro

Portugal map

The next stop in our Portuguese road trip was the Douro Valley, famed home of Portugal's most celebrated export - vinho do porto, or port wine. Made at first like traditional wines, port is infused with brandy partway through the fermentation process, increasing both the alcohol and sugar content of the wine and adding yet more layers of complexity to its flavor.

The Douro River runs from the mountains of northeastern Portugal westward to the Atlantic, where the city of Porto is located. Some 150 km upriver, near the

Aveiro: the 'Portuguese Venice' Proves a Good Catch

All on its own, the town of Aveiro might have justified our entire road trip through Portugal and southern Spain.

On the Atlantic coast halfway between Lisbon and Porto, a wide expanse of salt marshes surrounds Aveiro. They begin at the town's edge, and stretch to the horizon in a geometric array of shallow ponds and grassy dikes. This patchwork, and the occasional ramshackle pump house, are the relics of Aveiro's once famous but now fading saltworks.

The town itself - perfectly quaint like every other settlement in Portugal - straddles a series of canals plied by brightly painted gondolas. In this

Though the Meter Man Lurks, Lisbon Still Delights

Lisbon map

Why, oh why, did we decide to drive?

I first began to ask myself this question on the highway just outside Lisbon, as we sat in full horizon-to-horizon gridlock, creeping imperceptibly toward the Portuguese capital.

Strangely, when we finally reached the center of the city it looked almost deserted. Late on a Sunday afternoon, most shops were closed and the pedestrians were few.

So too were the parking spaces. Thus, while Jacqueline and I walked around downtown searching for a suitable place to stay, our rental car sat in a garage, racking up a substantial bill. We finally opted to stay in the brand new Shiado Hostel, on

On the Algarve Coast, Discovering Portugal's Charms

Portugal map

Saturday morning we accompanied Jacqueline’s family to the Málaga airport to say our goodbyes. Afterward, there was no master plan; we just needed to be back eight days later for our flight back to Morocco.

In a snap decision, we scrapped our plans of public transport and rented a small Opel four-seater. At a gas station on the road to Sevilla, we picked up a road map of the Iberian peninsula, adding to our minimal library of knowledge on Spain and Portugal (which until this point consisted only of our as-yet-untouched Let's Go! Spain and Portugal guidebook). 

Our Iberian road trip had begun.

Southern Spain: We Could Get Used to This

Spain map

The second leg of our trip with Jacqueline's family took us from Marrakech to southern Spain.

We planned to stay outside Marbella, the nightlife capital of Spain's Costa del Sol, where a Powers family friend owns a condo. However, when the airline misplaced our bags - including the one with the condo's keys inside - Jacqueline's dad Jeff picked up the phone. A few calls and an hour later, we pulled into the swanky Marbella Club Hotel, for decades an exclusive beachfront retreat of Europe's rich and famous. Black and whites of Spanish royalty lined the walls of the reception; our room came

Marrakech: Summer Vacation in the Red City

Morocco map

After a grueling and nearly sleepless week, my last five minutes in Rabat were a whirlwind: toss reports on boss' desk, shut down computer, sprint three blocks home, dump fridge contents into trash bag and give to building caretaker, shoulder backpack, cut power, fumble door lock, sprint four blocks to train station, board and collapse.

My latest contract finished, I was finally, unbelievably heading out for two much-needed weeks of relaxation. First destination: Marrakech, surely one of earth's least relaxing cities.