Thursday, November 18, 2010

bondi

 
One place everyone must visit once is the iconic Bondi Beach- even on an overcast day, it has appeal. Yes there are cooler beaches around - Clovelly, Bronte- but Bondi is the quintessential Aussie beach and I don't mind sharing it with everyone and their dog. Plenty of Australian films and television series have used Bondi as a backdrop. The home of the famous Bondi lifesavers, and the Art Deco 'Bathers Pavilion'. Take the #382 Dover Heights bus from the city, and see scenic winding backstreets of Darlinghurst, Paddington and Woollahra with all their historic terrace houses and bijoux boutiques. I made time to visit Axel Mano, a bespoke hat shop on cosmopolitan Queen Street in Woollahra, to get measured for a Milanese straw by milliner Susie Meekin. While I was there I spotted an irresistable 'garage sale' sign on a house a couple of doors down, where I snapped up a Persian rug hanging outside for a bargain $35. The only problem was lugging it back on the bus....

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

newtown

Sydneysiders have a unique freedom of self expression and sense of individuality evident in their sense of style and cultural identity. I love that on a walk around the back streets of an inner city suburb on a Sunday morning, I spotted these two gentlemen in earnest discussion, (hat wearers always appeal to me) and then only a street away, came across this colorful pair. Stayed in Newtown for the weekend at a bed and breakfast (best breakfast ever!) - Tara Guest House, a fabulous renovated ex doctors residence and a funky base to explore a truly multicultural and fascinating suburb of Sydney. An impromptu guest arrived for breakfast- photographer William Yang who opened a children's project at the Sherman Gallery the night before. Newtown is only a 10 minute walk to the railway station from (bus stop only 1 minute away)- there would have to be restaurants of nearly every country at every 2nd shop on Enmore Road. I saw Peruvian, Scandinavian, African and several Thai and Turkish. Spoilt for choice. The weekend happened to be Halloween and the Goths were out and proud, there was even a goth market outside the town hall. Black fishnet stockings and mohawks in abundance.

sydney harbour

I never tire of beautiful Sydney Harbour. As an Aussie, I love that I can visit my favourite places over and over again. Grab a Virgin Blue flight when they have their special fares- so reasonably priced- I paid $130 return from Brisbane to Sydney. Ferries are my favourite method of transport. The Sydney Harbour system crisscrosses from side to side - so many gorgeous waterside locations, all accessible by a variety of small to large ferries which travel several different routes. Catch the ferry to Balmain on a weekend and a 5 minute bus ride will take you to local Rozelle markets, a laidback neighbourhood market full of bargain treasures, on the spot massage tent, entertainment and good food. Other great wharves where the ferry stops are scenic Cremorne Point or McMahons Point- then walk up to the Balls Head Reserve for the best picnic spot and view.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

mosaic

Mosaic is everywhere in Morocco. The walls, floors, steps, and water fountains, both public and in the interior courtyards of riads.  The Middle East is where mosaic originated. Public water fountains are great displays of mosaic pattern in everyday use, particularly in older areas, where homes often don't have running water. The tiles are called zelliji. Ornamention is everywhere you look- every surface is painted, carved or decorated in some way- evidence of the abundant traditional handcraft traditions still practised in Morocco.

riad

Lovely Riad Malaika is a recently restored riad in a narrow backstreet of Essaouira. There are only 8 rooms over 3 levels with a rooftop terrace. The rooms in Essaouira are good value compared to Fes and Marrakech. Riad Malaika is run by a friendly and kind French-Belgian couple, aided and abetted by the savvy and knowledgable Hakim- a young local guy who speaks several languages, learnt while working in one of the shops. Everything in the town is within walking distance, including one of the best Moroccan restaurants we visited for tajine only two minutes around the corner. There is an Arabic expression used frequently that I love, which roughly translated means 'If it is Allah's (God's) will' - 'Insha'Allah', meaning- 'hopefully'.
'Insha'Allah' I will return to Morocco...

essaouira

Essaouira is a peaceful coastal village 2 hours drive north of Marrakesh. The temperature goes down dramatically as soon as you arrive, and there is a cooling sea breeze.  The colour is blue- the buildings, the boats, the sea, the sky. The pace of life is so slow here, the locals are very laid back -the perfect place to while away a week or two. I loved Essaouira, and it is obvious that the hippie trail came this way too, as evidenced by the continuing tale of Jimi Hendrix' visit in the 60's. Ride a camel on the beach, sit in one of the many courtyard cafes and read a book for an hour or two, sip a traditional mint tea or the great Moroccan coffee. I found a tiny street stall selling a huge selection of African music including Mali musicians Rokia Traore and Ali Farka Toure. There is a great English language bookshop with more Paul Bowles books than I have seen anywhere.  The classic Bertolucci film version of 'Under the Sheltering Sky' featuring a young John Malkovich (with hair) will whet your appetite for Morocco, if you haven't seen it -do.

Monday, November 8, 2010

gnaoua

In the lane outside our riad we heard the hypnotic chanting of musicians. Following the sound of rhythmic percussion, we found the Gnaoua musicians busking and watched them twirling their tasselled hats. They can often be seen in the UNESCO listed Djemaa El Fna late at night, jumping around wildly twisting their heads to make the tassels fly while someone collects dirhams for the show. The square comes alive at night with food stalls, snake charmers and performers all gathering crowds of onlookers to a show which has been going since the 11th century and has to be seen to be believed. One of the greatest shows on earth!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

marrakech

The train to Marrakech from Fes takes a full 8 hours (make that 9 after a delay) stopping at many stations along the way. After Fes it seems like a very large, noisy, busy city, full of honking, weaving cars, horse drawn carriages and crowds. The charm of Marrakech is hidden under it's exterior, hidden away in the quiet side streets and havens behind closed doors of the riads and homes. Moroccans I met seemed to be very reserved, thoughtful and good humoured and generally polite, not pushy. They are legendary traders and however much experience you may have at bargaining, you will not succeed in paying less than what your purchase is worth -at best. Mostly I saw men out and about in public- women less so, usually with other women, in a group, or with their husband.  Walking down the crowded streets meant being jostled constantly, and it made sense in the streets of near the busy Djemaa El Fna square to walk behind the women, as the men instantly respectfully clear a path for them, not so a tourist!
Whenever we needed a rest from the overwhelmingness of negotiating the city, we escaped gratefully to the cool peace and quiet of our riad. Maison Arabo-Andelouse is an ancient riad just outside the medina run by  Mohammed, a wonderful Berber gentleman. He cared for us in a most gracious, caring manner. When bidding our goodbyes, he made one of the most touching of gestures- placing the hand on the heart and a bowing of the head- a sign of respect in the Arab world.

Friday, November 5, 2010

souq


Wandering aimlessly is the best way to experience the 'medinas' or 'souqs' as the market areas are known, a spaghetti of narrow interconnected cobbled paths. Best to stick to the main ones if you don't want to get lost, which is inevitable. In the old city in Fez, there is a colour coded system of overhead signs marking the way at random intervals for five different routes. They are not always there when there is a fork in the road! I found this a helpful way to navigate until you start to recognise particular shops of landmarks. There are spectacular mosques and madrassas (Koranic schools) along the way which also serve to mark the way. In Fes, I saw signs requesting that  non Muslims not enter the mosques, a bit disappointing- however you can see the opulent interiors from the entrance. Five times a day you can hear the same 'call to prayer' from the speakers on the minaret on top of the mosques, easily the tallest towers visible. Men with their heads covered in a prayer cap, will race to the mosques. I saw one fellow who was late and locked out, standing outside with his eyes tightly shut, reciting the verses passionately along with those inside.