Morocco can seem like something conjured from a dream. The twisty alleys of its old-town medinas hold secrets around every corner. Its markets are infused with the aroma of spices and the lilting melodies of musicians, with jewel-toned leather and scarves and rugs as far as the eye can see.
Morocco’s history is just as colorful. Nomadic peoples like the Berbers and the Tuareg (a.k.a., the Blue People) were roaming and riding the Sahara desert for centuries. The cities — Tangier and Casablanca, Marrakech and Fez — were well-known havens in and around the World Wars for secret agents, ambitious businessmen, and glamorous movie stars.
Providing a background for all of this is Morocco’s breathtaking scenery: the rugged beauty of the Atlas mountains, the flowing dunes of the Sahara, the sparkling beaches on the Atlantic and Mediterranean, and the fragrant cedar forests.
In this episode, we discuss books that transported us to Morocco, including two very different — but equally moving — memoirs of personal adventures; a historical novel featuring two strong heroines and a mysterious amulet; a poignant look at the fading art of Moroccan storytelling; and a contemporary thriller about a traveler’s worst nightmare.
We also talk Moroccan food and travel with Amanda Ponzio Mootaki, a.k.a., MarocMama, the founder of the MarocMama website and Marrakech Food Tours.
For a complete roundup of all the books we recommend, plus a full transcript and the other cool stuff we talked about (Did someone say Strait of Gibraltar Swimming Association?!), visit the Episode 07 show notes.
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Top image courtesy of Sergey Pesterev.
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