Cultural Love Affair

03/16/12

It was a feeling so strong it changed my life. I’d fallen in love like never before. I’d always been attracted to a desirable lifestyle, interesting culture, and delicious cuisine. A shared love of music was a definite plus. Amazing style and beauty were added bonuses. Yes, Morocco captured my heart. In fact, by day four of my 17-day Moroccan vacation, I knew I was coming back. I didn’t know how long I’d stay. Or what I’d do. But I’d figure it out. Let the journey begin! So I gave...

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A Conversation with Thalvin Winery

03/14/12

Morocco is considered by many to be a “new-old” wine producing country. The history of wine in this country is very old – over 4,000 years. But winemaking and vineyards on any sort of commercial scale appeared and disappeared regularly in that time because of religion, war, and other cultural factors. When Islam came to Morocco around 700 AD, the production and consumption of wine disappeared because Islam prohibits alcohol. However, viniculture reappeared a few centuries later when the...

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Inspiration of the Taureg

03/13/12

Twenty years ago, the village of Umm Giras was as unremarkable as a thousand others along the southern reaches of the Sahara desert. It had a cluster of round huts built from wood and straw, a primary school with just one tin-roofed classroom, and an unusually elegant mosque, painted white, with its grounds shaded by acacia trees. The inhabitants were unremarkable too; not obviously different from most Sudanese. Although they described themselves as nomads, and there were a number of sleek...

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The Inspiration Behind Lalla Bags

03/12/12

See Kay in the Lalla Studio with handbag designer Laetitia Trouillet. Influenced by the intensive shopping trips in the souks of Marrakech searching for the unexpected, Laetitia shares her inspiration and love of the beautiful city. Find Lalla’s Zarbia Camel bag here. Video Credit: Produced by Ali Sargent, Photography by Christopher Rufo, Edited by Brian Patriacca, Edited by Chris Guevarra, Music Composition by Steve...

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My Mother’s Rolodex

I think I inherited it from my mother. She grew up in a middle-class family in Connecticut, married too young, had three children, and with my dad built a sturdy middle class life in a Boston suburb. Along the way she ran the house, played tennis, smoked, drank gin and tonics, read, volunteered, went back to college and got her degree, and worked as a counselor. She had a passion for the unique and authentic. Her Rolodex was a road map of her travels and a treasure trove of special people and...

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Eating Exotic in Marrakech

03/06/12

After seven days of sunshine, chaos, and less than optimal hygiene standards, I finally had it with the national dishes of Morocco: couscous and tagine. I had it with very overcooked chicken. With vegetables. With lamb (with and without dried fruit). With beef. And one offered a camel version, but I didn’t partake. It’s not that I don’t love tagines or couscous. They’re great- and the Moroccans are the only ones that can do it right (sorry wanna-be ethnic cooks). But if I got sick of...

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