She (Morocco) includes within her borders mountains as stately as the Rockies, valleys profound and lovely; cities which glow in fierce sunlight within a day’s march of snow-covered summits. “National Geographic 1932”

Mar 16, 2017

The last seven days have been something out of the 1001 Arabian Nights…I just want to experience the additional 994 nights. In 7 days we have traveled through congested modern cities, walked back int time aw we explored the labyrinth of its Medinas, discover palaces of unequal beauty although some in ruins, SA mosaics left by the Romans, haggled in its Souks, drove through agricultural valleys with its abundance of richness, saw the majestic snow-capped peaks of it the Atlas Mountains and sailed through its deserts.

We experience its sites, sound as the Iman call to prayer  and smells of its spices as you walk through the souks and its ever-present strong earthen colors as they totally surround you.

But the best kept secret of Morocco are its people warm welcoming, hospitable ands its food rich savory and fragrant.

Today we say goodbye to another’s of life fulfilled dream. It has been an unforgettable experience and flying off to Lisbon to begin another adventure.

Little did we know that our adventure will begin at Mohamed V, Casablanca chaotic airport or as an old friend  would say “a total cluster f#€£………….we definitely had to use our sense of humor and extreme patience, until we got airborne.

Landed in Lisbon, and picked up our rental car Nissan Xterra SUV or in the stares in branded as the Rogue only to find out it was a diesel and a stick……….I have not driven a stick for over 20 years……  but surprised how quickly it’s coming back only died once in the parking lot we left the airport and merged into rush hour traffics…..

Found our hotel Pousada de Queluz the old clock tower of a royal palace checked into a lovely suite(upgraded)and went to the restaurant for dinner”……..lovely dinner in a very impressive space a 1794 Royal palace, in the room that used to be the kitchen, the big hood in the middle is the chimney, the dessert table is original to the period.

Portugal officially the Portuguese Republic is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. It is the westernmost country of mainland Europe. To the west and south, it is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and to the east and north by Spain. The Portugal–Spain border at 754 miles is considered the longest uninterrupted border within the European Union. The republic also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira, both autonomous regions with their own regional governments.

Portugal has been continuously settled, invaded, and fought over since prehistoric times. The Pre-Celts, Celts, Carthaginians, Romans, Visigothic, and the Suebi Germanic peoples. In 711 the Iberian Peninsula was invaded by the Moors, making Portugal part of Muslim Al Andalus. Portugal was born as a result of the Christian Reconquista, and in 1139, Afonso Henriques was proclaimed King of Portugal, thus firmly establishing Portuguese independence.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal established the first global empire, becoming one of the world’s major economic, political and military power.  Portuguese explorers pioneered maritime exploration in the Age of Discovery, notably under the royal patronage of Prince Henry the Navigator and King João II, with such notable discoveries as Bartolomeu Dias’s reach of the Cape of Good Hope (1488), the Vasco da Gama’s sea route to India (1497–98) and the discovery of Brazil (1500).

Portugal monopolized the spice trade during this time, and the Portuguese Empire expanded with military campaigns led in Asia. But the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, the country’s occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, the independence of Brazil (1822), and the Liberal Wars (1828–34), all left Portugal crippled from war and diminished in its world power.

After the 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy, the democratic but unstable Portuguese First Republic was established, later being superseded by the Estado Novo right-wing authoritarian regime. Democracy was restored after the Portuguese Colonial War and the Carnation Revolution in 1974. Shortly after, independence was granted to almost all its overseas territories,marking the end of the longest-lived colonial empire. Portugal has left a profound cultural and architectural influence across the globe and a legacy of over 250 million Portuguese speakers today.

Portugal is a developed country with a high-income advanced economy and a high living standard.  It is the 5th most peaceful country in the world, maintaining a unitary semi-presidential republican form of government.