#holiday2023 — Public Fediverse posts

While I'm here - have a couple of #sketches I've done while we've been in #Kortrijk #Belgium

One is a corner in the Beguinage, which is unsuccessful. The other is one of the famous Broel Towers (so famous that I'd never heard of them) - they are spectacular.

#sketching #holiday2023 #holiday #urbansketching #travelDrawing #carnetdevoyage

Home! It’s stuffy in here, we’ve just been round and opened lots of windows. Surprise, surprise, despite the recent good weather in the UK, it is raining here. Bang on trend for #pembrokeshire. Still really humid though. So very glad to be home, that trip was much more adventurous than I had bargained for or ever want to experience again #holiday #Holiday2023 #HolidayGoneWrong #MoroccoEarthquake

Just boarded and waiting for takeoff. The people next to me were staying in a guesthouse in the medina with no one else there except the night watchman who left without them. They spent the night among rubble with the local residents. So you see we had it easy #Holiday2023 #Marrakesh #Morocco #MoroccoEarthquake

Blue pool, blue sky #morocco #holiday #holiday2023

Good afternoon! We’ve been out all morning in the medina (walled old town) of Marrakesh. We took a tour with a licensed guide who told us a lot about the history and politics of Marrakesh and Morocco and showed us areas we would never have found alone. We passed through the Jewish Quarter and the districts for blacksmiths, tailors, carpet sellers, leather workers and other types of artisan. Here are a few pics from our excursion #morocco #holiday2023 #holiday #marrakesh

We’re eating outside, the entertainment guys are out on the next terrace playing a sort of Beat The Intro game. I am getting almost all of them but stubbornly refusing to go over and join in. That chord, for example, was the opening to Purple Rain #holiday #Holiday2023 #morocco

OK, not doing thalassotherapy, I’ve found a better thing - I’ve just booked in for a two hour traditional Moroccan hammam and massage package. The spa area is lovely so I can’t wait! #morocco #holiday #Holiday2023

All booked! We’re getting a guided tour of the historic district of Marrakesh tomorrow, including the main mosque, but non-Muslims are not permitted inside. I’m glad to be going with a guide as I know it’s labyrinthine in the old town. The young man who took our booking was explaining that not only do people in the mountains speak Berber rather than Arabic, but there are different dialects between the small, middle and big Atlas Mountains which are not mutually intelligible. He learned his English in school, as it has overtaken French (Morocco was a French colony until the 1950s) as the most taught foreign language. In the coastal north people still speak Spanish, another colonial hangover. Most visitors at this resort are French, some Brits and a few Americans, signs are in English and French #Morocco #holiday #Holiday2023

Good morning! We’re up and breakfasted and just about to book a historic city tour and a trip to the Majorelle formal gardens. They have some association with Yves Saint Laurent, the French text just says they were his “sanctuary” but the English text calls it “this private YSL little paradise” so idk if he was involved in the design. I must look it up on Wikipedia. We’re also hoping to take a day in the Atlas Mountains. We’re interspersing trips with lazy days on our tiny terrace or by the pool. Idk if my thalassotherapy treatment will materialise, I’ve only just found out how to receive replies from the spa and nothing yet. Maybe this afternoon or another day. Tom is thinking of trying some archery today and I’d quite like to do a spin class or Zumba. We’ll see how it goes but a little exercise would be great #holiday #Holiday2023 #morocco

Filled up my plate with salads and roasted veggies and only then discovered a whole tagine section in the buffet! That will have to wait until tomorrow #holiday #Holiday2023 #morocco

We’ve discovered the areas for football (soccer), volleyball, archery, spinning, tennis, running and pétanque and found the pools but never came across the spa or the gym which I was hoping to use tomorrow. We have been warned not to feed the cats, but we haven’t seen any - we did see a peahen and a slow shell fren #holiday #morocco #Holiday2023

We have arrived at our hotel! It’s on the outskirts of the city but there is a free bus into the centre of Marrakesh. Right now our plan is to check out the hotel facilities, get a cold drink, and prepare for dinner. I’ve attempted to book a thalassotherapy treatment for tomorrow - never had a seaweed wrap before - but idk how they will let me know if my booking has been successful. I’d also quite like to join a spin class tomorrow afternoon. My first impression of #morocco, based purely on the taxi drive from the airports, is that you should not come here if you like road safety or dislike palm or olive trees. Looking forward to seeing more of the city and country over the next week #holiday #Holiday2023

Bags packed.
Bags repacked.

Interrail pass loaded onto app.
Checked the Interrail pass is in the app on the correct phone.

Garage hermetically sealed.
Garage security checked.

Passports?
Passports - tick (and bank cards)

GHIC cards
GHIC cards - tick (blimey they were useful last time, don't ask).

Anxiety levels ramping nicely
Quigung breathing exercises - tick

Yep! We're going on holiday this afternoon.

#interrail #anxiety #quigung #holiday #holiday2023

We are through security, where I got very thoroughly frisked. I haven’t been cupped like that by a young lady for many years. Now in the lounge waiting for our gate to be announced and watching the planes coming and going #holiday #Holiday2023

This is a great hotel BUT the water is not hot enough to enjoy a bath which a massive thing to a semi-aquatic creature such as myself. I’m up earlier than I need be because I finally fell asleep but then woke again but I think I’ll feel worse if I let myself go back to sleep and then be woken by my alarm (o curséd sound!). Tom’s still fast asleep. I guess I’m going to get out of this lukewarm water and get dressed. ✈️ in just over four hours! #holiday #Holiday2023

Working, adding more postcards to our store but keep getting distracted looking for our next summer holiday! Could well be #Brittany again or maybe this time, #Ireland.
#holiday #holiday2023 #vacation