On the Path This was one of the few flat sections on the 12 kilometer (7 mile) hike from the Kasbah in Imlil to a lodge in the tiny village of Aït Aïssa. There is nothing easy about hiking in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. But, the views are worth it!
Any visitor to these pages knows I love hiking.
But, if the truth be told, I don’t always love it while I’m doing it!
I discovered very quickly that there is nothing easy about hiking in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. The ground is steep, covered in rubble, strewn in rubbish, and dotted with mule and donkey droppings. Even after the ‘moderate’ hike around the Imlil Valley (see: Walking Around Imlil Valley) the day before, I had been exhausted.
My guide – a guide is a necessity in these mountains – my guide had assured me I’d be fine on our second trek: a roughly (and rough!) 12 kilometer- (7 mile-) journey from the Kasbah where I was staying in Imlil to a lodge in tiny village of Aït Aïssa. But, Alltrails lists a similar route (see: Imlil – Tizi Oussem) as ‘challenging’. Even though they are talking about a full round-trip, and I was only going half way on a slightly longer route, I knew I’d struggle with the uphills.
And it’s almost all uphill!
I got off to a very slow start, cursing and grumbling constantly under my breath with every painful footfall; my guide was well ahead of me most of the way, and my mule was long gone. I stopped regularly: to catch my breath, to have some water, to take pictures, and to adjust my poor feet – which, in spite of wonderful boots, were cramping up.
So, I was not a happy trekker.
But the views were magnificent – and taking pictures every five minutes made a good excuse to let my blood pressure normalise.
When I arrived at my designated lunch stop, I was hot, tired, footsore – and about an hour late. I can’t really blame it on the altitude: my starting point in Imlil sits around 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) above sea level. According to my walking app, we gained 848 metres (2782 feet) across the whole trek, and lost almost the same!
Lunch – when I finally got it – was restorative: my muleteer had prepared the most wonderful Moroccan salad with finely diced vegetables, sliced cheese and tinned tuna. Naturally, there were olives. Plus, a hot dish of beans – and more importantly, coffee.
The second half of the walk was easier, and even included some downhill sections to test my thighs and knees. I dragged myself into the Azzaden Trekking Lodge only half an hour behind the ‘average’ time. But, I was exhausted, and wondering how I would ever get myself up the stairs for dinner!
I’ve done all the hard work: come along and enjoy the scenery:
Morning in The Kasbah The sun has reached North Africa’s highest peak, the mighty Toubkal (4167 m – 13671 ft) in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Our garden, below, still sits in shadows as I make my way to the dining room for my pre-trek breakfast. (iPhone15Pro)
Back Down to Imlil Valley It feels as if I’m getting nowhere – just one foot after the other, slowly. But, just half an hour after starting, the valley is already stretching out behind us.
Mule and Handler The occasional narrow road winds between villages as we cut steeply up the slope on walking trails and goat tracks.
Pack Mule
The Rocky Path The narrow path leads ever higher, …
Pine Cones … into pine forests. Aleppo (Pinus halepensis Mill.) and Brutia (Pinus brutia) pines are both common here. I think this is the latter.
Colourful Hills The surrounding landscape is dramatic and subtly beautiful at the same time.
Nature’s Artworks : Patterns in Stone
Animal Pen Shepherds here follow a pattern of transhumance (seasonal migration) and often pen the animals at night for safety.
The Valley Behind We have entered Toubkal National Park. The valley we started out in has receded into the distance and is about to disappear completely as we round the shoulder of the mountain. It is hot: the sun is high and there is not a cloud in sight.
An Arid Environment This area gets snow and ice in winter, so it’s hard to know how much of the loose scree underfoot is ‘normal’ and how much is earthquake damage from the year before.
Muleteer
In the Middle In the saddle between the mountains, we finally get a break for lunch.
Rocks, Rocks, and More Rocks
The Path The path stretches out forever and I could be alone on the mountain. In actuality, my guide is somewhere in front, out of sight, and my muleteer is behind, still packing up after our lunch stop.
To Forever … The colours are amazing, stretching out to the layered horizon.
Goat
Spanish Juniper – Juniperus Thurifera We are in the lower reaches of what is called the Mediterranean High Atlas Juniper Steppe. While Spanish juniper – which is native to Morocco – can grow to 20 metres (66 feet) in height, in these rocky, windswept regions they are low to the ground and twisted by the elements.
Natures Artworks : Tortured and Twisted The juniper trees make wonderful sculptural shapes.
Tizi Oussem Village Villages cling to both sides of the Azzaden Valley – still a long way in the distance.
Boulder on the Hillside
Terraced Fields
More Terraces Farming here is labour intensive!
Under the Apples This is apple country – and the path takes us downhill and into an orchard.
Mud Brick Compound
My Muleteer Given how slow I had been before lunch, my muleteer expressed surprise when he finally caught up with us in the afternoon.
Into a VIllage This area was hard-hit by the earthquake in September 2023. Looking at the the mud-brick construction, it is easy to understand the ruinous effects of the shallow magnitude-6.8 quake.
Old Man Walking We are back in civilization – where there is a narrow paved road, and people going about their lives.
On the Road My guide assures me we are close … but he has been saying that for a while!
Buildings on the Edge It is hard to tell which buildings are still in use.
Boys at Play This blew my mind! When was the last time you saw a child using a cardboard fruit crate as a wagon?
Running the Hoop
Azzaden Trekking Lodge Finally! My destination. Naturally, it is up a hill!!
I limped in, bone-weary and mildly sunburnt.
But, my room included an ensuite with a spa bath!
After a long soak, and a delicious tagine dinner, the hard work was forgotten, and I had nothing but good to say about the day.
Pont Valentré – Valentré Bridge What could be more French? A picturesque fortified stone-arch bridge seems to rise out of the grapes growing along the banks of the Lot River in Cahors. Part of the UNESCO-listed pilgrim path to Santiago de Compostela, this medieval bridge has been in use since 1350.
I always laugh when people ask me if I have walked “The Camino”.
Exactly which caminino (“way”) do they mean?
Most people are referring to the Camino de Santiago de Compostela – the Way of St. James – a vast network of pilgrims’ paths leading to the shrine of the apostle James in the Catedral de Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain.
Santiago de Compostela was known to Christians since the early in the 9th century, when presumed relics of Saint James the Great were discovered there. It then became a major Christian pilgrimage destination. In 1492, Pope Alexander VI officially declared the Camino de Santiago to be one of the “three great pilgrimages of Christendom”. In 1998, the French Way and the Northern Routes in Spain – and some of the important historic monuments along those paths – were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for their historical significance to Christianity.
I have been on sections of the French and Spanish parts of this “Northern Way” before (eg: Toulouse and España Verdi). It has always been serendipitous: I certainly haven’t ever set out to walk the countless miles that make up the full Camino network!
On a rainy autumn visit to the medieval town of Cahors, in the Occitan Region of Southern France, I was delighted to discover myself once again “On the Way”.
One of the UNESCO-listed structures on the Northern Way is the magnificent Pont Valentré, a 14th-century bridge that crosses the Lot River and leads walkers south to Toulouse and onward to the Spanish pilgrim paths.
I settled for walks along the river banks and across this impressive, fortified stone-arch bridge.
Bring an umbrella and come along!
Pathway along the Lot River It was a rainy afternoon – but it was still a charming walk along the Lot River. There, an old friend introduced me to some of the delights of Cahors, in the south of France. (iPhone15Pro)
Église Notre Dame de Saint Georges – Our Lady of St Georges Here, where a natural spring rose, there was once a chapel. The current cut-stone and slate building became a parish church in 1795.
The Weir We watch the tourist boats on the Lot River heading towards the locks.
The Fortified Valentré Bridge This magnificent bridge has six large Gothic arches, spanning 172 meters (564 ft) across the river.
Walkway under the Pont Valentré Up close, the rustic bridge is quite beautiful – and is clearly a remarkable feat of engineering for its time.
Foot Bridge Today, this well-preserved historic monument is only open to foot traffic.
Along the Lot River The skies were full of rain when I approached the bridge the next morning.
American Pokeweed – Phytolacca Americana
Fontaine des Chartreux Across the river, the rough stones of the pumphouse building at the Chartreux fountain stand out against the steep mountainside.
Valentré Bridge It is such an elegant building! Considered to be the best preserved medieval bridge in France, the structure remained largely unchanged until 1870, when it was fully renovated by architect Paul Gout. In the style that was popular in the 19th century, he exaggerated the military characteristics somewhat.
The Golden Shell At the base of the bridge, I find a shell. The scalloped shell is an iconic symbol of the Camino de Santiago – the Way of St. James: it is a metaphor for the many different routes pilgrims follow to arrive at their destination. Medieval pilgrims often wore shells on their cloaks or hats during their walks.
Under Pont Valentré Under the bridge, the vegetation is green and the waters are calm.
Atlantic Ivy – Hedera Hibernica The intermittent rains collects on the bridge approaches.
Along the River Once on the bridge, it is worth looking back at the curve of Cahors.
Stairs to the Tower How many feet have trodden these stairs over the centuries?
A Blackened Wall The patina of time is everywhere.
From Pont Valentré The waters above the weir are glassy-calm.
Through the Arch
La Maison de l’Eau – The Pump House Built in 1853, the water-pumping station that supplied all of Cahors still has its original machinery – but it now operates as a museum and exhibition space. It was closed when I was there, so I contented myself with looking through the windows and back to the bridge.
Pont Valentré from Quai Albert Cappus
La Fontaine des Chartreux – the Chartreux Spring Roman coins dating to the 1st century BCE attest to the significance that the Romans themselves attributed to these waters. Before that, the Cadurci – one of the last Celtic tribes to resist the Roman invasion into southern France – worshipped Divona, the Goddess of waters, here.
Old Stones at the Chartreux Spring
Maidenhair Fern New growth finds a way in old stones.
Le Pont de Chemin de Fer de Cahors A little further down the Lot River, the railway bridge crosses.
Pont Valentré from Avenue Mermoz Collinot On my way back, I walk past the entry to the bridge to have a look at the weir on the other side; …
French Housing on the Waterfront … the housing overlooking the river had me daydreaming.
Ah! La France! This was only one bridge in Cahors, and I had the rest of the town to explore …
Preparing to be “Pacha” It takes a long time to get into character for a traditional Kathakali performance. At the Great K V Kathakali Center in Fort Kochi, Kerala, much of the preparation takes place on stage, so visitors can watch some of the complex process.
It was hot. And dark. And chaotically noisy.
And, I loved every minute of it!
To a non-Indian, a Kathakali dance performance can best be described as a Punch and Judy show on steroids.
One of India’s many forms of regional classical dance, Kathakali is unique to Kerala on India’s southwestern Malabar Coast. After spending a magically quiet time on the Kerala Backwaters with a small group, experiencing the evening Kathakali performance in Fort Kochi was a complete contrast!
The name comes from the Malayalam words katha (കഥ), meaning a story, conversation, or traditional tale, and kaḷi (കളി) meaning a performance or play. As with other Indian dance forms, the story-telling dance-drama involves complex stylised movements and hand gestures, as well as intricate eye- and facial-expressions, all of which take years to master.
Kathakali performances developed out of temple and folk arts, and date back to early Hindu texts. With traditional themes from folk stories, religious legends, and the Hindu epics, the narratives all centre around the eternal fight between good and evil.
Traditionally, the shows started at dusk and continued through until dawn, or even ran over several nights, starting at dusk each day. Modern productions are shorter: the one I attended at the Great K V Kathakali Center in Fort Kochi, Kerala, was a one-hour introductory performance, aimed at visitors. Before the actual show – from about 5pm – the artists applied their own and each other’s makeup on stage, so you could watch some of the lengthy and exacting process involved in getting ready. Then, a narrator/host had one of the performers demonstrate the eye, face, hand and body movements intended to convey specific meanings – all to a cacophony of cymbals and drums.
On this particular night, the performance itself was “Kiratham”: a popular piece written by Irattakkulangara Rama Warrier, who is believed to have lived in the first half of the 18th century. Broadly, it involves a fight between Arjunan (Arjuna), a prince and expert archer, and the Lord Shiva, one of the principal Gods of the Universe. Other characters include Parvathi, Shiva’s consort/wife; and King Duryodhana and his emissary Mookasura, who has taken the form of a wild boar. Shiva disguises himself as a forest-dwelling hunter, the boar is killed, fights ensue, arrows turn into flowers, and a bow is destroyed. It is all very noisy and confusing, but in the end, everyone is forgiven and lives happily …
So, never mind the story – come meet the performers:
The Theatre Seating in the two-story Great K.V Kathakali Center theatre is assigned, but I took the opportunity to wander around before the actual performance.
Concentration On the stage, the performers – traditionally all males – get into their stylised makeup.
Green Paint Pacha (green) characters are usually pious, gentle, and noble. This face will eventually become Parvathi, Shiva’s consort.
Paste and Paint The Chutti worn by some characters is a white raised structure around the jawline to enhance facial contours and reflect low lighting. They were originally made from rice powder paste, but are now built from paper.
Yellow Paint and Black Eyeliner The makeup goes on one layer at a time.
Accoutrements Some places now rely on acrylic paints, while traditional makeup uses coconut oil as a base, with powdered stones to make the yellow, green, and reds; lime and rice flour for the white; and gingelly oil to make the black.
Perfecting Arjunan’s Chutti
Painting White over the Black Although black is often used to represent evil and wickedness, in this case the character is Shiva, in his forest-dweller disguise.
Sacred Floor Decorations Our host/narrator stamps rice flour or chalk in front of the stage. In South India, you see new patterns on people’s doorsteps every morning: they bring prosperity and protect the home.
Pretty in Green
Demonstrating Eye Movements The facial expressions and eye movements are quite dramatic – I got dizzy watching this man point his eyes in all directions!
Demonstrating Postures Every movement is accompanied by tambour drums and clanging cymbals.
Arjunan the Archer The actual play starts with Arjunan, a great archer, who apparently suffers from excessive ego.
Arjunan Dancers wear metal tips on the fingers of their left hands to make the hand gestures more visible.
Performance Arjunan climbs onto a box – perhaps to demonstrate his pride.
Shiva and Parvathi Parvathi, looking very mischievous, persuades Shiva to act against Arjunan.
The Disguise To catch Arjunan, Shiva and Parvathi disguise themselves as forest dwellers.
Forest Dwellers
Shiva, Parvathi and Arjunan Once they meet Arjunan, a disguised boar is killed and Arjunan fights with Shiva, not knowing who he is.
Parvathi It all gets very confusing: Parvathi turns arrows into flowers and persuades Shiva to forgive Arjunan.
Conference In the end, all is forgiven …
Repentant … and Arjunan is granted a magic arrow, to be used for Good.
Truly, I was lost most of the time! Even with the narration, much of what I was seeing made no sense.
But the colour and costuming alone made it worthwhile.
Although I was happy to get back out to the relative quiet of an Indian street, I booked myself a seat at another performance another evening.
The Blues in Pink The Thredbo Blues Festival in Kosciuszko National Park, Australia, always features some of my favourite artists, like Leesa Gentz – who we see here belting out an original from Hussy Hicks.
Fresh air, mountain walks, and music – it doesn’t get much better than January in Thredbo!
This year marked the 30th iteration of the Thredbo Blues Festival: three days of quality music in Thredbo Village:Australia’s highest alpine resort (albeit not very high!), known for its skiing in winter and hiking and mountain biking in summer.
Although I haven’t made it to all 30 festivals (by a long shot!), I have attended a few (see: Thredbo Blues), and always really look forward to attending. This year, I was lucky enough to have a couple of friends join me, and we enjoyed the mountain as much as the music. With 23 bands and multiple venues to choose from, we got plenty of exercise negotiating the extensive site.
Photographically, this festival is always a challenge: cramped spaces make for difficult angles and the lighting shoots off in all the wrong directions! One minute I’m in bright sunlight and the next minute I’m in a darkened bar. For me, that is part of the fun: trying to come up with new perspectives on often-difficult subjects.
Let me know what you think!
Owen Campbell Trio The festival always kicks off on the Friday afternoon with an open-air performance in the Village Square.
Owen Campbell It might still be summer, but the weather can be cold here in the mountains. I first saw Owen Campbell here – many, many years ago.
Guitarist
Darren Jack Indoors, the window shades against the sun make it feel like late night …
In the Schuss Bar … as Darren Jack pounds out his powerhouse guitar and vocals.
Hussy Hicks We have a dinner-show in the Cascades Restaurant.
Julz Parker I make sure to catch Hussy Hicks any time I can!
Leesa Gentz
The Bondi Cigars in the Kosciuszko Room As far as I could tell, it was an all-Australian line up this year, with many of the performers doubling up to help each other out.
James Southwell Shane Pacey, the usual frontman for the Bondi Cigars, is struggling with a double hip replacement; James Southwell who also performed as a solo act, stepped in.
Leanne Paris Downstairs in the Keller Bar …
Mal Eastick … a full band has the crowd on their feet.
Music The music continued well into the night – but we had to go home to bed for the early start the next day.
Foreday Riders We were back bright and early Saturday. Brothers Jeff King (guitar) and Ron King (harmonica/vocals) formed this band in 1967. I first saw them at the Basement in Sydney back in the 1980s.
Robert Susz I also remember the Mighty Reapers from the 1980s. On Saturday morning, they were playing in the ThredboVillage Square.
On the Chairlift We had a lunch-date in Australia’s highest restaurant; unfortunately, we rode into cloud at the top of the Kosciuszko Express Chairlift and so didn’t get much of a view on the way up the mountain!
Rory Ellis This is another of my favourite performers, and I was happy to introduce his growling-deep vocals and wonderful story-telling to my friends.
Rocky Trail Down the Ramshead Although I could have taken the chair back down the mountain, I always opt to walk the four kilometre (2.5 mile) track.
Into the Woods Fortunately, the weather cleared while we were enjoying our lunch performance.
The Colours of the Snow Gum I’m quite sure this trail gets steeper and rougher every year!
Ghost Gums
Grass Trigger Plant – Stylidium Graminifolium Many of the plants here are endemic to Australia.
Blue Flax Lily Grass – Dianella Tasmanica
The Colours of the Bush The silver snow daisies (Celmisia tomentella) finished early this year; I was lucky to find one late-bloomer.
Brown Caterpillar – Heteronympha Solandri
Genevieve Chadwick Back in the Schuss Bar, Julz Parker is helping Genevieve Chadwick on guitar.
Bass Player in Blue We headed back to the Cascades Restaurant for another dinner performance; this time it was the Bondi Cigars, with Alan Britton on bass and Frank Corby on drums.
Roshani Rhythm, soul, and folk blues performer Roshani opened Sunday with a wonderful rendition of Amazing Grace.
Julz Parker We took the gondola up to Merritts for some blues in the sunshine with Hussy Hicks.
Hussy Hicks Minnie Marks swaped out her drum kit for a turn on lead guitar.
Bek Jensen Duo How many times have I walked up and down those (and other) stairs this weekend?
Frank Sultana Blues Band These Delta-inspired tunes were a treat!
Drum Solo Adrian Herbert rounded out Frank Sultana’s set.
Old Standards In the Lounge Bar, the King brothers take us through the blues classics.
Ron King on Harmonica
Steve Edmonds Also fronting his own band during the festival, Steve filled in for Shane Pacey in the Foreday lineup.
Nathan Cavaleri This was one act I had to catch before heading home: I last saw Nathan as a young teen, on stage with the inimitable B B King!
There was a lot more music, but we were flagging.
I headed back down the mountain with a song in my heart.
Exploring the Cannery Even in the rain, the North Pacific Cannery on the Skeena River in British Columbia, Canada, is a charming place to explore.
It was raining.
But, it was early June – so still part of a wet spring – and I was only a 15 minute drive away from Prince Rupert, the rainiest city in Canada.
So, wet weather was to be expected.
I was staying in Prince Rupert while on a road trip around British Columbia (BC). The day before, I had treated myself to a boat trip into grizzly bear territory (see: Khutzeymateen Provincial Park). That evening, I had a booking for the evening ferry to Haida Gwaii (Watch this space!), so I needed a short, local excursion.
The North Pacific Cannery museum fit the bill perfectly!
Originally built in 1889, the site was restored after the North Coast Marine Museum Society was formed in 1979. Today it is the oldest surviving salmon cannery in BC and a designated national historic site.
Even today, this site feels remote. Back when the cannery was opened, it must have felt even more so! But, the huge seasonal salmon runs through these west-coast waters were ready to be tapped. In the days before refrigerated boats, the harvest had to be quickly processed near to the actual fishing grounds, and a number of self-contained cannery-communities – accessible only by rail or water – were built to house the workers required.
The North Pacific Cannery was the longest running of these operations, canning salmon through to 1968. Over time, it witnessed a lot of changes in the processing methodology. In the days before mechanisation, everything was done by hand: even the cans were made by Chinese tinsmiths! Some of the tools and machines from across the years are on display in the main cannery building. The administration offices and some of the residences are also open to wander through.
The catchphrase of the Museum is “History with a View”, and the site is indeed in the most magnificent setting, with clear waters and dramatic mountains all around. The high point for me, however, was Mama’s Mess House Cafe where I enjoyed a delicious lunch of historically inspired cuisine.
Join me for a rainy walk through some unique and original BC architecture:
The North Pacific Cannery National Historic Site From the parking lot, I already get a taste of the historical wooden buildings rising out of the waters of the Skeena River. Access to railways in the early 1900s changed the fortunes of many of these early enterprises.
Dock Ruins I love the tumble-down nature of a lot of the surrounds here; I much prefer this to a site that is overly-renovated, to the point where you have no sense of the age!
A Lunch in the Mess Corbin’s salmon chowder and Al’s butter biscuits made for a wonderful lunch and respite from the rain.
Al and Corbin The two young cooks agreed to pose for me before closing up shop.
The Skeena River from the North Pacific Cannery
Cannery Buildings The red shingle roofs make a nice contrast to the expanse of green forest.
Window in a Staff Cottage The cosy worker’s cottages were segregated by ethnic group – as were the jobs.
A Living Room Much of the First Nation- and Chinese-worker housing was removed when the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway came through. Most of the Japanese-occupied buildings have been lost through obsolescence and neglect …
Still Life Found : a Tea Set and a Hurricane Lamp … but a few sample items have been put on display for illustrative purposes.
Bath House Japanese workers insisted on something resembling a traditional bath house.
An Old Kitchen
The House Next Door Wood is plentiful in these parts; flat ground is not so easy to come by. Houses on pylons over the water are not uncommon.
Wet Wooden Walkway The advantage of the rain (!!) is that it makes for wonderful reflections and shine. (iPhone12Pro)
History Lessons The site saw a lot of changes over its almost 90 years of continuous salmon production and fish processing.
“I See People!”
In the Rain
Textures in the Rust Most things are labeled with their purpose; I’m more interested in the patterns and shapes!
Cannery Machinery Over time, the process of canning salmon became much more mechanised.
Conveyer Belt This mechanisation lead, of course, to a loss of jobs.
Wheels and Gears I can’t remember what this is for – time travel, perhaps?
A Wet Wharf
More Lines and Angles Not all of the buildings are open to the public, but it was still lovely wandering across the wooden walkways.
Pylons in the Rain The walkways lead off in all directions.
Barn Swallow – Hirundo Rustica A little swallow was the only wildlife I saw that day!
It really was a lovely way to spend a few hours, and revisit some of British Columbia’s rich historical heritage.
- Performing the Ganga Aarti from Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi
- Buddha Head from Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
- Harry Clarke Window from Dingle, Ireland
- Novice Monk Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, Myanmar
Packets of 10 for $AU50.
Or - pick any photo from my Flickr or Wanders blog photos.
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Until then,
Until then, 
