In Which we Stumble Into Ali Baba's Cave

We stepped outside our door in Marrakech yesterday morning, and after a nod to the mule on the left, looked straight ahead, down a narrow passage with high walls on either side. There a pair of men were working to paint or repair a set of massive, wooden doors. Curious, we thought we'd go over and look. The men smiled and beckoned us to come closer, then ushered us over to an unimposing open door at the end of the passageway. 

We could see more doors leaning against the walls inside, and I assumed they wanted to show us their workspace. We stepped inside.

Instead of a workshop, we came out into a huge, open room that immediately brought to mind Ali Baba's cave, filled with treasure. Part art gallery, part museum, hundreds of years of Moroccan artifacts and history are housed in this 16th century palatial riad. We were greeted warmly by Saeed, an American educated gentleman who had spent years working as a commodities trader in London. He is now helping to curate this amazing collection of antiques and art. 

Raphael was particularly fascinated with this compass. Saeed was happy to let him see it and show him how it works.

He happily spent the next hour leading us from room to room, down passages that opened onto more rooms containing untold treasures in this riad turned gallery. He let us take pictures, which is not a given, and enthusiastically answered our many questions as we wandered, in awe of all we were seeing. It was like a private tour of an exclusive museum.

This doesn't look like much, but the pieces leaning up against the wall  are one of the elaborate carved and painted ceilings that is hundreds of years old. Saeed told us they been offered half a million dollars for this piece, but aren't interested in selling. They have plans to turn this riad into more of an official gallery and museum and have spent the last year building a restaurant. This ceiling will go into the restaurant. 

He told us many collectors from around the world come to shop. Not all of the collection is for sale, and he said he has to feel the piece is going to a good home or he won't sell. Apparently some collectors will buy up items similar to those they already own and destroy them to maintain the value on their rare pieces! Who knew? Saeed told us that if he doesn't like the feel he gets from someone, he will put them off when they ask about a price.

I was particularly fascinated with the large collection of items from the Moroccan Jewish community that thrived here for centuries. Prior to the 1950s, it's estimated that there were around 300,000 Jews living here. Many of them settled here after fleeing the Spanish Inquisition, and they lived peacefully alongside the Muslim majority. In Marrakech there is a Jewish Quarter where the architecture is different. From what I understand, there are few if any Jews left in this city, but there are communities remaining in Fez and Rabat. This was a beautiful, silver menorah. 

Saeed carefully opened this Torah scroll for us to look at. It's over 200 years old, and made of gazelle skin. I keep wondering how these treasures became lost to the Jewish community and ended up here! I imagine a lot was left behind when people left he country, but some of these are such special items! 

I don't know how old these are, but this is a set of Jewish wedding clothes! 

A beautifully embroidered Torah cover.

This was in a glass case and not the best picture, but it is a large leather satchel that was a Rabbi's bag. The stitches are silver!

This is another example of the amazing Jewish handwork. I believe Saeed said this was the belt that would be worn over a kaftan. He said the Jews are the finest craftsmen in the world! The stitches were beautiful and intricate.

Finally, so that you can look stylish and be comfortable while riding your camel, we have an ornate camel saddle for you! 

And stirrups. Don't forget the stirrups.

None of these pictures do justice to any of it, but I hope you can get a hint of the grandeur of it all!  Over the doorway and hanging down on either side was a heavy, embroidered tapestry. 

Here is a close-up of the embroidery! Can you imagine? 

Oh yeah, the Romans were here at some point as well. The Pax Roman and all that. There are some Roman ruins somewhere around here.

I could have stayed and asked questions and soaked in all of it for days. I couldn't figure out what these were, so of course I asked. The little pot is for ink, and the long part would hold the writing instrument. Saeed explained that the scribe would bring his tools of the trade along when writing up binding documents. Of course.

I am still in awe, marveling at the wonders we stumbled upon. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit with Saeed. He was entirely welcoming to our whole family. I love the attitude toward children in this country! I can only imagine my stress in a similar situation in other places, but it was "no problem" to let the children look and even touch. I'm so thankful for these unexpected and wonderful blessings! 

Dar Kalam: Our Riad in Marrakech

    Join us as we show you around our riad in the heart of the Marrakech medina, the old city full of labyrinthine stone alleyways and tunnels, souks and marketplaces bustling with people, and all manner of glittering goods hung and piled high. I found Dar Kalam on Airbnb*, and after reading reviews, decided it would (hopefully) be the perfect place to unwind after the three plus days it took us to get here from Oregon. Part of our strategy for overcoming jet lag is to get ourselves into a place where we can both rest and relax as well as explore a little, but not hit the ground running too hard. I will spend a bit more money than I normally do on such a place, knowing that we will appreciate more comfort and space than we may require further in our travels. 

The friendly owner of Dar Kalam arranged for a taxi to pick us up at the airport. It's always fun to scan the crowd of waiting drivers and find that one sign with your name of the name of your hotel, and it's only an experience I've had a couple of times. The drive to the gate of the Old City was just about 10 or 15 minutes, and from there our driver engaged a man with a pushcart to walk us the rest of the way to our riad. A riad is a traditional Moroccan home of clay or mud brick, usually at least two stories,  built around a central, interior courtyard. It was built both to give the family privacy as well as shelter from the weather. Many of the riads here have been bought and restored by foreign investors and turned into hotels and guest houses. You would never know from the outside what you are looking at, as often all you see are the walls and a door, often ornate, sometimes plain, at ground level. This picture is taken from our doorway  and shows the "tunnel"  you turn into from the little street to find our home. 

And here is our doorway, fairly simple as doorways here go, but classy! 

Part of the reason I chose this particular riad over others I looked at, is that the price included the services of Nadia, who helps look after the home, makes breakfast each day, and will cook other meals as wanted for only the cost of food. We had requested that she have lunch for us open our arrival. After greeting us with her beautiful French bonjour, she showed us around the house and led us to the rooftop where she had a lovely tagine lunch ready for us. The kids were thrilled to discover the big basket of fresh, crusty bread. Nadia speaks French and Arabic and hardly a word of English! We've managed to communicate just fine with help from various translation apps, which both she and Erik have on their phones. It's amazing how technology has changed the world. 

The rooftop is a beautiful place to relax. Even though we're just a couple minutes walk from all the hustle and bustle and noise of the souk and the Jeema el Fna, the main square, it is truly quiet and still here. There is the cooing of doves and the sweet melodies of the birds of North Africa to keep a person company up here, and it is enough. 

A delicious lemon and olive chicken tagine Nadia made us for dinner the other night. We have enjoyed trying some different foods as we've been out and about, but it's quite nice to come home to a hot dinner. 

This is part of the third floor from above. What you can see in this photo is the "plunge pool", which is not filled at this time of year, although with temperatures over 70 degrees I have no doubt my children would have been happily plunging. In the lower left is the "solarium". which is like a giant skylight that is open down to the ground floor. The panels can be opened or closed. It lets in a lovely amount of light, and little birds find their way in through the gaps and flitter about the railings inside! They seem to know their way out agin, as they've all come and gone without a fuss.
The home has no external windows, but the bedrooms on the middle floor have curtained windows that open onto this central area, and it feels a lot more open than I first thought. I was afraid I might feel a bit claustrophobic, but I haven't at all.

This is the upstairs, open air covered seating area where we ate our lunch the first day. It's a beautiful and comfortable space for hanging out. Next to it is a small kitchen with a sink, two burner gas stove, and wonder of wonders, and washing machine! I've taken advantage of that and done a couple loads of laundry. I imagine that a lot of the life in a traditional riad takes place on this upstairs courtyard. 

Over the covered seating area, there is one final "upper deck." It is here that I've been hanging my laundry to dry, and in this picture the children are working on their journals.

Beauty everywhere.

This is on the ground floor, a cozy seating nook. There is no central heating in the riad, but we were provided with one of those big kerosene heaters that are used in outdoor patio seating at home. Probably not super safe for indoors, but since it's all kind of open air, we're not too bothered. We've turned it on to take the chill off in the morning and evenings, and it feels so nice. We've sat down here in the evening after dinner and read aloud as a family. 

Nadia comes every morning and makes breakfast for us. Moroccan crepes, thicker and sturdier than their dainty French counterparts, slathered with butter and jam, omelettes scented with cumin, and fresh rounds of bread join mint tea, coffee, and bowls of hot chocolate for the children. Erik took this photo this morning, looking down from the second floor. (Or the first, as they call it here.) 

Raphi was really looking forward to the mint tea here, especially after hearing it is liberally sweetened with sugar. He's getting quite good at pouring it up high like the Moroccans do! 

On the second floor (first floor?) there are two bedrooms, plus a bathroom and toilet room.  The bathroom here has a washbasin and a shower, not a toilet, which makes sense. And two of the bedrooms have an ensuite bathroom, but none of them have a toilet! There are lovely things everywhere! 

This is the master bedroom, but as it is quite obviously a Purple Princess room, we let our princesses have it instead. 

Every little girl wants a vanity, right? 

The view from the upper rooftop, the minaret of the nearby mosque aglow at dusk. We hear the muezzin call the faithful to prayer five times a day. I add my own prayer, for the precious people of this land. I'm so thankful for this time we get to spend here. 

*If you've never used airbnb before, this link will give us both a $35 credit. 

There and Away: Getting to Morocco

    This trip has been simmering in our minds for a while now, but we bought tickets just two weeks before boarding the first of three planes that would bring us to Morocco. Winter in Oregon is a rather wet and grey affair, so when the opportunity arose to spend two months traveling in Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, we were more than ready to take it. Our love of travel combined with the right timing, low airfare, a strong US currency, and a desire to give our children exposure to many different cultures all aligned, and today I find myself sitting on the rooftop of a riad in the heart of the Marrakech medina. The sun has dipped beyond the rose colored mud brick walls, but a bit of its warmth remains. You would never guess that we're just a few minutes walk from the bustling, noisy Jeema el Fna square, as here in this courtyard there is stillness and birdsong. It is good to rest, and good to be here.

    The getting here, as you may guess, is its own story, a rather long and tiring one. The last few weeks have been a busy bustle of preparations, research, provisioning, and, for Erik, making sure our little fleet of five taxi cabs is in good working order and that everything was in place for our assistant to run the business while we're away. A last minute visit from my dear brother and his family who live in Alaska filled our last several days at home to the fullest as we gathered to celebrate and talk and catch up. Monday morning finally arrived, and my dad arrived at 7:30 to take us to the airport. And just like that, we were off on our grand adventure!

And, away we go! 

    Our first flight was delayed by about an hour due to heavy fog in Eugene. Thankfully we were in no hurry, and settled into waiting without being too bothered. I'm not sure why, but it feels so much easier for me to relax and let go of expectations when I travel. We arrived in Oakland, California by noon, and caught the shuttle to the hotel I'd booked for the night. The woman checking us in couldn't figure out how to input four children into the system, and the other clerk told her to put three down instead. Erik commented that sometimes it's tricky with four, and they assured him, "not with us" and encouraged him that having children is a good thing. Not surprisingly, this was a Muslim family. That, and the halal pizza (and House of Curries) adjoining the hotel made us feel that, although we hadn't yet left the country, good things were in store.

Halal Pizza, of course. 

   The children thought that since it was a sunny 60 degrees and the pool was open that it would be the perfect time for a swim! After a chilly dip and a little time by the pool, we caught a bus to the BART station and took the train into San Francisco. The kids enjoyed the train ride, and once we reached the city we walked the several blocks to Chinatown. We had fun walking around exploring a bit and then ended our evening with some delicious Indian food, the best I've had in a long time.

Pearl watching the world go by from the BART train.

Crossing under the bay into San Francisco. I love that all the kids are peeking out.

We walked by Blue Bottle Coffee, and I encouraged Erik to go in and get a cup from this iconic roaster. Granted, this was in the financial district of San Francisco, but it took a good 20 minutes or more for him to get his coffee. He said the feeling in the air was one of wheeling and dealing and high powered business. He wasn't impressed.

Chinatown all decked out for the new year. Happy Year of the Rooster!

We stopped in to watch fortune cookies being made. Quite interesting! 

    Back at our hotel we got everyone settled down. I was awake most of the night, which seems to happen before a big trip. It's very frustrating knowing that I desperately need rest, but not seeming to be able to get it. At one point Pearl fell off her bed and came in with me and Erik, and then Poppy was having a hard time so I went in and slept with her instead. I finally dozed off and got a couple hours, for which I was very thankful! We didn't have to be at the airport until 3 the next afternoon, so we spent the day resting, sitting in the sun, and taking a small walk before catching the shuttle. We were grateful to be given a couple hours leeway on our checkout time.

   We had bought very inexpensive tickets from Oakland to London, England, and our flight left at 6 in the evening. A ten hour flight with children is not the funnest thing in the world, but it's greatly helped by personal entertainment consoles in the back of each seat. I do not sleep well on planes, but I think I got a couple hours somewhere over the Atlantic. We arrived in London, extremely tired, and were very happy to have a nice little bed and breakfast hotel waiting for us. A queen bed and two sets of bunks welcomed our weary bodies, and we all lay down and rested for an hour or so before making everyone get up. (Why do we have to leave the country to find rooms that are made for families?) We walked into the little town of Horley and found a pub where we were called "my lovely" and "darling" by the woman who brought us steaming plates of fish and chips with mushy peas.

Sitting in a pub eating fish and chips with mushy peas... must be England!

   The kids were up bright and early at 3:30 the next morning, well, with the exception of Pearl, who was awake at 1! Erik mercifully took the wakeful crowd to breakfast so Pearl and I could rest a bit more before returning to Gatwick Airport at 5:30.

Waiting to board our flight to Marrakech...  all a bit on the tired side by this point, but almost there! 

     Our last and final flight was just three hours from London to Marrakech. I always love flying into a place, seeing it from above. The snowy Atlas mountains stretched out beyond the city, and, not surprisingly, a crew of workmen lounged in the field near the runway where we landed. We went through customs with no problem and were met at the airport by a taxi arranged through the place we're staying. Morocco so far has been amazing. We are recovering from days of travel and jet lag induced by an eight hour time difference, and easing ourselves into a culture that is full of wonder and mystery, madness and delight.

 

Book List: 2016

    Another year has come and is gone. I'm not big on making resolutions, but I do like to take some time at the beginning of a year to reassess and make plans and goals. Last year I decided I wanted to carve out more time to read. I do plenty of reading aloud to my kids, and more than enough reading of articles, blogs, and Facebook posts, but somehow that rarely leaves me feeling satisfied, nourished, or rested. There is something to me about having a real book in my hands, turning pages one by one, seeing the progress as my bookmark slowly moves from the front to the middle to the back. There's nothing like closing the book for the last page and reluctantly placing it back on the shelf or returning it to the library or a friend. A good book will stay with me, will plague my thoughts, will become a part of me somehow.

    I began 2016 with a list of nine books I hoped to read during the year. Some I finished, one I read twice, and a few I never started. (They can go on this year's list!) I found others that weren't on my original list, and as I finished each I jotted down the name and the date. At the end of the year I was thrilled to have read nearly 30 books! When I shared my happiness on Facebook recently, several people asked if I could share my list, so I thought I'd do it here, on my largely neglected blog. These are in no particular order. Enjoy!

1. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Girl, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. This is a true story of a Hmong refugee family with a young daughter who has epilepsy. I found it absolutely fascinating, and would consider it an important read for anyone wanting to understand cultural differences. 
2. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry. This was a fun read by a Swedish author. I enjoyed it and would recommend it. Part fairy tale, part mystery, quite endearing. 
3. Heavy Earth, Golden Sky: Tibetan Women Speak About Their Lives. This was a loan from a friend who is married to a Tibetan man, and it was very eye opening. Tibetan beliefs and culture tend to be glamorized in the West, and it was a fascinating glimpse into the real lives of several women. 
4. A Midwife's Story. Another true story, this one of a midwife who moves to Amish country and begins work there. Interesting and enjoyable. 
5. Teaching From Rest: A Homeschooler's Guide to Unshakeable Peace.  I actually read this one twice, as I felt I needed to re-read it before starting our school year last fall. I'd highly recommend it to any homeschooler! 
6. Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India. This is the memoir of Madhur Jaffrey, a well known cookbook author from India. Having traveled in India years ago and being a lover of Indian food, I enjoyed it very much. 
7. The Life Giving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming. Sally Clarkson has been such an encouraging and inspiring voice in my life the past few years. I was able to attend her conference last winter, and am so exciting that she's doing a retreat in Portland this year. Check it out here.) This book is broken into monthly sections, with ideas and stories to inspire us to create a home that gives life to those who live there and those we welcome. I'm re-reading it this year, a month at a time. 
8. Life of Pi. I'd watched the movie on an airplane, coming home from Thailand, and when the kids and I were studying India last summer, I picked up the book. It was well written and easy to read, thought provoking and somewhat disturbing. 
9. At the Foot of the Snows: A Journey of Faith and Words Among the Kham-Speaking People of Nepal. This was a fascinating, true story of a family who lived among the Kham people and did translation work. Nepal is one of my favorite countries, so naturally it was of interest to me, but it was also well told and an interesting glimpse into a people group who at the time were still largely untouched by modern civilization. 
10. The Lure of the Chilcotin. This is the story of a friend of a friend. I found it interesting because her story in some ways paralleled that of my parents, who lived off the land in British Columbia, Canada, and came to know Christ there. It wasn't particularly well written, but I enjoyed the story. 
11. Snowflower and the Secret Fan. Set in China, an old woman remembers her life growing up and learning the secret women's writing, nu shu. The kids and I were studying China and so I chose a couple books set there to enhance my own learning and understanding. 
12. The Good Earth. Pearl Buck's classic, Pulitzer prize winning novel follows the life of a man and his family in China. I really enjoyed this one.
13. Peace Like a River. I'd read this one a few years ago and loved it. I don't re-read a lot of books, but this one is worth it. The writing is evocative, the story both touching and humorous. It stayed with me for a long time. Read it. 
14. Mrs. Mike. This has been one of my favorite books since I first read it when I was 12 or 13. Based (loosely, I think) on a true story, it's set in Alberta, Canada, where I grew up. A young woman from Boston goes to live with her uncle and ends up marrying a mountie, and together they live and work among the native people, experiencing deep love, tragedy, and growing together through it all. I hadn't read it in years and it was fun to revisit a story so familiar and beloved. I highly recommend this one, but don't bother with the sequels that were written in later years. 
15. Adventures in Saying Yes: A Journey From Fear to Faith. The story of a family living in Lebanon, this one was recommended by a man I greatly admire. It was a good read. 
16. The Awakening of Miss Prim. A fun story with nods to Jane Austen; enjoyable. 
17. Sold. A quick and heartbreaking read, Sold tells the story of a 13-year old girl from Nepal who is sold into prostitution in India. Written with sensitivity, difficult but important subject matter that is a reality for far too many girls and women the world over. 
18. The Chosen. Chaim Potok's classic novel about two Jewish fathers raising their sons in WW2 Brooklyn.  I read this in my late teens, and reread it since it was one of Peregrine's literature assignments this year. Excellent glimpse into a different culture and time period. 
19. The Scent of Water. A charming story set in England with great insights into human nature. 
20. Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits. This one follows the stories of a group of people who illegally cross from Morocco to Spain seeking a better life. An interesting and worthwhile glimpse for anyone who wants or needs to put a face on the "undocumented" among us. 
21. Divergent. Because any well balanced literary diet must include some young adult fiction, right? Peregrine wanted to read these and I previewed them. 
22. Insurgent.
23. Allegiant.
24. Notes From a Blue Bike: The Art of Living Intentionally in a Chaotic World. This one resonated with me on many levels and I could relate to a lot of Tsh Oxenreider's stories and aspirations. 
25. Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity. I love, love, love Sally Clarkson and highly recommend any and all of her books. She has a way of calling me to excellence and holiness without heaping guilt or heavy burdens on me. I'm so thankful for her voice in my life. 
26. Windows to our World: Sarah's Journal: Growing Up, Crossing Oceans, Finding Love, and Giving Life to 10 Children. A fun and inspiring read and glimpse into the life of an interesting family. 
27. Nearly Orthodox: On Being a Modern Woman in an Ancient Tradition. A friend lent me this after a conversation we had. It touched on some things I've struggled with and I enjoyed it. 
28. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel. Kind of silly and light hearted. Okay. 
29. Own Your Life: Living with Deep Intention, Bold Faith, and Generous Love. One more by Sally Clarkson, our Momheart group went through this together. It was my second time though, and it's an excellent read. 

   So there you have it! It's a good feeling to have committed myself to the written word. I have a few I'm in the middle of that I started in 2016, so they'll be a good start on this year's books. I guess people keep lists and notes on Goodreads, but I kind of like my pen and paper. I probably read this many chapter books again aloud to the kids, and hundreds of picture books. Hooray for books! 

    

Masala Chai: Memories of India, and a Recipe

Masala Chai in the afternoon.

    We are firm believers in siesta, that marvelous time every afternoon where everyone takes a break, retreats to their rooms, and is quiet for a while. I haven't quite convinced the kids, yet, that it's a privilege and a blessing, and they often go with a bit of complaining, but this doesn't deter me. I'm a better mama for having a little quiet in the afternoon, and it follows that everyone is happier that way!  I usually make myself a cup of tea, sit down, and relax for at least part of this time. 

    Years ago I spent several months in India and Nepal where I enjoyed numerous cups of spicy tea sold by "chai wallas", street vendors squatting over steaming pots of sweet, spicy, milk tea. I remember  watching these alchemists as they squatted next to a kerosine burner, toss in handfuls of spices, creamy fresh milk, spoons overflowing with sugar, and little grains of black tea into an old worn pot. A fragrant cloud of steam would rise into the cold morning, luring me nearer. For just a few rupees, the chai walla would ladle the tea into a glass, or, in some places, a small terra cotta cup. Those were my favorite, as they were "disposable", and meant to be smashed on the ground when you were done! 

    Every week I get fresh milk from a friend who has a cow. It's become my Monday tradition to brew up a big pot of chai and keep it in a jar in my fridge. There is nothing like chai made from scratch, with fresh milk, whole spices, and robust black tea. A few people recently asked for my recipe, so I thought I'd share it here. I've adapted it to my tastes from one I found in Indian Home Cooking: A Fresh Introduction to Indian Food. Masala chai is made many ways, and this is my version. You you can easily adapt it to your tastes by changing the amount of spices, sweetener, and ratio of milk to water, or using a milk substitute. I like mine spicy, milky, and not too sweet. 

I crush whole cardamom pods, cloves, and peppercorns in a small mortar and pestle or grind them in a spice grinder. They don't need to be very fine, just broken up enough to release more of the delicious flavor! 

I break two cinnamon sticks into a couple pieces and thinly slice or roughly chop a good chunk of ginger. 

You could use any black tea, but this is what I use. It's what I remember using in India to make chai, and this is the only time I've found it in this form in the US. This happens to be a company that is local to me and I can buy it in bulk at the natural food store, but you can order it from their website or use loose black tea or tea bags. 

Mmmmm.... it smells so good!

Strain out all those delicious spices.

Add milk. It's beautiful. Sweeten to your taste, and enjoy! 

Masala Chai

Adjust the amount of spices to your taste. I use the greater amount because I like it spicy! 

18-22 Whole Green Cardamom Pods

12-15 Black Peppercorns

14-8 Whole Cloves

2 Cinnamon Sticks

2-3" Ginger Root

½ t. Ground Cinnamon (optional)

3 T Chai Patti Assam or Loose Black Tea or 5-6 Bags Black Tea

2 ½ C Water

4 C. Milk

2-3 T Honey or Sweetener of your choice

    Crush cardamom, peppercorns, and cloves in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder until they are well broken up but not too fine. Break cinnamon sticks into a couple pieces. Thinly slice or roughly chop ginger root. Add all the spices, including the ground cinnamon, if using, and the water, to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then take off the heat, add tea, and cover. Let steep for 15 minutes. Strain through a fine strainer, then pour back into the pot. Add milk and sweetener to taste. Heat it back up and enjoy! I keep any extra in a jar in the fridge so I can enjoy it throughout the week.