Hanami

Hanami, or 花見 for those who can display the right kind of characters, means viewing the cherry blossoms which flower oh-so-briefly in early spring. We went to Hikone castle, then had a traditional picnic under the blossoms in Tsu's Kairaku-koen.

Morocco

We spent two weeks in Morocco, flitting around many parts of the country. We saw deserts, snow-capped mountains, crazy cities, tiny villages, and everything in between. We ate couscous, fruit, couscous and couscous. We drank too much coffee. We rode camels. We shopped. We tried to speak French, Arabic, Berber and Japanese simultaneously. Hereunder you will find a small(ish) selection of the myriad excellent photos Fiona took. (We've posted them so that they appear in the order of our itinerary. A reminder: if you click on any of these pictures you should be able to view a much larger version.)

The journey began in Casablanca, city of romantic associations but few sights. Here we had our first taste of fresh mint tea, and saw figs and dates overflowing on the streets. The highlight was the beautiful new Hassan II mosque, which is simply gigantic and is (unusually) open to non-muslims for viewing.

Rabat

Rabat is the Moroccan capital (trivia competitors, take note) and combines a modern/colonial city with a stark medina and a Portuguese-influenced blue-and-white kasbah.

Meknes

Meknes is an old imperial capital of Morocco and has some incredible sights, including a granary and stables which housed 20,000 horses. There is also the mausoleum of Sultan Moulay Ismail, covered in delicate mosaics. Meknes had a rough-around-the-edges feel, as the government still hasn't really developed it as a "tourist" spot. This was our first chance to get lost in messy, crazy souks within crumbling city walls.

Volubilis

Near Meknes lies the ruin of an old Roman city, Volubilis. This outlying imperial post was ransacked for its marble in recent centuries, but much of it was left untouched. It is now being restored and has been listed by UNESCO as World Heritage. The archaeologists say they've only uncovered about half of it. The city at its peak apparently housed about 20,000 people, and is still surrounded by vineyards and lush green olive groves.

Fes

We visited the cultural heart of Morocco - and went shopping. Fes is an almost-intact medieval city, sprawling along a hillside in the centre of the country. We saw carpets being loomed, camel meat for sale at the butcher's, the old Jewish quarter, an apothecary, and the famous tanneries where men work in the sunshine dyeing fresh, reeking animal skins in pits of colour.