DAR TAJINE

THE ONLY AUTHENTIC MOROCCAN FOOD IN SOUTH FLORIDA

Dar Tajine is the only place in the southern half of Florida serving true home cooked Moroccan food.

There have been maybe a half dozen Miami/South Beach places -- pretending to be Moroccan but really being nightclubs with lousy, overpriced food -- that have come and gone.

Dar Tajine is the real deal. Worth the nearly two hours it takes us to drive from Miami to a strip mall near Sunrise and University in Plantation.

Our meal today was under $50 including a tip north of 20%. It was an authentic Moroccan feast of:

Hot mint tea. A tiny bit sweet, but tasted just like what I've had on the road to Ouarzazate.

Lentil soup with tomatoes, garlic, onion -- perfect, less buttery than Indian dal makhani -- tasted like a stop at a Berber place in the High Atlas.

Olives, harissa and garlic sauce to go with think Moroccan bread plus salad -- good as anything I've had at La Mamounia.

Chicken Bastilla. Baked layers of thin pastry stuffed with chicken strips, roasted almonds, eggs and herbs -- covered in sugar and cinnamon. Like boneless bird dessert. First time I've had it with chicken instead of pigeon. Took me back to the poolside courtyard restaurants of the norther medina in Marrakech.

Chicken tagine -- a half bird with olives, preserved lemon, broth and a separate yellow rice. Reminded me of my first meal on a terrace watching the sun set over Jemaa el-Fnaa. Missing the French-influenced fries and carrots to soak up the heavenly broth -- but a spectacular and generous half bird for under $13.

A selection of authentic desserts featuring honey and nuts. Old school flavor like the hole in the wall I always visit when in the old souks of Essaouira.

Arabic coffee -- much more fragrant than Turkish coffee, with notes of cardamom and other spices. A generous portion, similar to what I've gotten at an oasis on the way to Aït Benhaddou.

Five stars all the way. Generous portions. Great ambiance.

Wheelchair accessible. Plenty of regular height tables. Tasteful gift shop with Moroccan products at the entrance.

Dar Tajine, 8281 W Sunrise Blvd, Plantation FL 33322  954-306-2447

https://dar-tajine.com

CELEBRATING 225,000 READERS

PROUD TO SHARE MY WORDS AND IMAGES WITH THE WORLD

This blog has been around for nearly a decade.

More than 2,500 stories have been posted.

Nearly 2,000 original color images – taken on a series of Nikon Digital cameras by yours truly – have been posted.

The advocacy for people with disabilities has been ramped up.

The vivid color photography has portrayed street life in Rome, Paris, Barcelona, Istanbul, Marrakech, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Madrid, Mexico City and dozens of urban locations in the USA.

The text would fill nearly four books.

The topics are relevant to urban designers, town planners, mobility engineers, landscape architects, architects, sustainability experts and others who impact our built environment.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, 

I RESOLVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO MY HEALTH

From the time I was little, I ate whatever I wanted in whatever quantity made me feel full.

It’s a long story – one that will be told on this blog sometime in 2020 – but suffice to say my mom was severely mentally ill and often abusive.

In her rare times of being lucid and contrite, she would cook an insane amount of food for me as a way of saying sorry.

A little kid, barely 5, would be served enough lasagna, garlic bread, veal cutlet and cake to feed a crew of Olympic swimmers in training.

Fruits and vegetables were rarely on the dinner table.

Thus began a century of associating 5,000+ calorie days with being loved.

Feeling down, eat an entire pizza.

Celebrating something great, get $300 worth of food from a $100 gourmet brunch.

I turned 55 in 2019 and by the end of the year, decided that maybe another round of buying bigger pants, shirts and belts…was not the answer.

So I am on my journey.

Healthy eating and exercising seems as exotic and faraway to me as the images of Marrakech, Morocco displayed at the top and bottom of this page.

But day by day, I am getting used to shopping healthy, cooking healthy, eating healthy.

Wish me luck as I add some healthy moderation to my life.

TRAVEL BROADENS THE MIND

AND INCREASES EMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING OF OTHERS

In the past two years, I have had the good fortune to visit Rome, Paris, Istanbul, Naples, Ait Ben Haddou, Oaxaca, Marrakech and USA destinations too numerous to list.

In the past decade, I have been to Argentina, Uruguay, Brazl, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Guanajuato and several other destinations in South, Central and Spanish-speaking North America.

Each time, I have come back with not just an exposure to great architecture, cuisine, art and culture -- but also an increased empathy for others.

I grew up very sheltered in the Midwest. My family's idea of a far away foreign nation was Canada -- crossing the bridge in Niagra Falls back in pre 911 days when they barely looked at your ID. A big cultural exposure was driving the station wagon to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

I my journeys, I have formed an intense appreciation for all people of all abilities/disabilities, religions/no religion, gender/gender identity/orientation, race/ethnicity, etc.

My solemn wish, from the White House to the local person who hides behind hatred in online comments to news stories and in angry/hurtful social media blasts, is that 2020 will be a year when we can all embrace our humanity, appreciate our diversity and practice the Golden Rule.

HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS -- part 9

Tizi n'Tichka Pass, Central Morocco

Harsh weather can make Route Nationale 9 impassable down around the beautiful kasbahs (clay medieval fortress) to Ourzazate, the gateway to the valley of river Draa and Sahara Desert. 

The pass lies between the great Marrakech Plains and the gateway of the Sahara Desert.

At the summit there are shops selling minerals.

--DangerousRoads.org

HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS -- part 8

Tizi n'Tichka Pass, Central Morocco

The road is in dreadful condition and requires strong nerves to negotiate it. 

The most famous road through the High Atlas leads from the vast plains surrounding the royal city of Marrakech to the pass, which is quite often blocked by snow in the winter.

--DangerousRoads.org

HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS -- part 7

Tizi n'Tichka Pass, Central Morocco

Tichka means "it’s difficult" and so it means literally a difficult path, because it has so many switchbacks. 

The road has more than 100 turns.

Drive with your headlights on at all times as it is easier for oncoming vehicles to see you.  

On the climb, the road is quite good, and some parts have recently been upgraded.

Interestingly, the road is upgraded in chunks, so you may alternate between the old road and newly sealed road.

--DangerousRoads.org

HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS -- part 6

Tizi n'Tichka Pass, Central Morocco

The experience of using this road is very impressive. 

The road to reach the pass, with 60 miles of very steep climbing, was built as a military highway in 1936 by the French. 

Today, Route Nationale 9 links the south-east of Marrakesh to the city of Ouarzazate.

--DangerousRoads.org

HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS -- part 5

Tizi n'Tichka Pass, Central Morocco

Near the pass is Kasbah Aït Benhaddou, probably the most celebrated, filmed and photographed kasbah in Morocco. 

Featured in numerous films (including Lawrence of Arabia, The Sheltering Sky and Gladiator), it is the best-preserved kasbah in Morocco and has 10 families still inhabiting it

--DangerousRoads.org

HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS -- part 4

Tizi n'Tichka Pass, Central Morocco

This road is usually open all year, but from November to March, snow can often fall on the pass, and can be closed when the access is not cleared of snow.

In winter, avalanches and heavy snowfalls can sometimes block some sections of the road and can be extremely dangerous in winter due to frequent patches of ice.

Conditions can change quickly and be harsh, particularly during winter.

From November to March, snow can often fall on the pass, but it can be warm all year round in the strong sun.

HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS -- part 3

Tizi n'Tichka Pass, Central Morocco

Travelers are encouraged to take this journey of history, wonder and natural amazement. The road is the only gateway to the South of Morocco and its desert, so it can get quite busy. 

If you are travelling south, it’s recommended to take this road in the morning to avoid any crowds. 

The thoroughfare is not just made of tourists, there are lots of trucks.

--DangerousRoads.org

HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS -- part 2

Tizi n'Tichka Pass, Central Morocco

The pass is traversed by Route Nationale 9.

At the summit visitors will enjoy stunning views of the surrounding landscapes. 

As the road begins to make its way down to Ouarzazate, travelers will be able to marvel at pre-Sahara regions that lie dry and motionless and the silent peaks of the great Atlas Mountains. 

The views, the villages and the time spent on the Tizi n’ Tichka Pass are a truly unique experience.

--DangerousRoads.org

HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS -- part 1

Tizi n'Tichka Pass, Central Morocco

Tizi n'Tichka (called Col du Tichka in French) is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.260m (7,410ft) above the sea level.

It is located in the High Atlas mountains, a mountain range in central Morocco in Northern Africa. 

Tizi n’Tichka means “difficult mountain pasture” in Berber and you’ll see why. 

--DangerousRoads.org

BERBER VILLAGES OF THE HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS, MOROCCO, NORTH AFRICA -- Part 7

IMAGES BY STEVE WRIGHT, WORDS BY LISA SYKES/THE GUARDIAN

Descending through the sweet-smelling pines and gnarled junipers we saw the summit of Toubkal in the distance, a faint triangular point against the blue sky. 

Below were well-kept terraces of fruit trees covered in spring blossom. Boulders and scree covered the valley floor, the aftermath of dangerous flash floods that had been caused by summer storms.

Later, the first star of the evening, the Etoile de berger or shepherd's star, rose in the sky and, on cue, dark blobs on the mountainside began moving across and down the slopes.

The flocks were coming home.

BERBER VILLAGES OF THE HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS, MOROCCO, NORTH AFRICA -- Part 6

IMAGES BY STEVE WRIGHT, WORDS BY LISA SYKES/THE GUARDIAN

On my first day of walking we climbed to the tizi (mountain pass) that gave us a spectacular view into the neighbouring Tacheddirt valley. 

Walking at a steady pace that still left me breathless on the steepest parts, we saw few other tourists. 

It was quiet in early March, the beginning of the season in the High Atlas, but the sun was already strong, burning my face before I realised it.

In the late afternoons, the temperature began to fall, and by the evening I was wearing two fleeces, jacket, thermal underwear, hat and gloves.

BERBER VILLAGES OF THE HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS, MOROCCO, NORTH AFRICA -- Part 5

IMAGES BY STEVE WRIGHT, WORDS BY LISA SYKES/THE GUARDIAN

With my pack strapped to a mule, we walked for 45 minutes over the pass to Aremd, Considering this is the closest village to the country's highest mountain, it is surprisingly free of tourist trappings. 

The Gte d'Omar in Aremd can accommodate 20 or so people, several to a room. 

The facilities are basic, but there is a shower - cold water is free, hot water costs 10 dirhams (70p). 

Fatima, Omar's wife, and her daughter-in-law bake fresh bread daily and cook delicious tajines - meat and vegetable stews cooked in earthenware pots with conical lids.

BERBER VILLAGES OF THE HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS, MOROCCO, NORTH AFRICA -- Part 4

IMAGES BY STEVE WRIGHT, WORDS BY LISA SYKES/THE GUARDIAN

My plan was to spend two days hiking in the High Atlas mountains, then return to explore Marrakech for an evening and morning before the flight home on Sunday afternoon.

Topping out at over 4,000 metres, the Toubkal is the country's highest massif, although I was only trekking at around the 2,000m. 

The treeline peters out at the village of Imlil at around 1,500m, where there's a clutch of small hotels, cafés and shops selling everything from Mars bars to guttering.

Imlil is an hour and a half by road from Marrakech, the last 20 minutes on a swaying mountain dirt track clinging to the contours. 

The villagers have voted not to have it paved as they like their semi-isolation at the head of the valley and are worried about being inundated by Moroccan tourists in their cars.

BERBER VILLAGES OF THE HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS, MOROCCO, NORTH AFRICA -- Part 3

IMAGES BY STEVE WRIGHT, WORDS BY LISA SYKES/THE GUARDIAN

 

Just 24 hours after leaving London, I am dashing about the terraced fields of apple trees with the village boys and men who are old enough to know better. 

Even my guide, Mohammed Elaamri, also a Berber, thinks it's all a little strange. 

Above us in the village of Aremd, every rooftop and street corner is filled with people swaying, jigging, dancing, chanting, clapping or banging a tambourine-style drum. 

By dusk, the goat-skinned men - there are up to eight of them each day - are knackered. 

The game ends with the muezzin's wailing call to prayer echoing around the surrounding mountains.

CELEBRATING 205,000 READERS

+ MY ONLY SIBLING'S 51ST BIRTHDAY

First off, Happy Birthday to my successful brother Keith.

His 51^st was on the 20^th of August.

Our dad died a few years ago and mom has dementia – so my baby bro is about all I have left of the Wright family.

His photo is below.

We’re proud to have more than 205,000 unique visitors to this blog.

We have posted more than 2,300 stories to it.

For the past three years, we have posted highlights of the blog daily on Twitter and Facebook.

We continue to focus on travel, urban design, wheelchair access and human rights advocacy.

In 2019, we have stepped up the advocacy for the human rights of people with disabilities.

With the current state of affairs in Washington, DC – we have to.

But we continue to have a lust for life, so there have been plenty of travel images and stories from Paris, Marrakech and far beyond.

Thanks for visiting and please share this blog with someone you know.

My brother Keith -- fishing in Virginia Beach for his 51st birthday

AIT-BEN-HADDOU -- Part 13

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN OURZAZATE PROVINCE MOROCCO

Here’s a condensed version of the most famous movies filmed in Ait Ben Haddou:

Lawrence of Arabia

Sodom and Gomorrah

Oedipus Rex

The Man who would be King

The Jewel of the Nile

007: The Living Daylights

The Last Temptation of the Christ

The Mummy

Gladiator

Alexander

Kingdom of Heaven

Babel

Prince of Persia

The Bible

Son of God