Morocco then Menton, France 2018 | Getting ready and getting there

It's that time of year. Last week the snow fell heavily on cedar branches, a reminder that the garden needs to be harvested, roots plumped up with water in preparation for a long cold winter, perennials trimmed and mulched and put to bed. I too need to plump up on energy for the dark days of winter.  With daylight hours rapidly diminishing, frost and threats of snow, it's time to head off in search of warm, sunny days, good food, fresh air and exercise.

On  Friday, Margaret and I will head first to Morocco, then to the south of France. Packing is no longer the chore it once was. Figuring out what I can and cannot eat in Morocco is a bit of a challenge. Couscous and lamb tagine sound so nummy, but couscous is not on the GF menu. When I told Fattah, our guide, about my gluten intolerance, he was quick to suggest I bring some rice cakes. "Morocco," he advised "is a bread culture".

Our contact here in Canada for the walking trip in France was less helpful. She wondered whether I could eat some wheat products (croissants, pastries, breads--I think that's what she had in mind!). Well, no, GF means no gluten. So I'm told there will be fruit and yogurt and that there is a little store across the street from the hotel. I can just imagine how much GF product they have in stock! So my bag will include a wide range of GF snacks of my own making, and of course thin rice cakes, the only kind that will stand up to packing. I'll either have rice cakes when I arrive, or rice meal, depending on how Air Canada handles my check-in bag. Between that and the first aid kit (most of which is to do with food and water risks), I might be able to fit in a couple of pairs of pants and a shirt or two.

So instead of organizing and packing, I've been reading, comparing notes with Margaret as we make our way through a lengthy list of fiction and non-fiction about Morocco. France, of course, can wait. I'll post itineraries and hopefully maps later, but you can check out what we've been reading in the next post.

  Friday is almost here. I will leave the snow and cold behind and head to Casablanca via Montreal. The high today in Casa was 29, low 19.  It's an overnight trip from Montreal arriving 7 am in Casa, and we have a hotel near the Medina. I will spend some time on the plane planning my day. Margaret arrives late afternoon and we will hunt down that first lamb tagine--without the couscous. I'm looking forward to meeting the group (we are only 6) and Fattah, our trip organizer, in-house musician, and local host. You can find out about Fattah and this trip by checking out his web site here.