Walking the Camino Portugues in 2026 by Anton van Zutphen and Biya Han

Walking the ‘Camino Portugues’ from Porto to Santiago de Compostela in 2026 by Biya Han and Anton van Zutphen. 

Map of the various Caminos in Portugal

It took us 15 days, and on top of these we spent a few days in Fatima, Porto and Vigo. 

Theme 1.   Popularity

This Camino is becoming very fast a most popular one, and especially amongst the younger generation. Biya and I are boomers, born in the fifties, still with a vivid spiritual mind. The Camino de Santiago de Compostela (and its more than 25 different official routes) bears a distinct catholic content and tradition for both of us. We like to walk it with regular prayers and visits to churches, religious monuments and chapels. 

Obviously, walking weeks on end through Portugal and Spain and mostly along the coast and rural areas this time, this Camino is like all the others: back to nature and interact in a positive way with fellow walkers. The simple and pure joy every morning to get going, and feel and smell a natural environment always gives me a kick. In case I see early morning an open chapel that kick then gets another boost. Heat, rain, steep slopes and fatigue are all part of a Camino walk in the summer. 

This was my 4th Camino and Biya’s 2nd. And we belong to those who shall always want to walk another one. Then walking the Camino as a medieval pilgrim to seek the everlasting blessings of San Thiago and do penance for the mistakes we made in our lives…that is only a small part of our walk. It is still there somehow but not vivid nor openly shared with the world as most pilgrims did until the secularization of the Western world started some two centuries ago. 

Teenage Boy Scout walking with the cross

I never expected to see so many young ‘caminantes’…between 20 and 35 years young. As a couple of 75 and 68 we did not meet more than three similar ones.

This (coastal) Portuguese Camino is a more recent track from the longer original Portuguese Camino that dates back to the 13th century. There are different routes from Porto and the distance to Santiago de Compostela is about 300 km. Doable in a short time. A bucket list item? A walking event that can be done within two weeks of holidays? An original outing with friends? And also this Camino is considered to be the easiest one: just a few hills, and lots of places to stay, so short distances can be selected. The weather along the coast is not as extreme as the Spanish meseta in the summer, although rain can be expected any time of the year. 

I read in the local newspaper of Pontevedra in Spain that this year 162.000 walkers are expected to pass through this city of 84.00 inhabitants. I guess 70% of them are young and do what young people are used to do as well: earplugs while walking; popular music on their phones, collecting stamps along the way to put in their ‘Credencial del Peregrino’ (the Pilgrim’s passport/certificate). Since there are so many, the traditional greeting of ‘buen camino’ is more than once forgotten. ‘OK Anton, catch yourself; things have changed already! Don’t be an old fart’. 

Nevertheless with the actual changes as noticed during this Camino, the more modern, individualistic and business/functional approach remains a fact. 

Theme 2.   The Walk

A view of the inland port of Porto

From the start in Porto at the cathedral, dedicated to the Assumption of Our Lady the route already offers two options: the coastal and the inland one; both merging at the pretty town of Vila do Conde some 40kms further North. 

The authorities recently created larges stretches of boardwalks under the name of ‘ecovia’ that may be named the littoral route. This littoral walk goes all the way up to Vigo in Spain. It gives the pilgrim a great and constant view of the ocean and its dangerous and rocky coast (the Portuguese and Spanish shipwrecked coast). 

Poncho day leaving Porto / day 1

The littoral route close to Vila do Conde

We decided to take the inland route from the town of Caminha some 120kms North of Porto as the littoral walk adds a significant nr. of kilometers because of its winding nature. Most walkers take the ferry from Caminha to A Guarda in Spain. We took the inland route to Seixas and to the beautiful border town of Valenca with its large intact fort overlooking the river Minho and the Spanish town of Tui. 

True to the bone we both suffered from the typical Portuguese cobblestone streets that link the villages. Sooo many walkers suffered from serious blisters; including Biya. The walk from Apulia to Castelo de Neiva included a stretch of 6kms cobblestones. Terrible! 

Once in Spain this suddenly disappeared! 

We continued to the town of O Porrino which is 102 kms away from Santiago. Then some 12 kms further North at the town of Redondela the littoral, coastal and the interior Caminos all join. Quite noticeable as the nr. of walkers suddenly increases big time. Biya and I had made the decision to walk a mix of the littoral, coastal and interior one. 

Then we gladly took a bus on our way back from Santiago to Vigo for a few days and walked the littoral stretch from A Guarda to Vigo; some 60 kms, and possibly the most beautiful part of the whole trip. 

Theme 3.   Biya's Knee

‘How is your knee doing today Biya?’ I must have asked this question tens of times. A kind of rhetorical question with her answer nearly always being ‘OK, no problem Anton’. 

Anyway, she kept going, at times with a pill against the pain, with blisters that needed to be taken care of. And with her two walking poles and knee supporters as assistants. Frankly I could not do it. Then my wife sports the average Korean spirit: keep at it, there is always a solution and get to the end of the day. And then rest and recuperate. 

We had planned to walk a max. of 18kms a day but at times our next lodging was a few kms further. Biya would then walk with me for a few hours and then take Uber or bus. 

At times I started earlier than she did because I had to secure sleepers in the albergues where one could not book. These ‘albergues municipales’ function on the basis of first come/first served and normally open as of 1pm. And of course in the dormitories we wanted the lower bunkbeds. 

From O Porrino on she walked all the way to earn her certificate. And the last couple of kms in the 30 degrees heat of the day close to O Escravitude village, she was about to cry, for the pain had reached an unknown level. She thought maybe she had destroyed what was left over of the internal tissues holding her knee in place….Fortunately I was able to meet her to share her burden and take her backpack during the final km of that day. And it was a relief to know I had secured two lower bunkbeds already: ‘Villa Vieira’, a hostel/dormitory with a swimming pool and aircon! 

All of this taught me patience/paciencia, since Biya’s speed was about 2 to 3 kms an hour. The final 100 kms she did very well as we started every day a bit earlier (around 8 am) and I then walked with her for the first hour(s) and then took off to check into the next sleeping arrangement. 

Nevertheless a serious check-up will be planned soon after her arrival in Korea end of September! A new knee, continue to live with the current situation, or perhaps a ‘wearable device’ that adjusts to shocks while walking. The Chinese already put such a device on the market! 

Theme 4.   Quality of Sleeping Places

Since ‘corona times’ the quality of the hostels and the dormitories (and the prices) has gone up. My first Camino was in 2023, just after the heaviest corona period. And the different kind of bedbugs against which the pilgrims were usually warned, frankly I never saw them, never experienced them, and never heard people talking about them anymore. Gone with the corona I assume. These days in each dormitory you receive a one-time use pillow and bed sheet to put on the mattress. I then crawl into my sleeping bag and that’s all. Case closed! 

The private albergue in Porrino

Some of these dormitories with their usual bunk beds are limited to about 12 to max. 15 people. The new ones with curtains, a lamp inside and a stand to put your phone on with a socket…like a ‘pod’. Makes a big difference with the large and dusty dormitories I encountered on the Camino Frances and the Camino de la Plata. Prices also went up perhaps 100% as we paid at times around 25 euros p/p for a lower bunkbed in a modern dormitory! 

Then, sadly, although sanitary services are clean in general more than often, there aren’t enough toilets or showers. This being the main reason that Anton boy gets up before 6am to have a quiet shit, shower and shave! 

Personally I find the booking mechanisms quite challenging. Even Biya, who does this as a norm spends a lot of time getting our reservations done. And then the Portuguese Camino along the coast receives plenty of tourists that all need a place to stay / and more and more cyclists (90% on e-bikes too!). I predict that within five years from today finding a place without digital reservations will be hardly possible! But by then in 2031 Biya and I will be done with the Camino de Santiago. Definitely. 

SNIPPETS 

In the village of Carreco we went for lunch to a restaurant called ‘O Sergio’. The man himself (bottle of Super Bock at hand) cooked for us and served us with his two Indonesian waitors/helpers. It was around 3 pm, end of lunchtime. Wow….I believe we received the last bits and pieces but the following was served to us for 12,5 euros each: 1. as appetizer cold shrimps and mussels 2. deep fried ratatouille 3. vegetables soup with bread 4. beer and wine to accompany 5. a huge platter with a large portion of grilled sea fish, green beans and fries 6. flan pudding with coffee and 7. Aguardente velha CFR for Anton, and Licor de hierba for Biya. We could hardly walk back to the hostel and then rolled into bed for a long siesta! 

 - At the duty free section at the airport in Porto I then bought a bottle of ‘Chanella’ premium Aguardente velha which I already tasted and it received my approval; and a bottle of ‘Mariquinhos’  Licor de ginja de Obidos (sweet and sour cherry liquor). 

 - Fellow walkers we shall always remember are Maurizio, a large and very helpful and friendly Italian from Milano and Marina, a pretty, young and sparkling lady from Porto / both on their first camino. I predict that Marina will come and visit Biya in Korea! 

 - In Porto we ordered once (and never again) the local specialty ‘Franzinhos’ / we got a fatty substance of white bread slices filled with some third rate cheese and undefined pieces of meat; covered with a dark sauce. I finished it but not heartily. I can imagine that some centuries ago the labourers that worked on the river Douro to ship the wines abroad would need such a protein and cholesterol rich dish. But not now anymore! 

 - Surprise, surprise! Only in the small coastal village of Azurara did we come across a sidewalk restaurant where we could buy freshly grilled sardines. This used to be the traditional food for the poor in Portugal some 20 years ago. Or was it not the season? As everywhere else on our planet, we noticed sadly more and more fast food places. 

Free food stall/delicious pears close to Castelo de Neiva

 - The song ‘I am a pilgrim’ and its version by the Byrds is well known and resonates with  the spiritual component of the Camino. Now here is a suggestion: listen up to the harmonious version by the gospel-blues group ‘the Soul Stirrers’ from 1962. 

FATIMA

A special mention is reserved for our visit to the town of Fatima. In 1917 three young shepherds from the Cova da Iria area experienced several appearances of the Virgin Mary who gave them three in part wordly secrets. The Church authorities as well as the legal authorities at the time were extremely skeptical. The children were even briefly locked up by the authorities and pressed to change their stories (which they did not). 

Then Our Lady told the children that on 17th October 1917 there would be a ‘Milagre do Sol’ (a wonder so the sun would change its appearance). More than 50.000 people witnessed this at that day as the sun came down as if descending from the sky. Clearly this could not have been a mass hallucination or a special weather phenomenon as not only in Fatima but also in the surrounding area/villages people witnessed this wonder. 

From all over the world Christians continue to flock to Fatima to see where the Virgin Mary had appeared and where the children had lived. Biya and I found it fascinating. Pilgrims do penance by praying the rosary and shuffling on their knees some 200 meters to the place where Our Lady had appeared. We attended mass in the basilique and joined the nightly candle procession. All quite impressive. 

Evening candle procession in Fatima

We also attended mass at the Priesterbruderschaft St. Petrus church in Fatima (an originally German order Anton supports since many years). 

The story of the children is an outstanding one (the three secrets all became real/true). As in Lourdes, France the appearance of the Virgin Mary remains no doubt convincing for practically all Catholics….especially when one has read the details. 

Our itinerary was as follows: 

August 20 - evening flight Ryan Air Eindhoven-Porto, stay at airport a few hours. 

August 21 - early morning Flixbus/Monbus to Fatima - stay at hotel Crisol Pastorinhos (good) where they offered us a free breakfast on the occasion of my 75th birthday the 22nd. Visit Fatima and Cova da Iria hamlets. 

August 22 - mass at Basilique and travel by Monbus to Porto and stay at Sunny Oporto Trindade apartment (good). 

August 23 - walking around Porto and visit the beautifully decorated railway station. 

August 24 - start of the Camino to Matosinhos / 19 km with heavy rain (5 drops in the icon) / overnight at Manuela Alves private house (good). 

August 25 - Matosinhos to Vila do Conde (19 kms with some rain) stay at boutique hotel ‘Venceslau’ (good). 

August 26 - Vila do Conde to Apulia with some rain (18 kms) stay at Santiago da Costa Hostal (good).  August 27 - Apulia to Castelo de Neiva (22 kms) no rain and weather warmer/better. Stay at Dom Nausti Hostal (dirty, noisy, crowded dormitory with limited showers/toilets). 

August 28 - Castelo de Neiva to Carreco (22 kms). Stay at bungalow in Casa do Adro Hostel (good). August 29 - Carreca to Seixas (26kms) stay at albergue Sao Bente (good). 

August 30 - Seixas to Valenca (28 kms) and stay at Hotel Val Flores (good). 

August 31 - Cross into Spain at Tui and walk to Porrino (17 kms). Stay at albergue El Cristo dormitory (good). 

September 1 - Porrino to Redondela (19 kms) and overnight at Jumboli Hotel (good). 

September 2 - Redondela to Pontevedra (19 kms). Stay at Hostal Peregrino (brand new, good). September 3 - Pontevedra to A Seca (17 kms). Night at Barosa hotel (good). 

September 4 - From A Seca to Aldea de O Pino (16 kms). Stay at albergue Municipal Valga dormitory (very good). 

September 5 - From O Pino to O Escravitude (15 kms) A hot day! Stay at Hostal Villa Vieira dormitory (excellent). 

September 6 - O Escravitude to Ames (12 kms). BandB hotel Milladoiro (very good). 

September 7 - Ames to Santiago de Compostela (8 kms). Arrival around 10.30 am and collect Certificates. Pray in from of the Cathedral. Departure for Vigo and the village of A Guarda by bus late afternoon. Stay overnight in Hotel Playa Area Grande (bad experience-no food-window cannot open;shower complicated/ but seaview was great). 

September 8 - from A Guarda to Oia (16kms); stay at Alojamiento Camino Portugues dormitory (good). September 9 - From Oia to Bayona (17 kms) stay at hotel Pinzon (perfect with a balcony and sea view)

September 10 - Bayona to Vigo city (28 kms). Stay at Ipanema hotel (very good). 

September 11 - Visiting Vigo (harbour and fort) then with night Flixbus to Porto airport. 

September 12 - Morning flight Ryan Air back to Eindhoven and bus to Leende. 

I walked on my Merrell MOAB 3 series / goretex boots with vibram soles / size 47. Very comfy but the water gets through anyway when it rains heavily. Then the advantage is that these boots dry fast.

Biya carried 6kgs in her backpack and I carried around 10 kgs.

We spent the two of us all included (plane tickets too) from August 20 to September 12 = 24 days some 2450 euros. Walking remains cheap!!!

I walked just for the Camino Portugues 277 kms; and in total with the coastal walk from A Guarda to Vigo 339m kms. Biya did some 15% less. Anyway we succeeded! 

Porto to Santiago de Compostela 277 km

Happy to be home again!

Two Trips to CHINA: 1. to Yunnan Province and 2. to Coastal Cities of HongKong, Shenzhen and Macau by Anton van Zutphen and Biya Han / winter 2026

Two trips to China: to Yunnan province in the Southwest, and to HK, Shenzhen and Macau; by Biya Han and Anton van Zutphen / January-February 2026 

Contemporary People’s Republic of China

Finally two trips to the ‘Middle Kingdom’ (of the Earth), a name coined by the Chinese emperors more than one thousand years ago. 

And increasingly again, the Chinese, whilst their society is going through fundamental changes, consider themselves with growing assertion, as the people occupying the centre of the earth. 

Ever since I was a student, the hard core communist Mao period (from the start of the Long March in 1934 until his death in 1976) had created an image whereby admiration, fear and general ignorance about ‘those Chinese’ was ever present. 

From World War II until the early seventies hardly anyone traveled to mainland China. The Chinese, Russians and East Europeans were part of the communist-socialist block to be avoided. Now Dutch citizens can travel visa-free and without being accompanied by bothersome official guides; therefore we (Koreans these days also enjoy a visa waiver) were able to travel as we pleased and determine the sights to visit, and freely interact with everybody we met. 

I had not expected that the originally agricultural Yunnan province with its mild climate and kind of isolated location within China presented itself as a high tech, dynamic and generally bustling region. All the places we visited looked prosperous and with my experienced eyes I scanned for signs of chronic poverty….I could not find it! 

Equally, the public infrastructure in terms of roads, official buildings and premises, markets even....have undergone a facelift including the quality of  hygiene and cleanliness. Biya, in particular noticed such continously. And she does know, since she visited China twice over long periods upto one year each in 2001 and 2011.

The digitalization is far ahead of Europe and even the elderly street hawkers do not handle cash but operate with a smartphone featuring ‘AliPay’ and ‘WeChat’, the two platforms that operate in China nationwide. Factually, cash is only used in extreme situations and.. be prepared for this when you enter the country: at the airport you will have to scan QR codes and digitally inform the authorities where you go and where you stay. You have to download the payment platforms and link these to your bank account in your home country; only then can you start ‘a life’ in China. Fortunately Biya did this for us although for our very first taxi ride in the middle of the night, entering Kunming, ‘AliPay’ did not work yet and I had to visit an ATM and withdraw cash with my VISA card. All safe and clear. 

Biya studied Chinese twice in 2001 and 2011 for upto a year  in Beijing and recalled that she drove her bicycle every day to school. 

Biya in Beijing 2001/ 43 years young

True to the bone: bicycles are gone now. Everyone handles an E-scooter. In less than ten years the image of mobile China has changed fundamentally. E-scooters and electric cars only. Surprisingly I did not see any public loading stations (probably in the underground garages?). And even dense traffic is courteous and correct. 

Although Mao these days is publicly ignored he still features prominently on the bank notes of the renminbi/yuan currency. He features dressed in his typical communist attire: the collarless overcoat and wide baggy 'peasant' pants. We hardly saw people dressed like this now. We only spotted a few elderly and probably die-hard communists with their blue workers clothes and typical blue cap. According to Biya, only 15 years ago streets were still full of these blue uniforms.  

100 renminbi / yuan banknote, worth some 15 USD

Then, lo and behold, the sanitary context for humans has now achieved a pole position. 

Again some ten years ago, visiting a toilet in China was quite an experience in terms of unpleasant smells, a general filthy reception area and lack of privacy. Especially in the rural areas restrooms were kind of half open spaces where people stood or sat in rows and did their thing. 

Biya still talks vividly about the lengthy conversations the Chinese used to have while peeing or pooping in the old-fashioned toilets. That's why these toilets were called 'Ni hao toilets'. 'Ni hao' means hello in Chinese. 

 Now, public restrooms are everywhere and reasonably clean (world standard #1 is of course Korea). Also the spitting for which the Chinese were notoriously known has been abolished by the authorities. Therefore no spittoons to be seen anywhere anymore, not even in remote rural settings.

For seniors like Biya and I, traveling around and knowing that always there is a clean facility close by, gives a valuable sense of comfort. For the Chinese it is one step toward civilization. 

pee in the pot / take one step closer to civilization

We were traveling during the winter-break time of the universities; everywhere we saw young couples, obviously amorous and sharing hotel rooms. Again some ten years ago it was impossible to book a room as a couple if you could not prove your married status. And then…would a young couple from let us say Harbin or Shanghai have the dough to travel all the way to Kunming as we did? Now they can and do so! And millions of Chinese now can afford to travel as a tourist inside their country. Clearly a sign of prosperity and more freedom. And people do travel since the railways are a jewel. Wide carriages with large overhead racks for your luggage. Each bullet train we rode can accommodate some 1.500 passengers. Clean restrooms and available drinking water; always on time. What a difference with the trains in my country: narrow/noisy/filthy/limited space for luggage/expensive/often late/no permanent staff checking on travelers…..and I can go on. 

Of course the great leaders are watching the man in the street. Prior to getting onto a train you have to show three times your identity: 1. when you buy your ticket in the hall; 2. when you enter the queue in the railway station itself, and 3 / lastly before you get onto the quai from where your train departs. And for foreigners there is a special gate where your passport is scanned! No problems for Anton and Biya. And the Chinese have the people to check: in the train unformed staff permanently moves about to collect garbage and clean up or dust up, to check tickets/identity and to make announcements. 

 

Some fragments in history 

 As in many communist/socialist countries that have gone through a war/conflict and have retained a quasi one-party system (notably Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia), most people are reluctant or not even interested to talk about the past. Especially the younger generation. Actually Biya and I on purpose never bring up the recent history. It is obviously OK to talk about the heroic past of the ‘Middle Kingdom’ with its important inventions that are still relevant even in our days (paper, compass, astronomy and more). 

The legacy of Mao Ze Dong, the supreme Chinese leader who shaped the country (ruthlessly) in the second half of past century is now hardly visible. I spotted a few marble and granite statues that were surrounded by badly managed flowerbeds in side streets. And one only has to read two books that offer detailed insights of Mao’s period to understand the likely controversy in current Chinese politics: 1. The Wild Swans by Jung Chang from 1991 tracing the life of her family and the situation of women before and during the Cultural Revolution and 2. Mao, the Unknown Story by Jon Halliday from 2005, a critical biography proving the sufferings and death of millions of people during the Long March, the Korean War, the Great Leap forwards and the Cultural Revolution. 

After Mao’s death in 1976 and soon after the arrest of his successors ‘the Gang of Four, including his wife’, the central organ of the Communist Party started to loosen the screws that Mao had turned on so severely on the population. First Hua Guofeng, then Deng Xiaoping in particular who launched major economic reforms and opened the door to the West; followed by Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao and currently Xi Jinping who has now become the paramount leader and expected to stay on… until further notice. 

During the past 20 years China has proven its governance stability, its economic progress, its increased importance in world politics, its military power, and it clearly retains support of its 1.4 billion population since welfare and wellbeing has leaped ahead. Whether this comes with heavy bills in the coming decades remains to be seen; environmental issues; huge, new (in part underpopulated) cities nobody likes but that provide a safe place for all; the neglect and subordination of authentic governance systems such as was the case with the more than 100 minorities before the Cultural Revolution. 

China has surpassed Russia big time and presents itself as equal to the USA. Its current and future role in Asia is and will remain dominant. 

A sore point is the ‘other China’: Taiwan. Factually Taiwan was never part of Communist China. It was part of the old feudal China / before 1949, that nobody talks about anymore. Then Xi Jinping has vowed to bring Taiwan back into mainland China….and I think that he will do this by attacking it militarily when he believes the timing is right. We have already seen how leaders with executive powers can do their thing! 

We visited the ever green Yunnan province where now important numbers of minorities like Tibetans, Naxhis and Bhais live (who were the majority only 50 years ago)……it is a pity that the rich life and past of these cultures has been reduced to folklore, focussing on how people used to dress, lived in old fashioned wooden huts, and expressed themselves in songs mainly. The minorities village in Kunming was a big disappointment to me. Outdated. 

Then, on the other hand we viewed twice shows by artists that highlighted the rich folklore and past customs of these minorities and this was done so professionally that it cut my breath. World class!! 

The Yunnan cuisine 

 There wasn’t even one meal that I did not finish fully; frequently I licked my fingers off…wanted at times to lick the plates clean, if Biya had not forbidden it… Also the way the Chinese chefs prepare the rice, simple white rice / so delicious. And I never needed to add salt/pepper/or anything else to the meal. 

And the noodles made out of 'Malang rice' by hand in many restaurants are gorgeous. Much better than the noodles made out of dough!

Yunnan province must be the largest producer of mushrooms the world over. In every eatery the main course can be sprinkled with a variety of boiled, roasted, smoked or baked mushrooms of different sorts; and many handpicked in the wild from the evergreen lush mountains. 

As is the case in Korea, one can eat for a few bucks every 50 meters along any street. With always a slightly fragrant tea served for free on the side. That is what Anton boy likes! Definitely the Italian and Chinese cuisine are my favorites now. And how great it is not to have to think about the quality and the price of the food anywhere in China. 

Nevertheless as a Dutchie from the South of the Netherlands I always have my eyes on the menu for potatoes in foreign lands. And while we were sitting in a taxi driving into the walled old city of Shangri-La I noticed by chance the words in English that made my mouth water ‘roasted potatoes’, just like that, painted on the entrance of a non-descriptive restaurant. 

I convinced Biya to go and try it out. She wasn’t very enthusiastic and once we had ordered we had to wait fairly long to the annoyance of Biya as we were in some hurry to see the famous 20 meters large prayer wheel in the old city. I was also surprised it took a lot of time. Biya had started to push the manager to hurry up but got just a few confirmative words back. This went on and on until Biya burst out in a rattle of staccato Chinese that I never had expected. She started to talk loudly, nearly shouting in fluid, possible flawless Chinese telling the female manager to hurry up otherwise she could stick her potatoes in her big nose (or wherever). 

Customers present were greatly surprised and followed the interaction with interest. Even people passing the restaurant looked inside to find out what this hullabaloo was all about. Biya even wanted to change the order for a dish that was ready to serve and threatened not to pay anyway because of the bad service. 

 What a show just to have roasted potatoes…and then they arrived: they were beautifully prepared, cooked like at home; served in a buttery sauce and plenty of them. It was worth having waited that long. The manager and Biya never came to terms but I once again had my stomach full of the good old stuff! 

We were walking along the street in the walled city of Kunming and there they were: fried and shiny, lacquered cockroaches on their back, belly and legs up; and also large black scorpions prepared in a similar manner. Non merci. I rather have fried rice with mushrooms! 

Visiting the Sights 

Yunnan is a famous region connecting the Chinese and Tibetans with the people from the South; mainly the hilly areas and ‘hill tribes’ on the other side of this 3.500 meters high mountain range in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. Travel and trade has been going on for centuries although China never ruled over these countries. Since one year there is a bullet train that links Kunming with Vientiane in Laos: two hours drive across the mountains. Certainly on the bucket list for any trainride fanatic! 

From French Indochina the missionaries crossed these mountains late 19th century and were able to establish the catholic faith in places like Dali, Lijiang and surrounding villages. We went to church in Dali and attended a very sober mass with only some 25 believers under the surveillance of officials outside. Religious freedom remains unknown of in China. 

Kunming was never occupied by the Japanese during World War II though they came very close. The city acted as a ‘nid d’espionage’ from where attacks were made against the Japanese by the resistance fighters who were supplied with US arms. Meanwhile the Japanese had crossed the mountain range and used military slave labour to build the notorious Burma railroad and had advanced further into Thailand (see the famous movie ‘The bridge over the river Kwai’). 

Now Kunming is a high tech center and a huge city of over ten million people. Not interesting to see except for the walled city where we stayed and the ’stone forest’ at Shilin, some 85km. away by train and bus. This huge ‘Karst landscape’, shaped by the dissolution of limestone by the rains ,and featuring caves, rocky spires, and underground rivers is the largest of its kind worldwide. We spent a good four hours wandering around, enjoying this weird natural landscape crafted by freaky weather over tens of thousands of years. A must see when visiting Kunming. 

Surrounded by the spires of the Karst landscape at Shilin, the 'stone forest'

 

Our travel basically was moving from Kunming to Dali, onwards to Lijiang, and up North to Shangri-La. Then return by train to Kunming and a direct flight back to Seoul. I found the old walled cities always worth visiting. It is here where the heart of China bobs. Just imagine that the ‘FreeMarkets/Vrijmarkt’ in the Netherlands which exists only on the King’s birthday on April 27 would be permanent all year round. Such is the atmosphere inside the walled cities. You can buy and see anything, anytime during most of the day and there is always somewhere a night market, so typical for this part of Asia.  

Most of the time we stayed in small pleasant hotels inside the walled cities. Always someone at the reception (I love that!) and a place to eat and drink within half a minute walk. The Yunnan cities attract a lot of Chinese and foreign visitors so no stares at us. People always friendly and helpful. Taxis all on the meter and payment by ‘AliPay’ so no hanky-panky; and tipping like in Korea remains discouraged. Definitely unusual to give a ‘pourboire’. 

We were kind of surprised to find more than often that the Chinese youth did not speak English. Probably their smartphones that can translate quickly what you say are the culprit. The young receptionist at the Gonxili hotel in Kunming kind of simply stated that learning English proved too much of an effort. His smartphone would translate on the spot. 

Obviously all of China now is addicted to smartphones (and social media). I mentioned to Biya that if a boy dates a girl here you get the smartphone with it. And probably vice versa. People entering a restaurant, practically all they do first is take out their smartphone and look at the latest messages or whatever. Grrrragh!!! What desolate behavior in the eyes of seniors like us. 

In Dali a long walk through the walled city onto the three pagodas proved to be a perfect outing for most of one day. These pagodas, beautifully decorated with golden paint were built in the 10th century and the tallest rises up to 77 meters. I do not think that anywhere in Europe at that time the technical knowledge was available to achieve this height. 

The large gilded pagodas in Dali / a national treasure

As usual in China around landmarks like these that attract thousands of visitors every day you can find plenty of food stalls and souvenir shops. A bit over the top for me but this is the Chinese way to go somewhere from your apartment and eat/snack at ease around these special historical sites. Then there is Lake Ergai for a long stroll, and the Cangshan mountain ridge to visit with a cable car. 

On the shores of Lake Ergai / Chinese tourists dress up in tribal festive costumes

Lijiang is kind of similar to Dali though smaller. Lots of tourists again but once you wander a bit towards the hills people seem to disappear and only a few teahouses dot the original mule trail that starts here towards Tibet. One of the teahouses features pictures of how, only 100 years ago the Naxhis that live here traveled nearly barefoot through the snow with heavy loads on the mules and on their backs…for weeks on end direction Lhasa. 

Hauling tea into Tibet / this pic was taken around 1925

We spent one day walking to the Naxhi village of Yuhu (now fully touristicated!). Nevertheless Lake Yuhu proved worthwhile with a beautiful view on the Snow/Dragon mountains. Visitors come to ride horses and enjoy the fresh wind that passes through the green valley. 

Two Special Locations: the town of Shangri-La and Jayden Lodge in Lijiang 

Most people have in their lifetime heard something about Shangri-La. About mythical places like El Dorado (South America and about gold), and Atlantis (probably off the coast of Portugal/Spain and about a lost civilization) books, movies and songs have been written. And also Shangri-La belongs to the concept of some kind of paradise that everybody wants to see or live in (including to achieve spiritual enlightenment). 

Only the case of Shangri-La is quite different I found out. The American anthropologist James Hilton while traveling in 1929-1933 in what is now Northern Pakistan stayed in what he calls a ‘paradise valley’ and called it Shangri-La. Those readers who have visited the NorthWest frontier areas in Pakistan can easily confirm the existence of seemingly hidden fertile valleys surrounded by high mountain ranges where many tribes lived either in peace or continued conflict with their neighbors. Even until now these fierce tribes retain a special status to protect their independence/life style from the central government. James wrote a book about it in 1933 ‘Lost Horizon’. Worth reading! 

Then the story was picked up by the Yunnan government in the late nineties. Until 2001 there was a town called Gyellang; nicely located with a centuries old Tibetan temple complex on the top of a hill, housing hundreds of monks. This ‘potalla’ was and remains decorated with so much gold paint that one can see it glitter from miles away. 

The Chinese government formally decided to rename this town and baptize it ’Shangri-La’ simply to attract visitors. And it worked! Tens of thousand of people arrive daily to walk up the steps of the potalla and admire the decorations and prayer areas of the large temple. So did we. A special bullet train station was built and now the place has become a ‘must visit / bucket list’ item for many. We enjoyed it tremendously even if the whole thing about Shangri-La is a scam. 

The huge prayer wheel in the walled city of Shangri-La

Biya had booked a simple authentic lodge in a cobblestone side street in Lijiang/Shuhe old town. Hidden behind a tall wall this place proved to be a gem. 

It is run by two ‘Aussteiger’ with a very positive mind: one from Singapore (Carol a yoga and meditation teacher) and Johnson (a Chinese guide from Fujian who settled in Yunnan many years ago). They have an admirable young son called Jayden whom I liked a lot because he reads books and appeared to like hiking with his father. 

The lodge they run is kind of a hodge pot of different rooms, surrounded by plants and a central eating place outside in the courtyard. We immediately felt at home. Carol and Johnson came across as a nice understanding couple and were always available to answer questions and to advise what to do and where to go. While Carol is in the business of teaching yoga and the secrets of meditation / she has definitely a lot of zen in her attitude, Johnson acts as a one-man travel agency and he takes people up into Tibet as far as Lhasa on weeklong trips (walking, on horseback, by car…all is feasible). 

 

If ever I had a second life and a plan to visit Tibet we would seriously consider approaching Johnson to join him on one of his trekking tours all the way to Lhasa. 

Their WhatsApp/WeChat number is +86 182 1310 2429…..and I believe Jayden Lodge is on Facebook. Recommended! 

The Second Trip to HongKong, Shenzhen and Macau; with family members Kun-Onni and Chul-Rhee

We only went for 4 days in February and it was my first ever organized ‘group tour’, and definitely it was worth it! Biya and I were accompanied by her eldest sister Kun-Onni with her husband Chul-Rhee. We simply shared a good and interesting time! 

We joined some 20 other Koreans upon the arrival at HongKong airport. Up and go! All the time. These Korean guides really know how to keep moving and explaining. Permanently during the bus rides between HongKong-Shenzhen and Macau they endlessly explained and answered patiently questions from the group. Admirable. 

Because of the well planned organization and scheduled travel we were able to do/see a lot more than if Biya and I had been by ourselves. A great advantage. On the other hand one is dead tired in the evening. 

We saw all the major sights in HongKong such as the Peak by cable car and the Kowloon harbour. I even got a glimpse of the famous Peninsula Hotel where I stayed one night, a week before Christmas in 1974….prior to my travel back to London after my ‘hippie trail’ through Asia. At that time my flight with Dan Air was cancelled and the airline put me up in the Peninsula, #1 hotel in British HongKong. 

One of the  many 'mural streets'  in the district of Sai Ying Pun, Central old Hong Kong.
From left to right: Chul Rhee, Kun Onni, Biya and Anton

Now HK is governed by the Chinese just like Macau, under the agreement one country two systems meaning that both HK and Macau continue a strong capitalist entrepreneurial system and strategy until respectively 2047 and 2049 when both entities shall become fully integrated into the Chinese political set-up. But for now in particular Macau continues to expand and develop into the world’s leading shopping and gambling spot. 

Obviously Las Vegas is a bigger city with more hotels and casinos but the size and imagery of the Galaxy casino mall in Macau is something I never saw before. The ‘Torre de Macau’, the Lisboa hotel and the Galaxy area have become stellar attractions next to walking the ancient streets of Macau with its distinct Portuguese flavour. Glad I saw this once in my life!

We also visited the city of Shenzhen, home of some of the largest high tech industries in China. Endless avenues, several miles long, with buildings featuring offices,  data centers, and production units. That is modern, hard working China for you! Admirable, then also kind of frightening....

We were taken to a theatre where we saw one of the best acts available: traditional dances by artists in beautiful attire; if the Chinese did this to impress people like me, well they succeeded. A fascinating show that lasted more than one hour with a light show, and artists jumping and dancing about like athletes. 

The combination of HK-Shenzhen and Macau definitely was a success: nice people in the group / all courteous, with professional guides / visiting all prominent sites and good hotels and restaurants. 

Thank you Kun-Onni and Chul-Rhee for having organized this for Biya and I. 

Post-Scriptum 

MUSIC….. 

The Kinks in 1969 produced a song titled ’Shangri-la’ that was a bitter sweet critique about the idea that a nice house, car and job would give each person his/her Shangri-La (paradise). 

The Electric Light Orchestra in 1974 produced the song ‘El Dorado’ describing an escape through fantasy and dreams. 

Donovan in 1968 wrote the song ‘Atlantis’ about a forgotten and lost civilization of love, wisdom and peace. 

The girls group from New York called the Shangri-Las were famous in the mid-sixties and had a big hit in the Netherlands titled ‘Leader of the pack’. A song about a teenage drama. 

Somewhere in Lijiang we came across a notice in English ‘don’t doodle’, meaning ‘do not linger’…..that reminded me of the song ’Wang dang doodle’ by Howlin’ Wolf in 1961 and by Willie Dixon/Koko Taylor in 1964. A great blues song indeed! 

MY HEART….. 

We flew from Incheon via Jinan to Kunming…..elevation 1900 meters. After a good meal and I believe one beer at night I got the heart rhythm hiccups that I am used to. Only this time it lasted and Biya had to massage my chest for more than one hour. Wow, was I scared. 

During the whole China trip no alcohol…I thought that may have caused the problem. 

Then only later during the trip I thought about the sudden change in elevation. Actually my heart rhythm remained ok. Then we had decided once back in the NL to consult my cardiologist. And he agreed. ‘Possibly, yes the sudden change in elevation may have caused this’. We shall never know the full truth but possibly, probably yes: a sudden elevation change and a full meal in the stomach is not a good combination. 

Now, while writing this blog in May 2026, all seems to be OK. 

PUER TEA from YUNNAN….. 

Is famous as it is rolled in a compact way in round packages. This special tea can be enjoyed even after 20 years of storage. The bonus of this kind of semi-bitter tea Is that you keep pouring hot water for about seven times after finishing your first cup. 

 WISDOM from a poet in the SEOUL SUBWAY…. 

 Three things you cannot get back: 

- The time that has passed 

- The lost opportunity 

- The spoken word

END of Blog / hope you liked it.

 

 

Summer 2025 trip to Morocco and Spain by Anton and Biya.  August-September 2025

MOROCCO......timeless, oriental, and exotic.

Some HISTORY

Finally, after soooo many years of suggesting, asking, pleading, pushing and prodding me, it did happen.  Then first of all: around Christmas 2013 Biya and I were standing on the Rock in Gibraltar, overlooking the Mediterranean Straits...and recognizing the African coastline. I recall her mentioning that how she dreamed of visiting Morocco; in fact visiting and traveling through the Maghreb countries of Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. She had seriously planned it but could not procure an Algerian visa when she was working in Mauritania... an interesting story itself (you ask her and definitely she will be happy to detail her interactions with the French embassy in Nouakchott). 

Presently, Algeria still maintains a complicated process for getting a visa; then large parts of that country are definitely no-go areas because of the Sahelian version of the jihadist AlQaida, strongly manifesting itself in Central/South Algeria, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. Then the border between Morocco and Algeria remains firmly closed since 1994.These two countries are arch enemies over the ' Spanish Sahara'. Factually, the Moroccan army and police now installed many check points close to the border areas to prevent ' unwanted foreign elements' to cross over. We are talking here about a border that is around 1450 kms long with few border towns and lots of stony and sandy desert classified areas.  

Indeed we had still planned to travel through the Northern part of Algeria, then the visa issue and longwinding expensive logistics made us switch plans: No Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily this time. Instead we decided to travel to one of my favorite places in the world: Spain! Yippee! We flew into Marrakech from Eindhoven for a fistful of euros and settled comfortably in hotel Racine, walking distance from the Medina and the famous market Jebel el Fna.

Exactly 50 years ago I was also here in this hot, densely populated town.  At that time there was much hullabaloo nationwide about the ' Spanish Sahara', a long and wide strip of coast and desert that Spain had taken and occupied since 1884;  solidified at the Berlin conference one year later.  Now, with Generalissimo  Franco on his deathbed in Madrid, the Moroccans claimed it forcefully, knowing that Mauritania in the South had no means to interfere and Algeria could not mobilize any kind of serious resistance so far away from their Northern cities. King Hassan II mobilized the man in the street and started the Green March early November 1975: 350.000 Moroccans with the Koran in their hands literally walked to the border with the ' Spanish Sahara', accompanied by thousands of soldiers. The Spanish let it all happen: 14 November 1975 there was an accord between Spain, Mauritania and Morocco:  the Moroccans took over an area nearly the size of its existing surface. And more important, the Algerians had fished behind the net. 

What followed was a 30 years plus hit and run war with some Saharoui clans, who were heavily backed by Algeria. Refugee camps were set up on Algerian soil and the UN agreed to recognize that the Saharoui people had the right to some kind of self determination of their future. Long story...but actually this year the Dutch government silently agreed to recognize the Moroccan claim  in  a murky trade off by which Morocco would accept the return of non recognized Moroccan asylum seekers. We Dutch call such ' pragmatic diplomacy' . 

The SIGHTS.

Enough of history. This  World Heritage site of the Medina in MARRAKECH with its main attraction the market area of Jebel el Fna:   floaters, ragpickers, hooligans of all sorts, ' voyous' , sneak thieves, roaming street kids, jugglers, snobs, high brow tramps, bagmen, bag packers, tourists from everywhere, snake charmers, night owls, beggars and bums, hustlers, pickpockets and probably pimps as well.  It remains an exceptional place to visit. About the size of a soccer field you can entertain yourself by viewing mankind in many of its unusual outfits and occupations. 

Then watch out buddy! I told Biya not to mingle in this crowd with a handbag full of dough. I had all my pockets zipped up. But still, while walking/looking around I suddenly felt a brush of fingers on my right pocket that only has a velcro tape closure.  I looked up and only just saw a boy of about 8-10 years old moving his eyes to the sky and stepping away from me, while putting his left hand into his pocket; actually dashing swiftly to the left in front of us and joining his elder brother and father. The three of them being real pros they did not blink an eye and moved away in a jiffy. Biya had no idea what had happened.  Obviously Biya and I come across as walking dollar bills.  As foreign pensioners and tourists we remain of interest  to those who intend to earn some money illegally and belong to the ' Ali Baba clan' .  

After this I looked back regularly across my shoulders and yep again I noticed a loner who was very close, too close for comfort. He also intended to brush my body but I was first this time: I spit him a dirty look and let him know I understood his business.  Case closed.  The art of picking people's pockets on the Jebel must be perfectionized because if you notice/realize you are being lifted and  you reaction is to cry out; well then quite possibly the crowd of Moroccans will deal with the suspected thief mercilessly on the spot.  But it is a great place to be and watch.

the a la menthe / chaque jour

We were having a glass of 'the a la menthe' and we saw the waiter picking up orders while he cleaned tables. No paper or pen involved. The guy had at least 20 tables with the terrace being fully occupied. I asked him how did he do it: drinks and food. Well he said ' I remember all the orders as I look at the one who orders and the tables have a number in my brain' . I was so impressed. We checked him out and indeed every time he served a table it was exactly what had been ordered. Then even better, he calculated the bill just by heart and that also...no discussions followed by customers that thought it was not correct. Wow.  Nobody in our digitalized world could do this anymore.  We stayed three days in Marrakech and went back to this Jebel every day.  To get away from this bustle we visited the ' Jardins de Majorelle' and spent a few hours in a park full of exotic trees, plants and flowers. Total relax! 

Fruit sellers at the Jebel el Fna

Traveling has become easy in Morocco: trains and buses run on time and remain affordable/cheap. We looked up the coast at the town of Essaouira, passing through forests of argan trees. Indeed the oil of this tree does make a difference when applied to your body! These argan trees only grow in Morocco and mostly in the region stretching from Marrakech to Essaouira, and further southwest along the coast all the way to Sidi Ifni. There could be over 20 million of these trees and its oil is used on a daily basis by most Moroccans.  We bought some ' bio', that was stone crushed by hand by an old lady (first pressing virgin oil, so to speak).  

ESSAOUIRA used to be a pirate's nest, taken over by the Portuguese who built an impressive fort. In fact most of the coastal cities in Morocco, like those on the ' Barbary Coast'  (mainly Algeria), started off as pirates hide-outs: Agadir, Rabat-Sale, Safi, Tangiers, Oran, Algiers, Annaba and even further eastwards onto Tunisia and Libya. A refreshing coolness in Essaouira welcomed us: some 15 degrees below the 40plus C heat of Marrakech. Biya had booked us in a local ' Ryad', a hotel made from a rich person's residence and called ' Les Matins Bleus'.  Fair enough, we had a top floor room but for the two nights we stayed I had to tell myself constantly to bow to prevent knocking my head.  It is kind of pretty and romantic to stay in these old dwellings (like in the old hacienda like hotels in Mexico) but boy, ceilings are low, doors small and often dark inside. I can understand that Booking.com does not elaborate about the size of windows and the amount of natural light in a room but Biya would love such details. I actually had a dip in the ocean. And we enjoyed the strong winds and the boulevard: Essaouira has become a prime holiday destination for the Moroccans as well. 

Off to OUARZAZATE  via Marrakech....on a fast bus. Climatized and spacious.  From what I recall this city on the edge of the Atlas Mountains and stone desert was ' a sunbaked dusty old town' 50 years ago with a famous Casbah. Unfortunately the earthquake in 2023 destroyed more than half of the adobe buildings in the Casbah; the government handed out cash to the inhabitants to repair their dwellings but most people actually seem to have spent the money to move out and start a life in the ' new town' . So the place now looks desolate.

old doors for sale from the destroyed Casbah after the quake

                                                                    in Ouarzazate

Only the outside walls have been repaired. Still an impressive sight. We stumbled on the old synagogue, testimony to the rich culture of the Jews in this town.  We were given a tour of this synagogue and took it all in: 4 floors with thousands of religious artifacts, then the prayer hall (men and women separate), the office of the Rabbi, the school for the children; even places to stay overnight. We wondered how the young caretaker (not a pleasant type) and his family who managed the place were able to collect all of this. But the sheer size of the collection gave us the idea that somehow the authorities must have taken it from the departing Jewish community. Definitely worth a visit.  

Jews in Morocco

This brings me to jot a few notes down on the role the Jews have played in Morocco. First of all, thousands of them fled Spain after the Reconquista (1492) and  during the Inquisition that followed the start of the Protestant wave in Europe (after 1600). Many of them settled in Morocco where the Arabs tolerated their religion.  At one stage around the beginning of 1900 there were more than 300.000 Jews in the country. Most of these working independently from the authorities and specializing in manufacturing and trade, education and the arts. Because of their world view and expertise many influenced the society and its leaders. They were all over North Africa. Given the size of the synagogue in Ouarzazate, the estimation is that some 10.000 Jews lived in and around that town. 

After the Holocaust and as soon as Israel became a state in 1948 all Arab and Muslim dominated countries started to kick their Jewish nationals out. By 1960 most Jews had been forced to leave Morocco without being compensated for their assets (as was the case in Iran, Iraq and so on).  In about every city Moroccan guides point out where the Jewish quarters were.  Interestingly these Moroccan Jews found it not easy to integrate into the new Jewish society in Israel: they looked down upon the kibbutz system end preferred to dwell in the main towns of Haifa and Tel Aviv, kind of sticking together.  These days though the tourist and commercial business between Morocco and Israel is picking up. Israeli tourists return to visit their ancestor's quarters and synagogues, as is the case in places like Cordoba and Granada in Spain.  

We also took a day trip with a taxi to AGDZ some 50km Northeast from Ouarzazate winding along the road overlooking the Atlas Mountains. Agdz is an oasis town with few market gardens left.  Not worth the trip actually. Nevertheless the new road going up along the Atlas Mountains to nearly 2500 meters is breathtaking.  

Atlas Mountain View close to Agdz 

We were fortunate: practically all guides, drivers, hoteliers, market sellers and waiters were good and nice to us.  No complaints at all. Everyone behaved properly and with respect, to Biya in particular.  I can handle my negotiations pretty well myself but learned again one thing: never agree to the deal '  comme tu veux' / ' as you wish' .  You haul a taxi without a meter and the driver says ' comme tu veux' meaning you pay as you like.  Such always ends up in an argument because what I believe is reasonable the driver automatically disagrees with. So it is not ' as you wish'. It is like he/she wishes.  

Amongst themselves I could sense quite a bit of short-tempered behavior. Shouting in public is not unusual and yes in general the lady walks behind the gentleman! That is everywhere in the old Medinas (walled cities), Casbahs (walled cities with only one entry/exit) and the Souks (traditional markets inside the Medina). In a city like Casablanca and then in particular in the French quarter where we stayed, it is normal to see groups of women frequent  the outside terraces, sip tea and munch  cake.  These days Morocco goes through a lot of societal change, in the cities to start with.  

Our visit to FES and MEKNES (two very old cities where previously the rulers of Morocco resided on and off) confirmed again that in my case my orientation capacity has already reduced quite a bit.  When my friend and I roamed the Medinas here fifty years ago we were able pretty quickly to  find our way, for example find our way through the maze of alleys in Fes and visit the tanneries where the cowhides were prepared and dyed in many colours to be turned into the famous prime quality Moroccan leather. Close to the slaughterhouse this was a pretty filthy, ill smelling area; then hugely interesting because this work was done by groups of the same families (many of these very young boys!) for generation after generation  working every day in the tannery pits.  I gave up trying to locate the tannery area by myself this time.

One of the 17 entrances Medina in Fes / Bab Boujloud

The Medina in Fes is the largest populated area in the world where cars cannot pass. Carts and donkeys still handle the logistics and at times you hear a shout behind you when a man/woman wants to pass with an enormous pile of fodder or a huge bag of stuff. 

Fatima our certified guide (Arabic, Spanish, French, English all fluent) painted the picture of the Medina: about 1500 streets of which many dead- end alleys, a population estimated at 200.000, some 3.000 big/small/one room Ryad's, and more than 20 caravanseraies ( in the old days these were squares where the trading nomads with their animals could off and upload, and rest for the night). Pour la petite histoire....I lived for more than three years next to a camel caravanseraie in Agadez, Niger (1979-1982).  The Medinas in Fes and Meknes are real labyrinths but safe during the day. Fatima pointed out the  wandering police in civilian. Only at night something could happen to a tourist.... though unlikely we were told. 

The tourist related business in Fes must be enormous. Practically all travel agencies book this city. And almost all travellers pass through it to drink up the medieval atmosphere and the uniqueness of this Medina. This is Morocco as it was and will remain for decades to come. We stayed close to the Blue Gate (Bab Boujloud) in a luxurious Ryad, a room of 45 m2 overlooking the inner patio that was decked with carpets amidst a fountain. Always some staff available to serve tea. From the outside the alley was not more than 2 meters wide. Then you enter and a world of ' Aladdin' opens up...space, smells, traditional artifacts, carpets and colours. No wonder tourists enjoy Morocco.  

Breakfast in our hotel (Ryad)

Equally Meknes was impressive with the Place Al-Hadim and its famous spices market.

Definitely tasty olives

Also its national traditional Berber musical instruments  museum where we spent many pleasant hours.

Two horn trumpet, only in Morocco 

 The region around Meknes is the grain and grapes producing area of Morocco...therefore rich. Battles took place in the past that decided who will be the new boss/sultan. Battles between the Saracens and Christians (from Portugal and Spain).  Following such battles soldiers were made slaves and in Meknes, next to the Palace and mausoleum of King Moulay Idriss,  an underground prison still exists that could house over 15.000 Christian slaves (the prison is still operational, in part modernized and unaccessible to visitors of course).  

Finally on our way to CASABLANCA, a city made famous  by the movie of the same name! 

Must see movie: Humphrey and Ingrid

And Rick's cafe is still there! Ahhhh, what a deception: the old train station ' Casa-voyageurs' was no more. A new and clean railway compound has been constructed. No stalls, nor ambulant hawkers, no hustle and bustle anymore in the large empty square in front of the station; the whole now sanitized. The advantage is that one can get into the modern tram in front of the station at a price few citizens can afford ( one euro each ride!).  

We rode to the French quarter and checked into the Hotel de Paris, built as of 1928, but also modernized recently. Then the ' colonial atmosphere' with its cafes, bars, shops, French looking residences with balconies...it is still there. It felt like being in Paris, Porte de la Chapelle,  some 60 years ago.  Our hotel manager really was helpful and tried to charm the wits out of Biya later because we came down from the top floor room with a list of dysfunctional ' items' : only one towel, shower head leaking, aircon liquid leaking inside the room, washbasin clogged, balcony flooded with dirt and water from the neighbouring room. But there was premium soap, laced with argan oil in the bathroom.  That at least! Later on, when most was provisionally repaired, the manager tried several times to influence Biya to write a positive review on the hotel's Booking.com site. How dare he asking for this. I could not believe it. Of course Biya did not.  

But we did enjoy walking around Casablanca, going to the Ain Diab beach area, trying to visit the Cathedral that was closed and where the government had removed the crosses from the spires. We spent time watching young dare-devils jumping from the walls of the Hassan II Mosque into the churning waves of the sea some eight meters below while waiting for the sunset. 

 ' Honey bee, let us take the TGV (train a grande vitesse) to TANGIERS'.  It only took two and a half hours from Casa to Tangiers, the place to be in Morocco for most young Moroccans.  

I was told by Mohidi, our receptionist in Ouarzazate that ' Monsieur Anton, this is so simple because Tangiers has always been international, a smuggler's place where fortunes can be made and from where you can see, and dream, of Europe. All new stuff in Morocco enters through Tangiers. And we, young Moroccans want to leave the country and join our brothers in Europe' .  Right on!;  this reflects the voice of the young man in the street.  And considering the extremely high unemployment rate this is not surprising. Fatima, our guide in Fes who has a university degree mentioned that ' without serious monies for prepaid return tickets, health insurance, a large amount of money deposited in a bank account, in the name of the applicant, plus a hefty amount to stay in Europe for three months I could never get a Schengen visa'.  She could not tell me the exact amount but to get a tourist visa I assume one needs more than 7.000 euros to present as cash at hand. And the monthly salary of a mid level office worker in Morocco is not more than 500 euros not to speak of lowly remunerated assistants jobs which are plenty in the country(side).  

Tangiers indeed proved to me a revelation: old and new amalgamation. We loved the old places: the port, the Medina, the terraces to eat fresh food, lots of fish of course. And the crowds with most of the shopkeepers being able to speak a melange of French, Spanish and English.  We checked into a Ryad close to the central Place Grand Sokkho and I was able to find my way soon through the warren of alleys down to the port to buy our ferry tickets. 

We were walking to our hotel finishing a stroll along the sea when suddenly I smelled marihuana; indeed at the corner a fruit seller and his mate were smoking ' kif' , the lesser quality part of harvested marihuana. I engaged the laughing men into a conversation and of course Moroccan hospitality obliged: ' Vous voulez fumer Monsieur?' / you want to have a smoke Sir? 'Yes I would but no I won't' . He mentioned that ' kif' remains tolerated in Morocco and especially the older generation smokes it a lot. Haschisch, the compacted version of premium marihuana and a fair bit stronger has been banned by the authorities. So it goes; indeed the days (in the seventies and eighties) that the Ketama mountain area in the Northeast supplied Europe with the bulk of its ' yellow Ketama' are over. Moroccan haschisch was relatively cheap and of constant quality compared to the soft drugs from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nepal.  Then if I would have been without Biya I think I could have decided to share a few puffs with these fruit sellers and participate in their fun. 

Once we had our ferry tickets from Tangiers port to Tarifa in Spain in our pockets Biya wanted to spend our last dirhams and buy souvenirs....Wow, my wife can haggle. Fortunately the merchants accepted her tough negotiations with the look of  a ' farmer who has a toothache'  (this is a unique Dutch expression!). I felt at times seriously embarrassed. And I remain certain that if I would have done the same detailed penny haggling until the last five dirham, they would have turned their back on me. Then Biya can charm these guys. In the end all is good and they loved having taken their picture with her. 

We spent a few hours in a place called the ' American Legation', in the centre of the Medina. When the Americans were trying/fighting to get their independence from England, it was Sultan Mohammed III of Morocco (then residing in Tangiers) who recognized the USA in 1777 to be, as their first ever ally! He allowed American ships (war/trade) into his ports. This really paid off because the Yanks have ever since kept a sweet feeling for Morocco.  During world War II their marines kicked the French Vichy-side out of Morocco in a few weeks time, and during  Trump's previous mandate as President, the first country he visited in Africa was Morocco.  The Legation is full of detailed history, memorabilia and of portraits of American expats who loved to live like nobility in a country that knows what hospitality means. 

We spent a full 15 days in Morocco...Marrakech-Essaouira-Ouarzazate-Agdz-Fes-Meknes-Casablanca-Tangiers, 

Here is a recipe for traditional Moroccan salad ( a side dish) ; we ate this nearly every day:  

ripe tomatoes sliced up

cut-up cucumber pieces

tiny onion rings

mild bell peppers/paprika

fresh coriander and parsley

all of the above drowned in olive oil and vinegar and to be devoured with a peace of fresh and warm flat bread

Healthy stuff. Then we had liters of ' the a la menthe' the national drink. And can you believe it....we consumed no alcohol at all while we were in Morocco.  It is there but not over the counter; one has to go and look for it in kind of pubs and evening bars. 

We also ate a lot of ' tagine'  a national dish that is a mix of vegetables, including potatoes and often pieces of beef, lamb or chicken; cooked in typical cone formed claypots that heat up slowly on charcoal. Recipes vary from region to region. I enjoyed the recipe on the street in Casablanca most: with aubergines, chicken and lamb.  

Ahmed Taddert preparing tagine at his roadside resto in Telouet

A tagine resto in the streets of Casablanca ( costs 10 dirham is 1 euro)

There is a famous song from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young about when Graham Nash travelled by train from Casablanca to Marrakech in 1966. The Hollies did not like the song he composed ' the Marrakech Express' but his future band CSN&Y in the USA did!  It became a small hit in the NL and this song is in my personal Top 2000.

Anton overlooking the Jebel el Fna

SPAIN..........a country I could/should have settled in after my retirement in 2017.  Both Biya and I have each been in Spain perhaps 10 times.  And we plan already another Camino that will take us from Porto in Portugal to Santiago de Compostela next summer 2026. 

The SIGHTS.

I was impressed by the relatively smooth handling of returning Moroccan families to mainland Europe. Summertime,  the ferry operates 12 times daily and it was stacked with fully loaded cars.  The Moroccans know by now that without a proper visa the chance of getting on board is absolutely zero.  Surprisingly I did not see any sniffer dogs to alert the police to drug smuggling.  All good then and in less than one hour we landed in Tarifa, Spain and got a free ride by bus to ALGECIRAS (compliments to the shipping company). 

At the railhead of the station in Algeciras  I observed a short,  elderly man in a what looked like a woolen overcoat, smoking a cigarette. ' Enjoying your smoke Sir?' I said in Spanish. He looked at me frightfully and wanted to stub out his red Marlboro fag. ' No, no Sir you are allowed to smoke here, outside the building' . 'Sorry, no Spanish' he responded in English. We started to talk and he presented himself as Liem, a US citizen of  Vietnamese origin who had escaped the war with many other boat people in 1975, was picked up by the US navy on the open seas, and granted asylum and a new life in Arkansas where he became a Professor at the university. Looking very fragile, he turned out to be street smart and a real character, such one only meets when traveling with a backpack. A practicing Roman Catholic he had decided to travel all around Europe hitting the religious highlights and cathedrals from Santiago de Compostela, to Fatima, Lourdes, Paris, Aachen, Cologne, Milan, Rome to return in two months back to the USA. He had no phone....a lot of cash hidden in his oversized coat, a few A4 size sheets (with another copy in his travel bag with his itinerary) and some useful addresses, plus three travel bags that made him in our opinion vulnerable, attackable... He did have a credit card though. 

The unforgettable Mr. Liem / look at his snazzy Fila boots

We travelled a few hours on the train with Mr. Liem (he proclaimed himself to be 75, never married, and happily retired). We became friends immediately. Actually we loved him straight away and wanted to protect him with all kinds of advice. No joke though, Mr. Liem knew how to get around. Any question we fired off he answered with a rational answer that suited his personal situation. ' I love money and I am lazy' he said several times. By that he meant ' love money to be used properly' and ' lazy if it comes to do non essential chores' . Haha, he was too lazy to put his dentures on coz he said ' I never learned how to speak properly with them' (again, because he was too lazy). I handed him my card and said he should get in contact if he thinks I could be of assistance....' not good enough Anton! You should have invited him to visit us in Leende' ! God bless Mr. Liem. 

Next stop was RONDA, a famous town from the days the Christians battled with the Muslims. The site is breathtaking where the river Guadalevin has created a 100 meter deep ravine called 'El Tajo'  (the gorge) that you can wander along.

Ronda, top of the cliff at the bridge

 The town attracts mostly Spanish tourists (many are day travelers from Malaga and Marbella) and exhales a quiet, festive atmosphere. We did a few days of  'niksen' : relaxing, enjoying our Hotel Andalucia in front of of the railway station, taking a long, slow hike of  probably 14 kms down the valley,  circling the town halfway from below. We admired the rock formations and smelled the harvested grain fields that were turned into yellow and ochre. Inhaling the sights. Yes, this is a place to stay a few days longer...; and we had found a restaurant ' La Quinta' with a 'menu del dia' that was good enough for us.  We recommend travelers of any age to go and stay in this walkable town.  We even walked a mile or so on the Camino Serrano one of the many walking roads leading to the Camino de la Plata. 

The train ride from Ronda to CORDOBA was beautiful: grain fields and olive plantations forever. Few villages; we crossed mostly a remote area, even by Spanish standards. The air-conditioned train may have caused my cold which a day later became so strong that  my watery nose ran faster than the Han river in Korea.  Just for a few days.....and one day my heart raced unusually fast....that was also Cordoba....must have been too much Rioja. For the rest health remained good. Biya's health performed well throughout the trip. We thank God! 

Again, we felt Cordoba is yet another underrated location. The Cathedral which had been a mosque before the Reconquista is so impressive.  The town sported the largest mosque in Europe around the year1200 and it was the centre of Muslim spirituality on the Iberian peninsula.   The Cathedral towers over, and is next to the river Guadalquivir that slowly moves towards Seville. We spent quite a bit of time on its Roman bridge and along the river; in the Cathedral and in the old town, section Jewish quarter where we walked into 'Bodega Guzman' around 11am for a rest.  We discovered the local 'Montilla'  poured directly from the 60 liter barrel (similar to dry sherry) and sipped it with a plate of marinated anchovies on the side.

So good that next day we returned for more! We were not alone: locals did the same nearly every day...no wonder since a large flute of this superb 'Montilla' only costs 1 euro in this bodega.

We had not initially planned it but when Biya's old and close friend Morana out of the blue sent her a note while we were in Morocco, we said 'yes, let us go and see  her family in MADRID and visit the Prado museum as well'. That turned out to be a winner again.  We arrived at the Madrid-Atocha railway station and found our way by subway and foot to their comfortable apartment.  Great family: Kevin, Morana and two lively boys Blaise and Jordan.  The family had just moved from Washington to Madrid and was literally living amongst suitcases in their apartment; waiting for their stuff to arrive shortly.  Actually it arrived on the day we were there.  I personally appreciate it very much that we were welcomed so cordially amongst their boxes and embassy furniture.  It was easy to take a bus to the Prado museum; we spent six and a half hours inside. WOW, the concept proved to be so different from any museum in the NL. When you go to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam you will find a few well selected pieces/paintings from the most important periods in Dutch history. Inside  the Prado museum you will find large rooms adjacent with practically all the paintings of the most famous Spanish painters including Goya, Velasquez, El Greco, El Bosque, de Zurbaran, Murillo and so on....though only very few Picassos and no Dali's at all. I guess the museum makes money by lending paintings to other museums the world over. 

By the way 'El Bosque' is a Dutch painter, name of Hieronymus Bosch,  who lived under Spanish occupation during the 80 years war after which my country became independent. Were his paintings (very innovative style as well!) after his death in 1516 sold to the Spanish King Phillip II for the market  price or were we robbed?  I guess we shall never find out the truth.  We also viewed the Royal Palace from the outside since it closed already at 5pm.  And relaxed while listening to a gipsy playing his accordeon. Nice place too, with a view as far as Toledo.  And we did a fair bit of walking; slowly, but Biya's knees made it including the last days in Madrid and Valencia; often with a backpack. Yes, my lady is heavy duty!

Biya had booked a room with a view and terrace in the 'Dormavalencia apartments' close to the port of  VALENCIA in the Grau neighborhood.  Once in a while (1 out of 10) the place she books does not reflect the marketed promises: the terrace was not accessible and full of pigeon-poop. And the view was a dirty old wall, two meters from our windows. Ah, Biya was furious but then we settled for it. Stuff happens! The room was spacious and we could make coffee and prepare some soup for a change. Our main objective was the beach and sea, and we really enjoyed the large beach, its fine sand, the sun and wind, and the water with a temperature I guess of 21 degrees.  We swam and felt good. We simply relaxed and walked through the Grau neighborhood, along the port, ate some fish, drank wine, talked and talked, and  considered this trip as yet another holidays that we will cherish with its splendid memories. 

We spent a full 11 days in Spain...Tarifa- Algeciras-Ronda-Cordoba-Madrid-Valencia / then flight back to Eindhoven with Ryan Air, and bus to Leende.