A 90th Birthday Party for Elsa's Mom
Gibraltar and Morocco for a Week
July and August, 2014
Departing Los Angeles at a civilized hour, 7:00 PM
Settling in for 11 hours in the air
Maggie's Welcome Dinner
After Dinner, Maggie left for Germany's Soccer Win Over Argentina
Surprise !! Elsa is here !!
It has been two years
Off to Lunch
Lunch at Mama's Home with the manager, Frau Uhlig
Welcome Home with Silvia and Joachim
New Chinese Restaurant features Zebra and Kanguru
Yummi Schokolade over Ice Cream
Fans get ready for Andrea Berg
15,000 Attend her 9th Open Air Concert in Ansbach
Germany's Top Hit Singer, Andrea Berg
"Atlantis" is the Theme This Year
Special lunch with our bankers, Herr Sautter and Herr Mugele
Lunch at long-time friend Jinny's Chinese
Lake Monrepos, where we were engaged 12 years ago
Feeding Friedolin pieces of old bread that Maggie saved
Lunch with Alex and Fabia
Are you ready for your 90th Birthday Party?
Brigitte and Charlie
Heidi and Erich
The Family
Frau Bollinger, Frau Härtter and Elsita
The restaurant brought out a special candle that popped open
When the big flame went out, the candles appeared
Moma gets her wish... all the candles went out
The guests are ready for the buffet
Hohenasperg - A German Prison
15 minutes to go up the hill, 15 years to come down
Walls around the Prison
Overlooking Asperg, with Stuttgart 20 km in the distance
Asperg, 3 km from home
This nightly visitor was always ready for a treat
Depart Stuttgart at 6:00 AM for Jerez, Spain - 2 Hours
Departing Stuttgart
Racing our shadow, landing Jerez, Spain
On the Road, Again, to Algeciras, Spain
First Glimpse of The Rock
Our hotel is near the Port
City to the Left, Port to the Right
We'll park on the Spanish side of the Border and walk into Gibraltar
It looks close, but it was a good walk in the heat
Due to Spanish rules, only planes from England can operate here
After the runway is clear, gates open and people can cross
You are Here... how do they know that?
An auditorium in a cave
The Accidental Tourists in Gibraltar
Elsa, Look Out Behind You !!
Guide, Douglas, on the right, knows which monkeys are gentle
I've got a monkey on my back
Some of the Monkeys are friendly, some will bite.
Should I pet this one or not?
Don't pet mothers holding little babies !!
The Mediterranian Sea as seen from the Rock of Gibraltar
The coast of Africa, on the horizon, right
The road crossing the runway with La Linea (The Line), Spain, on the far side
Oceanfront apartments with no extra charge for airport noise
Cable Car to the Top
Cargo operations in Algeciras run all night
Boarding the Ferry to Tangier, Morocco
We rented this boat for 90 minutes
The Harbor Pilot leaves our boat and heads for the next
Our last view of "The Rock" as we head into a fog bank
Arabic reads from right to left... does that help?
52 kilometers (31 miles) to Tangier
Entering the new city of Tangier
Our hotel is in the old city, at the top of the hill
Just wide enough for a Mercedes taxi
Our humble home in Tangier for one night
Our guide for the day attached himself to us as we left the hotel
Standing in the doorway, he is waiting for us to enter
Our first Moroccan meal, Couscous and Shish Kebab
Egg delivery service
Bags, anyone?
Giving Ali my shopping list
Silk Caftan - Do I look the Part?
I'm wearing my Moroccan Disguise
One of many hungry street cats we fed until they passed out
No Oven at home, Taking Dough to the Bakery
Jewelry repaired, While You Wait
Hole in the Wall Leather Shop
Happy Hour after a Tough Day at the Casbah
New port has grown up around the old city
A short walk down the hill for Dinner
People have to Pay. Cats eat for Free.
Waiting for Dinner - Peter in back, right
Can I take him home?
We stuffed this one full of Pastrami and had some left over for hungry cats on the way home
The streets are always busy
Another Lucky Customer at the Bike Repair Shop
Our train from Tangier to Marrakech
Two hours gone and 9 more to go
Far too long, even in First Class
The train was clean and comfortable, but packed full
Moroccan Beef on the Hoof
Local taxi service meets people leaving the train
Off to Rabatt
Nine hours gone and two more to go
No food service on the train during Ramadan in July
We changed trains in Casablanca
Finally, Marrakech at 11:00 PM
Moma cat and her litter
Our City Tour Chariot
Human power is always available
Clay Soup Bowls for 10 Dirham - One Dollar
Donkey doing what donkeys do best... waiting
Chairs and stools for sale for a parade the next day
Rolling gas service for motorcycles
These chickens are fresher than anything Foster Farms can offer
Our carriage driver bids us goodbye
Low-Tech Storks
High-Tech Storks
Lunch at a roof-top terrace
Cats make themselves at home wherever there is food
"No, No, I don't Want It !!"
Food vendors fill the plaza in the evening
Pick what you want and they'll cook it and bring it to your table
Jus d' Oranges, 4 Dirham (40 cents) for a fresh-squeezed glass
Breakfast on our roof-top terrace
The view to the rear of the hotel
Gathering to visit the cemetery
Get your Cemetery Specials here
The suburbs of Marrakech, picking up passengers for a tour
We head into the Berber area in the Atlas mountains 60 km south of Marrakech
Visiting a typical home
Elsa's new Best Friend, a resident of the typical home
Our tour guide and his aunt, the owner of the typical home
On the way to the mountains
There is skiing at 2600 meters at Africa’s highest ski resort
I'll show you the proper way to cross a rope bridge
Stop wiggling and wobbling, would you, please?
Turning the bicycle wheel drives the blower adding air to the coals
Mister Fixit tries his hand at metal-working
The Atlas Mountains. No snow today.
You can cool your heels while you eat at this restaurant
We choose to eat on the patio in the shade
"Hello, It's me and I'm hungry"
Team 2 is ready when Team 1 drops out
Beginning an hour hike to the waterfall
A vendor along the way, drilling stone by hand
Just another ten minutes... you're almost there
"I thought you said only ten minutes more"
"You can make it"
The goal of an hour hike - the waterfall
Elsa stayed back at the stream where we had lunch
Stream water cools drinks in this "Berber Refrigerator"
Water, water, everywhere
Elsa's Dream - A Camel Ride
Ready When You Are
Our camel ride in Dubai was 15 seconds
This one was a more respectable 15 minutes
The maid did her best to make us feel welcome
Elsa greets the maid and the chef in the main room of the hotel
We visited with the Cigarette Salesman, left, and his companions, in front of our hotel every night
Making Picture Frames and Mugs from used Tires
Bread Delivery, Marrakech Style
Walking street leading to Main Square at the far end
Taxi service passing vendors in the main square
Leaving the square, into a shopping area
A fellow offered to show us where animal hides were prepared
"It's only 2 minutes," then after 5 minutes, "It's only 3 minutes"
We arrived after walking 15 minutes.
Pits where animal hides are prepared
Fresh Peppermint for Tea at a leather shop
The walk to the leather shop was so long and the streets so convoluted
we needed two motorcycle riders to bring us back to the Main Square
A Day in the Life, Marrakech
Entry to the Fantasia Dinner Show
If I shoot straight up, will the bullet come straight back down?
Practicing for the "African Idol" show
Dinner is served
Our desert was enough fruit for an army
Arena where horsemen performed
Final March
Ramadan is over so now we can leave for Barcelona, Spain... at 1:00 AM, a 2 hour flight
Departing Barcelona at sunrise, 2 more hours to Frankfurt, Germany
After 11 hours on the road, only 90 minutes more from Frankfurt to Stuttgart via train
Home at last after 7 Days
Herr Dietz started in 1939 and is still going strong
I waited three weeks for my favorite lunch at Metzger Dietz
Charlie and I visited the new Posche Museum in Stuttgart
Maggie's neighbor, Peter, with his electric trains, filling one bedroom
Coffee and Cake...
with Eddie and Heidi Loibl and Sinfonie in the basket
Class Reunion table for years 1946 and 1947
No, I didn't recognize anyone after 50 years.
Elegant Lunch with Brigitte and Charlie at the Kronenstube
Visiting with Connie, Maggie's friend
Maggie's friends, Jürgen and Andrea
Lunch at the SchellenHof
Rose, Tanta Hedi, Elsita and Günter
Fiftieth Farewell
Heading home, departing Stuttgart for Newark, New Jersey
Touchdown at Los Angeles International after 4 weeks in Germany