“Salaam aleikum” ("Peace be with you") she says with a warm smile, beckoning us into her home. “La chokran ‘la wezhb” ("You are welcome.)”
We recline on soft cushions over a glass of mint tea and sweet pastries. Complete strangers in the exotic landscape of Morocco, we enjoy an intimate encounter in an everyday setting. One of her children admires the newly painted henna decorations on Heather’s hands.
Azzedin Moulouki, our affable driver, translates fragments of conversation, subsiding into rapid-fire French whenever he is unsure of what has been said.
Set on a bluff overlooking a river estuary and the Atlantic, the Oudaias casbah ("Fortress of the Unvanquished") feels as impregnable as a rock. The tourist ticket-sellers at the huge 12th-century gate of Bab Oudaia still control access to the fortified city.
The Sallee rovers, swashbuckling pirates, ruled these ramparts in the 1700s, plundering ships and seizing slaves on raids into the Mediterranean.
The Moors, corsairs and colonists all left their signature on this strategic outpost in North Africa.
Strolling in the exquisite Andalusian gardens, we visit the 17th-century palace built by Moulay Ismail, the statesman sultan who unified the divided tribes of the country once known as “bled el siba” (the Land of Lawlessness).
Related Travel Information
Moroccan singer Samira Saeed is currently busy preparing for her upcoming album, which she reveals will mainly feature romantic songs. The singer's album will be produced by Alam El Phan Production Company.
Samira turned down a very generous offer from a competing music production company, stating that she is very satisfied with Alam El Phan, owned by Muhsin Jaber.
The singer praised Alam El Phan’s treatment of her, and affirmed that she has no desire to shift her loyalties.
Much to her dismay, Samira’s new album, which has not officially been released, is being sold on the black market,
Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine reportedly has been enjoying a secret romance with tennis superstar Maria Sharapova for months - despite the busy blond's apparent reluctance to date, according to sfgate.com.
The pair met at New York nightspot Hiro, when Levine serenaded the Wimbledon champion at her 18th birthday bash.
A friend tells British newspaper The Sun, "Adam always has a lot of women after him. But he really likes Maria, and they have been seeing each other quietly for months."
More: vancouver.24hrs.ca
Premiership footballer David Dunn and his fiance Emmerdale actress Sammy Winward have split up just months after the pair celebrated the birth of their first child, it emerged today.
The Birmingham City midfielder and his 19-year-old partner, who plays Katie Sugden in the ITV1 soap, are thought to have broken off their three-year romance a few weeks ago and have no plans to get back together.
The 25-year-old England international spent two months in bed earlier this year recuperating from back surgery and is hoping to hear in the next few days whether he can resume his playing career.
An Emmerdale spokesman said:
Poughkeepsie, NY combo Matchbook Romance are busy readying the follow-up to their 2003 debut Stories and Alibis. Entitled Voices, the album is scheduled to drop on Valentine's Day, 2006.
Voices will be produced by John Goodmanson (Blood Brothers, Hot Hot Heat, Sleater-Kinney) at Long View Farm Studios in North Brookfield, MA. The band will be entrenched in the studio through mid-October.
"This is a huge step out of the realm of our scene and our previous record, Stories and Alibis," explains Mfrontman Andrew Jordan. "While Stories was written with the message, 'yield to love", I feel that Voices is somewhat a
Million-Dollar-Mama.com, a website devoted to helping mothers put themselves on the top of their "to-do" list, has launched its B.Y.O.G! (Bring Your Own Girlfriend) Nationwide Girlfriend Getaway Guide.
This free directory of hotels, B&B's and resorts offers packages specifically for women traveling with their girlfriends. The guide is broken out by state and offers tips, advice and products to take along, and includes a free directory of resorts, hotels, spas and bed & breakfasts’ across the United States offering Girlfriend Getaway Packages.
It's one of the hottest vacation trends available for busy women, especially mothers, who are looking to reclaim a