A Hotel Review of Riad 72 in Marrakech
Riad 72 – Marrakech, Morocco
LOVE
Check in – There is no check in desk here, but the Riad will send someone to pick you up at the airport. They then drive you to the end of a road, stop, unload your luggage and another person comes running with a wheelbarrow to take you down the narrow pedestrian alley to the Riad. The moment you walk in the Riad, the dust and chaos of the streets outside settles and it’s a place of tranquility.
Room – Our room was fantastic. 25 foot high carved wood ceiling, Moroccan tile across the floor, wooden doors 15 feet high carved in the most intricate design, we felt like we were in a palace.
Grounds – The whole Riad is immaculate, not just the rooms. The central courtyard where you eat is divine with the sound of cool water running from the small fountain and the palm trees soaring over you. Don’t miss the rooftop where you can lounge around and see over all of Marrakech and the mountains in the distance. We took in the sunset up here and it was magical. I also had henna on my hands done up here on the roof as we watched the world go by around us.
Design – This Riad is exactly how I expected Morocco to be and much much more. The decor was perfect and so right for the place. Moroccan lanterns light your way at every turn and everything was immaculate.
Food – Out of everything at Riad 72, the food was perhaps the best of all. Every morning, a breakfast spread is there for you, set up at your own private table. The night we arrived late, they had waited to set our table with rose petals to accompany our meal, some of the best food I’ve ever had. Fatima, the cook, goes everyday to the markets and buys what’s fresh, there are no menus but you don’t need them. Don’t forget to spend some time in the afternoon with fresh Moroccan mint tea and cookies.
DIDN’T LOVE
Traveling to Morocco?
See all of my posts on the country!
What to Wear in New England in May
After our trip through New England at the end of May, the weather was less than predictable and ranged from the low 50’s to the high 70’s in just the 4 days we were there. Here’s everything that I wore and packaged for our trip when traveling through Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island in late Spring.
What I Packed:
-2 striped t-shirts for under sweaters and jackets
-1 light Summer jacket (no hood)
What I Wore:
Outfit Details:
Red Striped Shirt | Madewell Denim | Navy Boden Jacket (sold out) |
White Oxfords (similar) | Tan Dooney and Bourke Purse (similar)
Outfit Details:
Paige khaki jeans | Navy Raincoat (similar) | Burberry Rain Boots (Similar) |
Madewell Scarf (similar) | Ralph Lauren Orange Cross Body Purse (similar)
Outfit Details:
Madewell Denim | Madewell Jacket (similar)| Ralph Lauren Orange Cross Body Purse (similar)
Topshop World Scarf (similar) | White Converse Low Tops
A Hotel Review of Le Meridien Nice
Le Meridien Nice – Nice, France
This hotel was truly a joy to stay in. The views from our room were incredible as was the design and style of the hotel. Location couldn’t be beat and the service was top notch. This was actually one stay that we used a free night (on hotels.com) for and while it was more than we generally spend on hotels, it was a splurge worthwhile since we got one night pretty much free and only had to pay for the second.This is the place to go and stay if you want a lovely modern hotel with service and views that can’t be beat in Nice. Here is my honest Hotel Review of Le Meridien Nice in Nice, France.
LOVE
Food – We ordered room service one of the days we stayed here and enjoyed breakfast in our room overlooking the Mediterranean. The food was delicious and it came with a fantastic assortment of breads and pastries. The service was prompt and perfect.
DIDN’T LOVE
Headed to France?
The Places I Have Called Home
In a little break from New England posts, I’ve had this one in the queue for a while and thought today might be a good day to post it while Nick finishes editing all his beautiful photos of New England.
While I speak a lot about Portland on this blog and a bit about my childhood abroad in Saudi Arabia, I realized I haven’t really touched much on the other places that have shaped me into who I am and those places that I have called home over the years.
My brother and I in our front yard in Saudi in a rare rain storm. |
Interested in reading more about my childhood in Saudi Arabia?
See all of my posts on the country here!
Holding my first dog Maggie in Medford. |
Wandering around the Pearl District of Portland. |
relationship and in my day to day life there.
The view from my apartment balcony in Honolulu. |
Beautiful and Resilient Boston
the beautiful and resilient Boston.
New England: Cape Cod & Rhode Island
New England: Salem, MA & Maine
Travel Tips: Europe by Train
Europe by train.
Waiting for the RER line to Versailles from Paris |
Departure board in Verona, Italy |
Riding the Gatwick Express from London Victoria Station |
On the train from Milan to Verona in Italy |
Milan’s Central Train Station |
Waiting for our train from Nice, France to Monte Carlo |
Monte Carlo’s train station |
What to Wear in Europe in the Spring
And if you need advice for visiting different places around France, Monaco, and Italy – here is everything you’ll need to know:
What to Pack:
- A few options for coats/jackets – I brought 2 trench coats and 1 rain coat which served me well depending on what the weather was going to be.
- Multiple scarves – This is an easy way to change up outfits, even if you’re wearing the same items like coats and jeans everyday, a different scarf can make the outfit look entirely different and keep you warm.
- Layers – I usually wear a long sleeve t-shirt, a sweater, a coat and then a scarf, that way you can add or remove layers as you need to during the day when the temperatures vary a lot.
- Comfortable Shoes – I live in my Converse and they are comfortable and easy to walk around cities all day.
- A cross body purse – Your arm will get tired of carrying a purse around, so invest in one that also can be a good cross body bag and you’ll be thankful you did.
- 2 pairs of pants – I usually wear one on the plane and pack another pair so you have some variety.
What I Wore:
Outfit Details:
Gap Tan Trench Coat (similar) | Madewell Dark Denim | Tan Sweater (similar) | White Low Top Converse
Dooney & Bourke Cross Body Purse (similar)| Long Sleeve Striped Tee (similar) | Floral Scarf (similar)
Outfit Details:
Zara Blue Trench (similar) | Paige Flare Dark Denim (similar) | Navy Polka Dot Scarf (similar) |
Dooney & Bourke Cross Body Purse (similar) | White Low Top Converse
Outfit Details:
Black Calvin Kline Raincoat (similar) | Madewell Dark Denim | Scarf (similar) |
Black Leather Gloves (similar) | Cross Body Purse (similar)| White Low Top Converse
Outfit Details:
Black Calvin Kline Raincoat (similar) | Madewell Dark Denim | Scarf (similar) |
Gloves (similar) | Cross Body Purse (similar)| White Low Top Converse
Outfit Details:
Zara Blue Trench (similar) | Bandana Scarf (similar) | Cross Body Purse (similar) | Sunglasses (similar)
Outfit Details:
Zara Blue Trench (similar) | Navy Polka Dot Scarf (similar) | Madewell Dark Denim
Dooney & Bourke Cross Body Purse (similar) | White Low Top Converse
Traveling to France?
See all of my posts on the country!