MY CULTURAL ROAD TRIP 

I meet with the taxi driver Said at the port of Tangier. He is my designated driver for the next couple of days. I am on a cultural roadtrip, exploring the kingdom. Ahead of every big crossing I toss the diram coin. That’s how we decide whether to make a right turn or take a left. The Atlas mountains rise far in the distance. As I enter the Kasbah I can sense the logs still glowing from last night. The gigantic rustic leather covered doors in combination with the clay walls create an ambiance from the past. An oil burner leaves a pleasant scent of woody notes. A woman in a long white linen kaftan passes by, leaving subtile notes of white honey, vanilla and amber. 

I leave the house and enter the courtyard which is filled with lime and orange trees. The alley of old, quirky olive trees leads to the herb garden with wonderful scents of spices. The morning sun is beaming. My bare feet against the smooth black-and-white patterned tiles, I close my eyes and breathe in. My driver Said is sitting on the terrace, holding a hand rolled cigarette in one hand and a sebsi full of smouldering kif in the other. Hashish fills the air with a sweet, soft aroma together with a fusion of Berber, African and Arabic music. 

The Fragrance Journey is based on the creator’s memoirs from Marrakesh, Marocco.