Category Archives: Jewels and Gems

Moroccan storytelling, the tradition of Hikayat.

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Moroccan storytelling, the tradition of Hikayat, is a rich oral tradition with a history of over 1,000 years, where performers in public squares and circles share tales that impart morals, lessons, and cultural values. These stories, like parables, have diverse influences from Arab, Sub-Saharan African, and Berber cultures. The tradition, is experiencing a revival through initiatives like the World Storytelling Cafe in Marrakech and yearly festivals.

Some stories were recorded, and other stories are passed orally. Today this form of entertainment in danger of becoming extinct. Previously, hikayat was found in cities throughout Morocco, but today Marrakech’s Jema el-Fna’a Square is one of the last places to find the old stories and there are fewer and fewer storytellers. Cafe Clock offers a new venue and an opportunity for young Moroccans to train in this ancient art.

We believe in personal experiences, what is luxury after all? A five-star hotel or layers of personal experiences?  Our local team has organized a private story telling evening for me several times and for clients, in one of the intimate extravagantly decorated private salons at Villa des Orangers  – it is pure theatre with two actors reciting ancient Moroccan stories, with the backdrop of a wood burning fire and the sound of an ancient oud played by a local musician. Heaven, truly heaven!

Villa des Orangers, In the heart of the medina, not far from the entry to the souks and the main square, two French brothers have transformed a historic riad, just twenty seven rooms and suites nestled in a rambling garden and small pools. Opening onto two courtyards—one of which has a swimming pool—the rooms and suites, each named for a local spice – think saffron, nutmeg, and turmeric, and decorated in rich gem shades.

Unpacking List: It’s not the things you take with you that define your Journey; it’s the experiences you have and the memories you bring home.

Spring Travels: Theatre in London

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I’m not the only traveler who plots escapes around theatre or museum exhibitions – I’ve added a few days in London to see Ralph Fiennes and Tom Hiddleston, our Man in London always has the best seats, even at the last minute!  I’ve included an extra day in Paris for blockbuster Exhibition at Foundation Louis Vuitton or a special performance at Opera Garnier.

London is especially enticing as the small playhouses rarely have a bad seat. Some theatres now offer beverage delivery services, we were tucked into our stall seats, when our seat neighbors popped the bubbly and began noshing on fine nibbles! Who knew? Our heads spun at the burst of the cork, how did we miss this stylish feature?!

Plot now for spring in London, to see one of my favorite stage actors, Ralph Fiennes. He is slated to star in David Hare’s play Grace Pervades at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London’s West End, with performances scheduled to begin in April 2026 for a limited run. He will be joined by Miranda Raison in the production, which tells the story of Victorian actors Henry Irving and Ellen Terry. Directed by Jeremy Herrin, the play tells the story of Henry Irving and Ellen Terry, stars of the Victorian stage, and Ellen’s troubled yet brilliant children, Edith Craig and Edward Gordon Craig. The creative team also includes set designer Bob Crowley, costume designer Fotini Dimou, lighting designer Peter Mumford, sound designer Elizabeth Purnell, composer Paul Englishby, and movement director Lucy Cullingford.

The play premiered at the Theatre Royal Bath in 2025 before transferring to the London theatre.  Legendary star of stage and screen, Ralph Fiennes, stars opposite Miranda Raison (Spooks) in David Hare’s ‘fascinating, absorbing and very funny’ (FT) play, transferring from a sell-out season at Theatre Royal Bath. Ralph Fiennes gives a career defining performance as Sir Henry Irving, the first actor ever to be knighted and the greatest star of the Victorian stage. Miranda Raison plays Ellen Terry, the most loved and highest paid actress in England and recruited by Irving to join his renowned company at the Lyceum Theatre.