December 1, 2015 Leticia Ferraz

magic carpet ride

beacon’s buyer/blogger julia explores the bohemian paradise of tangiers, morocco. she shops the souks and captures their kaleidoscope of colors. see her rock the casbah, below.

julia standing next to carpet in a carpet shopping.

carpet-shopping in the casbah

destination: tangiers, morocco.

purpose of journey: it’s been a life-long dream to see tangiers. all my favorites found inspiration here-yves saint laurent, paul bowles, the rolling stones. it’s known for being a bit of a salty city, and i love dark corners.

never travel without: an evil eye bracelet that i carry for protection. it wards off any bad vibes. and the evil eye is a common motif in morocco so it’s actually very fitting!

favorite outfit you packed: i welcome any opportunity to wear a headscarf so i packed 5 for the occasion of visiting the arabic world, where ladies have to keep covered (lest i get the evil eye!).

how many pairs of shoes: 3. platform robert clergeries and nikes go with everything. but my platform slip-ons didn't make a single appearance. not good for negotiating the steep hills of the casbah.

favorite souvenir: i’d always wanted a piece of vintage berber jewelry. i found a really special headpiece from the 60s, and though i can’t imagine an occasion i’ll have to wear it, i love it and it fills me with joy.

what are you listening to: the guest house had antique radios in every room all tuned in to a german station that played colonial-era jazz and blues. all the sights, sounds and smells in tangiers make you feel like life isn’t all that different from 70 years ago.

favorite meal: tagine, a slow-cooked stew that i ate every day, everywhere. it’s the national dish.

highlight of the trip: i was looking for a place to eat when i accidentally ended up at the one restaurant in the whole city on my to-do list. a little seafood joint with like 10 names run by this sweet and eccentric moroccan man (the saveur de poisson, or restaurant populare, or popeye's, to name a few.) the food was amazing but the best part was at the end of our feast “popeye” wordlessly beckoned me to the back room. i followed him to the back where at once he thrust over my head a vintage 60s caftan. i’ll never know why he bestowed such a special gift to me-maybe he spotted me as a fashionista? or was concerned i wasn't dressed modestly enough? anyway, it was the perfect memento for my magical time in morocco.

traditional moroccan shoes in updated prints

traditional shoes in updated prints

chefchaouen, an all-blue mountain town a few hours outside tangiers. nick-named “the blue pearl” in yogic tradition, kundelini practictioners in a deep meditation may experience a vision of the blue pearl when their third eye is open