Notes from the Road Travelogue
Narrow dusk alley in Rovinj, Croatia—warm stone walls, glowing windows and lantern light, polished cobbles tapering toward the sea—an invitation to wander and discover Europe.

DISCOVER THE DRY WORLD

United by shared cultures, religions, and aridity, North Africa is sometimes called the Dry World. Separated from the rest of Africa by the Sahara and from Europe and the Middle East by water, it remains a distinct and vivid place. In these notes from Morocco and beyond, I write about food, the history of cheese, and the personal themes of travel. Follow me through medinas, courtyards, and desert landscapes of the Dry World.

Majorelle Gardens in the Dry World

The Sun Offers No Wisdom

On a still afternoon in the baking sun on a street in Marrakech, the smell of an old city comes alive - dust and charcoal, stale food, incense, motor oil, damp stone.
Dry World: Essaouira Blue Boats

The Essaouira Murex

Notes on travel to Morocco's Atlantic coast city of Essaouira, where I explore the Jimi Hendrix fable and the historical blue dye everpresent in each back alley.
In the dry world: Marrakech Arches

The Marrakech Orangerie

Why do we travel? In these notes from Marrakech, Morocco, I offer a different view of the pleasures and purposes of travel as I pursue the color and taste orange.
Tangier, Morocco

Tangier and the Imaginary Fromager

To follow in the footsteps of the world's greatest cheese traveler, we must begin in Tangier.
Marrakech, Morocco Drawings and Sketches

Morocco Sketches and Illustrations

My moleskine journal from Marrakech, as well as sketches and illustrations of Moroccan food, architecture and more.

What is the Dry World?

The Sahara, The Atlas Mountains and the Nile

You can see it clearly on any physical map. The Dry World is that only region colored in the khaki mocha tone of the Sahara sands. This region, then, is defined loosely by the Sahara desert, the Atlas Mountains in the west, and the Nile River in the east.

Arabic and Berber Languages

The Dry World is dominated by just two languages; the related languages of Arabic and Berber.

The Exit Point from Africa

Perhaps our greatest story is how we populated the world, a question which begins with how early humans, and also early hominins, left the African continent. The likely migration route is through North Africa. Anthropologists believe our ancestors have been migrating out of Africa for as long as 1.8 million years. This lends to the region's mystery as an ancient place, and a connection between the oldest civilizations.