Eating Up Marrakesh
My wife and I spent five days in Marrakesh last spring [“Best Restaurants in Marrakesh,” December]. Our best meal was at Riad Kniza(34 Derb l’Hotel, Bab Doukala; dinner from $140), where we arrived to find our rooftop table scattered with red rose petals. We ate traditional pigeon pastilla, plates of Moroccan-style vegetables, and lamb tagine—with prunes, apricots, almonds, and figs—which looked spectacular and was, without a doubt, the best lamb we’ve ever tasted. — Peter I. Volny, Fountain Hills, Ariz.
Rush Hour
Is “An Epic European Road Trip” [November] really the way Maria Shollenbarger likes to travel? Brussels to Florence in three days—is she late for an appointment in Italy? In Munich, after a five-hour drive (with no time to spare for Würzburg or the Romantic Road), she suggests a visit to the Alte Pinakothek art museum. For what, 20 minutes? I spent a number of years designing European tours professionally—this itinerary should take a minimum of six nights. — George Burger, Oakland Park, Fla.
Surf’s Up in Costa Rica
We make our annual pilgrimage to Cabo Matapalo every July, so imagine our surprise at seeing the surfer pictured on page 183, who we know as Scrappy, the lead guide for a local adventure company. Our 10-day stays barely provide enough time for all the surfing, fishing, hiking, kayaking, and dancing at Buena Esperanza (Martina’s), the most unique bar in Costa Rica. — Kerry Dickinson, Danville, Calif.
Language Lessons
I can sympathize with Peter Jon Lindberg’s “Speaking the Language” [December]. While vacationing in a quaint fishing village on the French Riviera, I decided to order breakfast to our hotel room. For several minutes I practiced my request: “Je voudrais le petit déjeuner” (I would like breakfast). When I called the front desk, I started, “Monsieur,” and then inexplicably flubbed my line: “Je suis le petit déjeuner” (I am breakfast). After a brief silence, the concierge replied in English, “Monsieur, I don’t think so.” — Thomas H. Brennan, Garrison, N.Y.
I have been with my Swedish husband for seven years and I still can’t pronounce our last name. I am highly motivated to learn to say it properly, however, and to study the rest of the Swedish language. Thanks for the inspiration! — Jennifer Blomqvist (“Bloom-Qvist” or “Blum-Qvist”? working on it...), via e-mail
Hot Topic: Airport Critics Weigh In
The response was mixed on Karrie Jacobs’s Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport review, (December). Readers in both camps had plenty to say about CDG’s less-than-glowing appraisal.
I couldn’t agree more about the nonsensical signs and lack of linearity in this airport. It’s a nightmare, especially with one hour to change planes, navigate from one terminal to another, and clear customs and security. I missed a flight there once, and I now avoid CDG at any cost. — TravelandLeisure.com member marcob
Paris-Charles de Gaulle is one of my favorite airports in the world. The next time Karrie Jacobs travels to Paris, I recommend that she fly Air France, so that she can fully experience the delightful offerings of CDG’s Terminal 2E. — Bob Miller-Jantz, San Antonio, Tex.
I share Jacobs’s sentiments about CDG. I was there a few years ago with an entourage of 20 high school students, trying first to get to Valencia, and then Atlanta. It was an ordeal, to say the least. I look forward to returning to France, but not to dealing with CDG. — Allen Fort, Georgetown, Ga.
Reader’s Find: Africa Up Close
After two monthlong trips in Kenya and Botswana with Tim Trench Safaris(254-734/572-123; seven-day tours from $7,000 per person, all-inclusive), I can’t say enough about them. In Kenya, we saw the Singing Wells in Sarara—an almost biblical scene where Samburu warriors water their cattle during the dry season, chanting traditional songs as they pass buckets of water up a human chain. In Botswana, we paddled around hippos on the Selinda Canoe Trail en route to the luxury Zarafa Camp, with its embroidered linens, gas fireplaces, and copper bathtubs. Tim Trench is a mix of Indiana Jones adventurer, patient teacher, and utterly engaging storyteller. His passion for wildlife is infectious. — tanya das neves, montreal, quebec
T+L Asks: If You Could Spend a Winter Break Anywhere, Where Would You Go and Why?
“Montreux, Switzerland. The well-known jazz festival takes place in the summer, but I’d go in the winter for the crisp air and the snowcapped mountains.” — Terra Lyn
“The picturesque village of Solang Valley, in Himachal Pradesh, India. I feel like I belong there.” — Neelmani Kulkarni-Gidwani
“Cairns, in Queensland, Australia, where we live. Our rain forests and the Great Barrier Reef make this the nicest place I know to retreat from a Northern Hemisphere winter.” — Nick Marshall
Get and Give Travel Advice
Ask T+L experts for tips on Facebook and Twitter.
Jan. 25, 2 pm ET: Join a live Facebook chat on romantic trips with special projects editor Irene Edwards.
Feb. 1, 3 pm ET: Use the hashtag #TL_Chat to follow our tweet-up on winter getaways with deputy editor Laura Begley Bloom.
Feb. 8, 2 pm ET: Ask writer Tom Beller about his favorite destinations on our Facebook wall.
This Month at TravelandLeisure.com
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Photo Contest: Nighttime Enter to win a Polaroid camera. Monthly winners will compete for a dream trip to South Korea.
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