Laila Lalami

This summer I did what I had promised myself for many years I would do: take a proper holiday. I stayed away from the internet, the television, and the mobile phone. Instead, I spent time with family and friends; walked, swam and hiked; read four books and took notes; ate loads of grilled fish, meat tagines and pasta arrabiatta (appropriately enough); bought lots of books; stayed up, slept late, or woke early, depending on the day; bargained for souvenirs and knickknacks; and generally just tried to focus on the moment. It was great to be away. But now I am back and of course I have many, many emails to sift through, deadlines to meet, and various appointments to make. More tomorrow.

I am still (thankfully, blissfully, perhaps even embarrassingly) still on holiday. We went up to the town of Asilah for a week, which gave me a chance to catch a couple of the events at the annual summer festival there. Then we continued on to the beautiful town of Chaouen (or Chefchaouen) where we hiked up to Qantrat Sidi Rabbi (Bridge of God.) I’m now wrapping up my stay in Morocco and running around saying goodbye to everyone.

I spent a wonderful week in London: I visited dear friends, met with my UK editor, did a reading for the African Writers’ Series, and found time for a couple of trips to the museum. I love this city, so my stay felt far too short. After a brief detour in Rome, I flew to Casablanca, and then on to Rabat, where I still am at the moment. I’ve been busy catching up with family and friends and have had little time to get online.

While I was in London, my essay “Out of the Kitchen,” which is about a recent travel experience in Morocco, came out in the Los Angeles Times. Meanwhile, the Moroccan magazine Le Temps published an interview I did a while back.

Photo above: The Mohamed V Mausoleum in Rabat.