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Photography

Scenes from the Sahara and beyond

March 3, 2026 by Kirsten Neil Leave a Comment
Morocco 2026

Golden sunsets, golden sunrises, wind-whipped dunes, gassy camels, desert camps, deep gorges, high mountain peaks, friendly Berbers, an even friendlier tour guide, all [Read more]

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Adventure, Africa, Culture, Morocco, Photography, Photos, Sahara Desert, Travel

Gimme a petit taste of Tangier

February 6, 2026 by Kirsten Neil Leave a Comment
Tangier, Morocco 2026

Tangier was not on the agenda for Morocco. Sure, it sounded cool to visit the northern coast and the Strait of Gibraltar, but I already had a concrete AFCON itinerary focusing [Read more]

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Adventure, AFCON, Africa, Culture, Morocco, Photography, Photos, Tangier, Travel

Lost in the beauty of blue in Chefchaouen

February 4, 2026 by Kirsten Neil 2 Comments
In the blue city of Chefchaouen, Morocco

My favourite colour is blue. By far. But it's the fave colour of so many, so there's nothing particularly interesting about that. But what is interesting is visiting a city [Read more]

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Adventure, AFCON, Africa, Chefchaouen, Morocco, Photography, Travel

Here’s looking at you, Fes

January 30, 2026 by Kirsten Neil Leave a Comment
Fes, Morocco 2026

"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." That famous quote from Casablanca was on my mind as we arrived in Morocco in late December 2025 to explore a country [Read more]

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Adventure, AFCON, Africa, Fes, Morocco, Photography, Photos, Travel

AFCON, you stole my sports-loving heart

January 24, 2026 by Kirsten Neil 2 Comments
AFCON 2025, Morocco

...In addition to the stolen towels The Africa Cup of Nations. The main reason we visited Morocco before heading to Lagos this winter. A giant tournament where all the best [Read more]

Posted in: Photography, Travel Tagged: Adventure, AFCON, Africa, Fes, Marrakech, Morocco, Photography, Sports, Tanger, Travel

A little taste of Athens

September 10, 2025 by Kirsten Neil 1 Comment
Athens, Greece 2025

“It takes a lifetime to discover Greece, but it only takes an instant to fall in love with her.” After a spectacular couple of weeks spent in Turkey and the Greek Islands, we [Read more]

Posted in: Travel Tagged: Adventure, Athens, Culture, Europe, Food & Drink, Greece, Photography, Photos, Travel, Turkey & Greece 2025

Shooketh in Santorini

August 17, 2025 by Kirsten Neil 1 Comment
The bold colours of Santorini.

Oh, Santorini, so beautiful, so rugged, so lives up to its iconic reputation. After the lushness of Samos and the subtle tones of Mykonos, Santorini was a completely different [Read more]

Posted in: Travel Tagged: Adventure, Europe, Greece, Greek Islands, Photography, Photos, Travel, Turkey & Greece 2025

Mykonos on my mind

August 4, 2025 by Kirsten Neil 1 Comment
Mykonos on my mind

Ok, “party island,” we need to talk. Unfortunately, Chuck and I lost a day in Mykonos -- on our Turkey & Greece tour -- due to some weather/ferry situation that was never [Read more]

Posted in: Travel Tagged: Adventure, Europe, Greece, Greek Islands, Mykonos, Photography, Photos, Travel, Turkey & Greece 2025

Sun-drenched in Samos

July 30, 2025 by Kirsten Neil Leave a Comment
Looking sharp on Samos Island, Greece.

We arrived on Samos Island under a sky full of dark clouds. But as soon as we disembarked from the ferry, the clouds burned off and the sun burst out and it never left us [Read more]

Posted in: Travel Tagged: Adventure, Culture, Europe, Greece, Greek Islands, Photography, Photos, Samos Island, Travel, Turkey & Greece 2025

‘Oh, the places you’ll go.’ A magical morning in Cappadocia

July 22, 2025 by Kirsten Neil 1 Comment
Pinch me, this wasn’t just a dream, right?

🎶 I woke up in between a memory and a dream 🎶 Well, actually, I woke up in a bit of a stressful panic. It was 3:30 a.m. and Chuck and I were getting ready to go ride in a [Read more]

Posted in: Travel Tagged: Adventure, Asia, Cappadocia, Culture, Europe, Photography, Photos, Travel, Turkey, Turkey & Greece 2025

Turkey, a land full of wonders

July 18, 2025 by Kirsten Neil Leave a Comment
Hello from the Travertines of Pamukkale aka the Cotton Cliffs!!

After a glorious five days in Istanbul, we were off to explore more of Türkiye. Usually we like to plan our trips on our own, researching which places to go, what things to [Read more]

Posted in: Travel Tagged: Adventure, Asia, Cappadocia, Culture, Ephesus, Europe, Goreme, Hierapolis, Pamukkale, Photography, Saratlı Kırkgöz, Travel, Turkey, Turkey & Greece 2025

The intoxicating allure of Istanbul

July 4, 2025 by Kirsten Neil Leave a Comment
A view of Suleymaniye Mosque at dusk from Galata Bridge.

Greetings from Istanbul, Türkiye, where depending on which direction the Metro takes you, you might find yourself in Asia or Europe. And, tbh, I didn't have a clue which one I [Read more]

Posted in: Travel Tagged: Adventure, Culture, Europe, Istanbul, Photography, Photos, Travel, Turkey, Turkey & Greece 2025

Keep calm and love London

April 28, 2024 by Kirsten Neil Leave a Comment
Big Ben at night.

Cheerio from London! 🇬🇧♥️👑 On our way home from Nigeria in spring 2024, we made an extended stop in jolly olde England to meet up with fam to watch footy, to roam the [Read more]

Posted in: Travel Tagged: Adventure, England, Europe, Great Britain, London, Photography, Travel, United Kingdom

A very English road trip

April 27, 2024 by Kirsten Neil 2 Comments
Which way should we go?

Our two-week road trip through England found us going from Manchester to the Peak District to Cambridge to Canterbury to Dover to West Bay to Stonehenge to Bath to The [Read more]

Posted in: Travel Tagged: Adventure, England, Europe, Great Britain, Photography, Road Trip, The Cotswolds, Travel, United Kingdom

Under the Nigerian sun

March 26, 2024 by Kirsten Neil 9 Comments
Welcome to Ibezimako Villa!

You've seen Under the Tuscan Sun, right? You know, the one where a North American woman finds herself visiting Tuscany and decides to buy a property, then the hilarity of [Read more]

Posted in: Home, Photography, Random thoughts, Travel Tagged: Adventure, Africa, Artwork, Culture, Lagos, Nigeria, Photography, Photos, Travel
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Artwork by Kirsten Neil on ETSY

Top Posts

Scenes from the Sahara and beyond
Christmas in the village
A little taste of Athens
Gimme a petit taste of Tangier
Live fast, have fun, be young in Dublin
Harry Potter Night V: Stay gold boy who lived
Something wicked's lurking in the dark
Smells like spring

INSTAGRAM

Golden sunsets, golden sunrises, wind-whipped dune Golden sunsets, golden sunrises, wind-whipped dunes, gassy camels, desert camps, deep gorges, high mountain peaks, friendly Berbers, an even friendlier tour guide, all contained within a terrain that screams “STUNNING!” around every bend. What more can one ask for on a three-day journey? How can one fit all that in in just three days? 

Hands-down, the biggest highlight on our Moroccan adventure (besides AFCON, but that’s sports) was a journey from Fes to Marrakech via the Sahara Desert.

We found a highly-rated three-day trip from @moroccofabuloustravel via @tripadvisor. I didn’t know Morocco’s beauty could stun even more after our first few days in Fes, Chefchaouen and Tangier, but boy, did it ever. We were left enchanted…

Read my full recap at betweenbrushstrokes.com
(link in profile)
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #morocco🇲🇦 #moroccofabuloustravel
🌴🌴🌴 🌴🌴🌴
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! A petit taste of Tangier. 🇲🇦 Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! A petit taste of Tangier. 🇲🇦

Tangier was not originally on our agenda for Morocco. But once we saw how pretty Chefchaouen (see previous post) was, and that it was conveniently situated between Tangier and Fes, we altered our plans to visit the coastal city that’s situated on the Strait of Gibraltar. 

We actually didn’t do a heck of a lot in Tangier as we were already spinning from a hectic first few days in Fes. Instead, the city became a place where we could slow down, relax and breathe in the fresh sea air.

Read my full recap at betweenbrushstrokes.com
(link in profile)
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #tangier #morocco🇲🇦 #afcon2025
Chefchaouen, a city painted in blue. One saturated Chefchaouen, a city painted in blue. One saturated in cobalt and azure and cerulean and indigo tones so much so that it’s both stunning and exhilarating at the same time. 🙌🏻💙

We didn’t need to add another place to visit on our already packed Morocco itinerary, but a friend said I needed to visit Chefchaouen. I then looked it up on Insta and I immediately knew we had to fit “The Blue City” into our travels. I think this photo gallery clearly show why.

Read my full recap at betweenbrushstrokes.com
(link in profile)
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #chefchaouen #chefchaouen💙 #morocco🇲🇦
Here’s looking at you, Fes. ♥️🇲🇦 Fes was the firs Here’s looking at you, Fes. ♥️🇲🇦

Fes was the first place we visited in late December/early January on our AFCON adventure. Since the Nigerian football team was stationed mostly in Fes, so were we. 

We didn’t have a ton of time to explore all that Fes has to offer, but what we did do was lovely. We stayed in a couple riads, dined at some great spots, shopped for lots of goodies and, of course, got lost in the medina on a daily basis.

There were so many moments in Fes that reminded us we were exploring a very cool place. 

Read my full recap at
betweenbrushstrokes.com
(link in profile)
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #fes #morocco🇲🇦
A Canadian sports-loving gal goes to the Africa Cu A Canadian sports-loving gal goes to the Africa Cup of Nations and insanity ensues. 😱⚽️

AFCON was the main reason we stopped in Morocco before heading to Lagos for winter. A month-long tournament where the best African football players duke it out (sometimes literally) to be crowned the best team on the continent.

Now, when I tell you this tournament is out of control, believe me. We watched it on TV while in Lagos a couple years ago and I was instantly hooked. No one brings drama like Africans. Mix all that drama with sports… Well, as the ladies say on tv here, “Blood of Jesus!” 😉

The players, the refs, the coaches, the fans, they all go freaking nuts at this tournament. So I assumed I knew what I was getting into. Nope. It was so much more. 

Read my full recap at betweenbrushstrokes.com
(link in profile)
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #afcon #afcon2025 #totalenergiesafcon2025
Instagram post 18082803442950567 Instagram post 18082803442950567
This is it. Our last day in Morocco. We leave at 1 This is it. Our last day in Morocco. We leave at 1:00 am to Lagos and all the craziness that awaits us there. 

But Morocco, oh Morocco. We had the best time here. We met so many amazing people who constantly put smiles on our faces. And of course there was a scam or two thrown in. But they were small and didn’t even cause a blip in our journey. 

We both were excited to come here to watch the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). I had watched it for the first time a couple years ago on TV and I was a goner. The games are fun, the drama is completely over-dramatic African-style (iykyk), and the fans are a sight to behold. 

What we didn’t expect was to be completely blown away by Morocco’s medinas and landscapes. Breathtaking, chaotic, saturated, aromatic, kind, shouty, welcoming are just a few words to describe our experience here.

Also, being with an African while touring an African country… there’s nothing like it. People everywhere are constantly high-fiving Chuck and asking, “Nigeria?” And as soon as he says yes, my God, do the Moroccans go nuts. They truly love the Naija people. And the feeling is mutual. 🇳🇬🤝🇲🇦

I think my biggest highlights were our trip to the desert (camel rides, fancy tents and atvs!) and of course the main reason we came: to attend AFCON. Watching the @ng_supereagles kick-ass has been a delight. Go Osimhen! Go Lookman! Bring home the win! 🏆 

We attended four matches (one group, two knockouts, one quarter-final) and were lucky to see Nigeria play three of them. The last match we attended was a quarterfinal rout against Algeria. They dominated them to embarrassing levels. Not one shot on goal for the opponents. They are exciting to watch as a team. Algerians were so mad after the game they tried to fight the refs and Nigerian players. As Chuck said, “they got bad belly.” 😂 

Anyways, that was Morocco for me/us. If you are ever thinking about visiting, please reach out with questions. 😊

Now I’m off to pick up my luggage at the Casablanca airport that arrived 10 days late. 😂 

More to come when I get more of my thoughts about this place together. 

xoxo Morocco ♥️🇲🇦
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #morocco #morocco🇲🇦 #africatravel
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Golden sunsets, golden sunrises, wind-whipped dune Golden sunsets, golden sunrises, wind-whipped dunes, gassy camels, desert camps, deep gorges, high mountain peaks, friendly Berbers, an even friendlier tour guide, all contained within a terrain that screams “STUNNING!” around every bend. What more can one ask for on a three-day journey? How can one fit all that in in just three days? 

Hands-down, the biggest highlight on our Moroccan adventure (besides AFCON, but that’s sports) was a journey from Fes to Marrakech via the Sahara Desert.

We found a highly-rated three-day trip from @moroccofabuloustravel via @tripadvisor. I didn’t know Morocco’s beauty could stun even more after our first few days in Fes, Chefchaouen and Tangier, but boy, did it ever. We were left enchanted…

Read my full recap at betweenbrushstrokes.com
(link in profile)
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #morocco🇲🇦 #moroccofabuloustravel
🌴🌴🌴 🌴🌴🌴
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! A petit taste of Tangier. 🇲🇦 Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! A petit taste of Tangier. 🇲🇦

Tangier was not originally on our agenda for Morocco. But once we saw how pretty Chefchaouen (see previous post) was, and that it was conveniently situated between Tangier and Fes, we altered our plans to visit the coastal city that’s situated on the Strait of Gibraltar. 

We actually didn’t do a heck of a lot in Tangier as we were already spinning from a hectic first few days in Fes. Instead, the city became a place where we could slow down, relax and breathe in the fresh sea air.

Read my full recap at betweenbrushstrokes.com
(link in profile)
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #tangier #morocco🇲🇦 #afcon2025
Chefchaouen, a city painted in blue. One saturated Chefchaouen, a city painted in blue. One saturated in cobalt and azure and cerulean and indigo tones so much so that it’s both stunning and exhilarating at the same time. 🙌🏻💙

We didn’t need to add another place to visit on our already packed Morocco itinerary, but a friend said I needed to visit Chefchaouen. I then looked it up on Insta and I immediately knew we had to fit “The Blue City” into our travels. I think this photo gallery clearly show why.

Read my full recap at betweenbrushstrokes.com
(link in profile)
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #chefchaouen #chefchaouen💙 #morocco🇲🇦
Here’s looking at you, Fes. ♥️🇲🇦 Fes was the firs Here’s looking at you, Fes. ♥️🇲🇦

Fes was the first place we visited in late December/early January on our AFCON adventure. Since the Nigerian football team was stationed mostly in Fes, so were we. 

We didn’t have a ton of time to explore all that Fes has to offer, but what we did do was lovely. We stayed in a couple riads, dined at some great spots, shopped for lots of goodies and, of course, got lost in the medina on a daily basis.

There were so many moments in Fes that reminded us we were exploring a very cool place. 

Read my full recap at
betweenbrushstrokes.com
(link in profile)
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #fes #morocco🇲🇦
A Canadian sports-loving gal goes to the Africa Cu A Canadian sports-loving gal goes to the Africa Cup of Nations and insanity ensues. 😱⚽️

AFCON was the main reason we stopped in Morocco before heading to Lagos for winter. A month-long tournament where the best African football players duke it out (sometimes literally) to be crowned the best team on the continent.

Now, when I tell you this tournament is out of control, believe me. We watched it on TV while in Lagos a couple years ago and I was instantly hooked. No one brings drama like Africans. Mix all that drama with sports… Well, as the ladies say on tv here, “Blood of Jesus!” 😉

The players, the refs, the coaches, the fans, they all go freaking nuts at this tournament. So I assumed I knew what I was getting into. Nope. It was so much more. 

Read my full recap at betweenbrushstrokes.com
(link in profile)
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #afcon #afcon2025 #totalenergiesafcon2025
Instagram post 18082803442950567 Instagram post 18082803442950567
This is it. Our last day in Morocco. We leave at 1 This is it. Our last day in Morocco. We leave at 1:00 am to Lagos and all the craziness that awaits us there. 

But Morocco, oh Morocco. We had the best time here. We met so many amazing people who constantly put smiles on our faces. And of course there was a scam or two thrown in. But they were small and didn’t even cause a blip in our journey. 

We both were excited to come here to watch the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). I had watched it for the first time a couple years ago on TV and I was a goner. The games are fun, the drama is completely over-dramatic African-style (iykyk), and the fans are a sight to behold. 

What we didn’t expect was to be completely blown away by Morocco’s medinas and landscapes. Breathtaking, chaotic, saturated, aromatic, kind, shouty, welcoming are just a few words to describe our experience here.

Also, being with an African while touring an African country… there’s nothing like it. People everywhere are constantly high-fiving Chuck and asking, “Nigeria?” And as soon as he says yes, my God, do the Moroccans go nuts. They truly love the Naija people. And the feeling is mutual. 🇳🇬🤝🇲🇦

I think my biggest highlights were our trip to the desert (camel rides, fancy tents and atvs!) and of course the main reason we came: to attend AFCON. Watching the @ng_supereagles kick-ass has been a delight. Go Osimhen! Go Lookman! Bring home the win! 🏆 

We attended four matches (one group, two knockouts, one quarter-final) and were lucky to see Nigeria play three of them. The last match we attended was a quarterfinal rout against Algeria. They dominated them to embarrassing levels. Not one shot on goal for the opponents. They are exciting to watch as a team. Algerians were so mad after the game they tried to fight the refs and Nigerian players. As Chuck said, “they got bad belly.” 😂 

Anyways, that was Morocco for me/us. If you are ever thinking about visiting, please reach out with questions. 😊

Now I’m off to pick up my luggage at the Casablanca airport that arrived 10 days late. 😂 

More to come when I get more of my thoughts about this place together. 

xoxo Morocco ♥️🇲🇦
—
#ckvacays #kirstentravels #morocco #morocco🇲🇦 #africatravel
Follow on Instagram

Top Posts

Scenes from the Sahara and beyond
Christmas in the village
A little taste of Athens
Gimme a petit taste of Tangier
Live fast, have fun, be young in Dublin
Harry Potter Night V: Stay gold boy who lived
Something wicked's lurking in the dark
Smells like spring

Me. Hello!

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