A tempting offer made to me by a stranger on a bus — and the unexpected twist of fate that followed, miraculously putting to rest all my questions and doubts.

The first story in the Almonds and Grapes collection, which describes a series of unexpected and revealing interactions with an eccentric pair of Andalucían seniors.

During the entire year I lived in Istanbul, I never made it to a Turkish bath, or hammam.  Attempting to right that wrong by going to one in Morocco was a horrible idea.

The stranger-than-fiction tale of how a series of seemingly trivial events transpiring over three months and six countries ended up converging in the most unlikely of ways.

The harrowing welcome I received upon my arrival in Morocco, leaving me questioning whether I should have ever gotten off the boat.