Transcend.....transcend......

Ain't it strange......as Patti Smith sung at Bab al Makina......that somewhere it is hot and sunny and blue. And indeed it was also strange watching her whirl and soar across the stage while above her the birds soared and whirled as the sun sank behind the hills surrounding Fes. Every evening the sky fills with birds swooping and hollering, heralding the end of the day by reenacting a scene from The Birds. I wonder if Hitchcock ever holidayed here?

 All I said was: shall we go see Patti Smith at the World Sacred Music Festival in Fes? I was laughing when I said it. I didn't actually expect my friend to say yes. But what with so many fabulous, cheap riads and dars to chose from and Ryanair ready to whisk you there in less than three and half hours, it seemed churlish not to go.

 We stayed in the delightful Dar al Hana, in the medina. The day begins with a pot of coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice up on the roof terrace, followed by Moroccan pancakes, preserves, dates and the ubiquitous Laughing Cow cheese triangles, beloved of the French colonies.....and me when ever I'm under the sheltering sky.

 Fes doesn't offer much to distract you from the business of melting into the shade with a mint tea but no visit would be complete without a trip to the tanneries. Simply walk in the general direction and soon a young man or small boy will appear by your side and seek gainful employment as your guide, leading you to a relative's leather shop where you will be ushered onto the roof to witness one of the seven circles of hell as men clamber in and out of the murky pools of dye to make us gaily coloured bags and belts and poofs. Nobody minds much if you don't buy anything although you will be expected to hand over a fist full of dirhams to your child guide. We maybe the only tourists who've tried to fleece the locals when having said no to our boy's suggested fee of $50 we thrust an out modded bank note, brought from the pot-of-foreign-money-from-previous-holidays, into his small hand. He soon found us before we disappeared into the fabulous Nejjarine Museum of Wood, Arts & Crafts and was duly paid in current currency.

The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music has been running for 19 years, its mission is to bring the arts and spirituality into the service of human and social development bringing reconciliation among peoples and cultures..... so no pressure then. Over the week there are numerous events with stars international and local performing and lots of free music to enjoy every night. An afternoon in a luxury hamam, a shot of mint tea followed by Patti Smith rocking the casbah........ it doesn't get much better.

Top tip: less than 4 hours away, no time difference but a whole other world...... Morocco is the exotic destination of choice even for a mini break.

Thyme on my hands.......

So......guess what time I got to work today?? The thing is I was away this weekend and yes, I did put my watch back and I did make the most of my extra hour....drinking homemade Sloe Vodka as it happens.....but when I got back to London I failed to adjust my alarm clock (even though I'd remembered to remind the 20-year-old-son) and so it was, I arrived at the churchyard I usually cross to reach my designated bus stop (sounds like I live in some Austin-inspired village rather than central London doesn't it....) to find the gates chained. Wonder why that is, I thought. Perhaps because it was half seven and not half eight in the morning? However, so smooth was my journey to East London I have vowed to get up an hour earlier every Tuesday......we shall see how long this lasts....

So, the weekend away........ having enjoyed my recent sojourn in the French countryside so much, I thought I'd give equal opps to the English countryside, and I headed off to the Isle of Wight, where a friend with a birthday has a beautiful converted barn, nestled in a leafy hollow, deep in the south, that looked suspiciously like the French countryside. Having arrived late the night before, and feasted on holiday-flavoured fish & chips, birthday-celebration Prosecco and cakes I'd cleverly sourced in London, from Ottolenghi's outrageous selection of fancy goods, I awoke to the sound of rain lashing the roof and not one but two text messages informing me that the weather in London was ........ wonderful.

But no matter the weather, this was the country and we had activities planned ....... mainly involving the outside. So, after a much-bigger-breakfast-than usual, involving eggs, mushrooms, muffins and lots of coffee, we set out on 'The Walk'. I have discovered that going for a walk in the country often starts with a drive and this walk was no different as we had decided to go along a the coastal path. Parked up we set off and it was epic, the dense clouds fought for space, hanging low over a dull ocean, then suddenly sharp shards of sunlight cut through the grey and turned the sea silver. As we walked, the sky turned brighter and bluer and I sucked in the salty, fresh air, feeling fitter by the minute. Then it began to rain. Big, fat, exceptionally wet rain. The kind of rain that would be accompanied by a potential love interest if it were a Richard Curtis movie, to wipe away the rain drops that splattered my sunglasses and dripped from the end of my nose. So we sought refuge at the cafe in Steep Hill Cove and had a pot of tea and a Colin Firth to go.

We collected wood for the fire, went to a movie, won a pub quiz, picked sloes from the hedgerow and bought chicken fresh from the farm where the turkeys were already gobbling nervously, and roasted it with garlic from the island and thyme from the garden and ate it with my favourite new discovery: Ottolenghi's Mejadarah, a delicious dish of rice and lentils that's oh so easy to make. I'm lucky, I live practically bivouacked at the back of this fine emporium of exquisite cuisine but for those of you who live further a field, here is the recipe:

250ml sunflower oil

4 medium onions, thinly sliced

250g green or brown lentils

2 tsp cumin seeds

1½ tbsp coriander seeds

200g basmati rice

2 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp ground turmeric

1½ tsp ground allspice

1½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp sugar

Salt and black pepper

350ml water

Heat the sunflower oil in a medium-size heavy-based saucepan. When very hot, carefully add a third of the sliced onion. Fry for five to seven minutes, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, until the onion takes on a nice, golden-brown colour and turns crispy. Use the spoon to transfer the onion to a colander and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with two more batches of onion.

Meanwhile, put the lentils in a small saucepan, cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the lentils have softened but still have a little bite. Drain into a colander.

Wipe clean the saucepan in which you fried the onion and drop in the cumin and coriander seeds. Place over a medium heat and toast the seeds for a minute or two, until they release those distinctive aromas. Add the rice, olive oil, turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, sugar, half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. Stir to coat the rice with oil, then add the cooked lentils and water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat, lift off the lid and cover the pan with a clean tea towel. Seal tightly with the lid and set aside for 10 minutes. Finally, tip the rice and lentils into a large mixing bowl. Add half the fried onion and stir gently with a fork. Pile up in a shallow serving bowl and top with the rest of the onion.

Yotam Ottolenghi is chef/patron of Ottolenghi in London.

Top tip: check out Sloe Gin or Sloe Vodka...... utterly delicious