Kerstin Brand has had a long love affair with Morocco, and always dreamed of living here. Marrakech was her goal, but she thought she'd just better pop into Fez to make sure she didn't want to make her home here. And, well, she's still here!
The first time Kerstin stepped into Djmaa El-Fna, she was hooked. That was ten years ago, and she keeps coming back for more because, she says, there's always something to learn and she never gets tired of being in Morocco. Fez has bewitched her now because she likes the fact that there are no vehicles in the medina and she doesn't get the urge to leave every few days.
Kerstin is a talented woman. She speaks Swedish, German, English and basic French. She was in IT and then in pharmaceutical sales, but like many English people, has recently been made reduntant. This was just the opportunity she needed to make the break to Morocco.
Over the years, Kerstin gained a lot of experience travelling in Morocco. Naturally she gave advice to friends on what to see and where to go. Eventually she realised that there wasn't much information for people wanting to travel on a budget but without staying in dorms in backpacker places. Those in their 30s, or women travelling on their own, didn't seem to have many options. That's when the idea of Bare Minimum Travel was born - a website offering tailor-made trips for people wanting to stay somewhere clean and friendly at under 30 Euros a night.
Kerstin's big success so far has been organising a visit by a Finnish TV crew which involved not only finding hotels, but also helping them obtain filming permission and introducing them to her many contacts. She's also organised a group of 40 people to the Festival in the Desert near Timbuctoo.
While Kerstin is in Fez, she's working on building up her website and making new contacts, not only in the city but throughout the country. She loves meeting new people and says that if you see her in the medina, do make sure you say hello.
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