And then we went on Honeymoon
Pictures will follow on Facebook when we have a moment to upload them!
The Hotel we stayed in was in the new town - Guilez to be exact. It was built around the 50s and had a real shabby chic charm. It was also quieter in the evenings and a real island of calm after the business of the city.
So Monday morning bright (well dark actually) and early we left for the airport. We caught the 7.30 flight to Marrakech from London Gatwick.
Marrakech is in the same time zone as us which made things easier but is muuuuch warmer.
We dropped the bags at our Hotel (Du Pacha), had a brief nap and then headed out to explore. Firstly we found the tourist office who gave us recommendations of places to visit and a tour company to use and gave us a map.
Now their seasons are the same way round as ours as well so this was their winter - and everyone was going round in several layers with Djebla over the top - despite the fact that it was between 25 and 30 degrees during the day - most days! So we looked a little out of place in our ¾ trousers and thin shirts! Definitely tourists.
Thanks to Rob, Jill and Dad we had learnt the most useful phrase “Laa Shokran” - No Thank you!
We used it a lot.
So despite saying we wouldn’t head into the Medina (old town/markets/souks) on the first day, we ended up being accosted (I show you as Friend! Just Friend - no money! Berber Auction! One Day Only!) and shown into the souks. We knew it would cost us, but we also knew that a) if we accepted that, we weren’t being ripped off and b) it would probably be fun as long as we kept our guard. We were right on both counts.
We were lead into a room up some stairs (Roland went first, just in case) which was filled with carpets and throws and jackets and tagines and all manner of awesome things. We then proceeded to get the whole show.
Now we were told that Morocco is made up of 3 types of people, the Arabs in the cities, the Sahrawi in the desert and the Berber in the mountains. Most of the carpets and Jewellery and throws etc are made by the Berber people and this was a Berber Co-operative auction which was for this day only (who knows - the last might even have been true - though we both doubted it LOL). Many things in Marrakech seem to be one day only - we heard it said a lot to us and other tourists!
So as I said - we had the whole show, we drank the “Berber Whisky” (Green tea with Mint) and spent an hour or so being shown first carpets (The women’s work) and then the cactus silk throws and the camel wool throws (The mens work) and some jackets.
We then had fun deciding which we liked and which we didn’t like - they taught us a couple of Berber words (I am ashamed to say I have forgotten them) for like and dislike and we got down to 2 throws and a Jacket.
We then had more “whisky” and started haggling. He wrote down a price, We crossed his out and wrote down a price and this went on till we shook hands - though it wasn’t quite as easy as that as we nearly left (like the books said) but he agreed to our price eventually (hurrah!)
We then paid and our “Friend” offered to show us more but we declined, having spent most of the first day’s money. He then gave me a bracelet - as a present, and asked us for some money as a thank you. We expected this and gave him less than he wanted and a hand gel as a present.
Back at the hotel that evening we were treated to the first in a long line of delicious home cooked Moroccan meals, 3 courses, the first being salad, the second being chicken cooked in a Tagine and the third being a popular Moroccan desert (which we plan to adopt here) of oranges with cinnamon and sugar, which is delicious!
Pretty much every meal would be similar, sometimes with soup, or omelette for starter and twice we didn’t have the tagine but had skewers of meat (lamb I think - the menu was French and just said Viande) or a Moroccan meat patty - all delicious and served by a selection of aging Moroccan waiters who spoke little English but were all lovely.
Breakfast consisted of a piece of baguette, butter and apricot conserve and the largest, tastiest Pain-Au-Chocolat we have ever had. With orange juice and as much tea/coffee as we wanted.
Tuesday we spent the day walking around the Medina and the souks and saying Laa Shokran a lot. We also discovered a Co-Operative Craft centre Just out of the main square within the walls of the old town and had our lunch there - it was a handy place to have found as the prices there were fixed (mostly) and we could see what sort of price we should be paying before going into the souks to buy things. It was also cooler than outside but still open to the sky and quiet. In fact we found that quite a lot of the locals ate there as well - good food!
We also found some gardens to look around - including one which had an open air cyber park in it - with computers with free internet access, mostly being used by student age locals - awesome!
The Hotel was about 20 mins walk from the main square, which gave us plenty of time to look around and see all sorts - and of course learn how to cross the road. In fact we watched some of the locals giving us excellent examples of “walking out with one hand raised to stop the traffic”, “Dashing across before the motorbikes can get you” and “using your pram/pushchair as a shield to make sure cars/bikes stop” It reminded me a lot of crossing the larger roads in Birmingham - only safer!
On Wednesday we did some touristy things and visited the Palais Badi and the Saadian Tombs. The Palace is a huge ruin of a 15th C Palace which name means Incomparable Palace. It was raided for materials by a later King and is now undergoing restoration. It is huge and there are sunken orange groves, sunken gardens and huge pool, extensive guest rooms and audience chambers with a summer palace to one side which is mainly underground. Since it is now mainly a ruin there are scores of Storks nesting on top of the walls which make a eerie clacking sound with their beaks which echoes around the ruins.
Also, there are lots of cats. In fact there are lots of cats everywhere in Marrakech - everywhere - and they are for the majority, well fed and well used to human attention - some of them followed us demanding fusses!
We spent a large portion of the morning investing the ruins and fussing the kitties and enjoying the sunshine. We then went on a rather interesting walk around Marrakech, including a trip past the Royal Palace, trying to find the Saadian tombs. Eventually we found the entrance, just around the corner from the Palais Badi, hidden slightly. For an extra 40Dh we got an English speaking guide who gave us not only a history of the tombs and who was buried where but a very interesting knowledge of Sunni Islam and the art and architecture and how it encompasses all the aspects of Islam, Judaism and Christianity!
Thursday was supposed to be a day of rest. We were going to find the Jardin Majorelle, take our books and read. We got lost. Took us half the day to find the gardens after having to stop and check with a nice policeman where we actually were. Never mind we did see some really interesting architecture and scenery!
Luckily, we had packed some provisions from the bakery next to the hotel and the sweet shop down the road so munched on these when we finally found the gardens which are very interesting and now run by Yves Saint Laurent as a non profit organisation. It was cool and shaded and watery and lovely. There was also a museum of Berber artefacts/life which gave me an awful lot of ideas for my Wildfyre larp costume!
Friday saw us taking a trip outside of Marrakech. The minibus picked us up from outside our hotel after breakfast and we went for a drive along with another English couple, some German girls, some Portuguese, some Russians and some French. Our guide of course spoke most languages.
We went out into the hills and were taken round a Berber village, being warned to not give the children anything as they wouldn’t go to the school the next day if we did - and school is very important. The Local guide then took us to his Aunt’s house where we got to see round the house and the traditional way of living (although with Electricity, plumbing and TV) and be given Berber Hospitality, so the Berber “Whisky” some fresh bread and tasters of their butter (buttery and reamy), honey (v strong and lovely - from a purpose built hive in the wall) and olive oil (which actually tasted of olives!)
We then hopped back on the bus which took us to where we had an approx. 20 min camel ride - V exciting and next time we go I want to do the overnight Camel ride out into the desert!
After the Camels we were taken to an aromatic garden where they press Argan Oil. We had talks on ow it is made, what it is used for and what the other herbs are used for. We bought several packets of typically Moroccan Spice mixes - better from there than in the souks we thought!
We then had some lunch at a café near a river and were serenaded by some local minstrels using a drum and a kind of 1 string bowed banjo type instrument. We enjoyed it immensely and gave them some Dh and I had a photo taken with them. The German girls were less than impressed. The English couple declared themselves tired of Tagine and had some crisps.
After lunch we climbed a mountain and looked at some waterfalls - really impressive and there was one point where I thought if we just went round the corner then we would be where the holy grail was buried!!!
We also saw Mountain Goats.
Saturday was declared a day of rest. We had a late breakfast and read for a bit and wandered as far as the craft place. We bought a few bits and relaxed and wandered back to the hotel - via an ice-cream parlour. Well deserved we thought!
On Sunday we went to the Palais Bahia which is a collection of Riads all turned into this maze of a palace which has the most stunning architecture and carved plaster walls, before forging back into the Souks. This time we went slower and allowed the owners to show us around and try things on us - enjoying the spiel. They dressed me up in some interesting outfits (none of which I bought) and Roland up as Ali Barber (oh yeah - anyone with a beard gets called Ali Barber - All. The. Time. Roland found it funny - mostly). We haggled for a few bits in the souks and mostly got excellent prices.
The colours there are amazing. The smells are amazing. Everyone wants you to come and “Just look!” and tell you about their goods. I wanted to buy everything and in fact I could quite easily throw out my entire shoe collection and get a whole new one simply from all the different types of shoes sold there. I however limited myself to buying one pair. I also wanted all the pretty clothes and had to keep reminding myself that I would have no-where to wear them back in England! We also bought a tagine
Sunday evening dinner at the hotel gave us food heaven. All the food was good but tonight’s was something else. The name was nothing special - Tagine Pruneaux - Tagine of prunes. I had had something similar at the craft place so we thought it had the potential to be good. We weren’t expecting huge chunks of lamb, juicy prunes and a sauce made with honey and prune juice and sesame seeds and pure unadulterated yum! I MUST work out how to cook this for myself.
Monday was our last day and we wanted to see the main square once after dark so we stayed in the hotel, sat in the garden/courtyard and read till late morning (I also discovered that they had a tortoise!). We left the hotel and headed back into the old town. We explored the bits we hadn’t seen over the other days and got our last few purchases, heading back out to the craft place for lunch and to pick up one last thing and then around 4 headed back to the main square. We took a slow wander around and then sat in the metal workers quarter watching them make lamps and light fittings and wishing we had more space to take things home - and planning our next visit. Oh and fussing the cats…
Nightfall is around 6 and the temperature really drops and so we headed to the main square which was indeed transforming. All the stalls which are there in the day slowly transform into eateries! The first to come out were the snail sellers (no we didn’t - they are SNAILS!) and then the other food stalls slowly came to life. Snake charmers and monkey trainers and dancers and storytellers and comedians and musicians and all sorts came out to ply their trade. I got given a Henna tattoo (For good luck - pay me what you want! We paid her the equivalent of £3 as we didn’t have much choice in the painting!) and we drank in the sights before heading back to the hotel for dinner and to finish packing our goods.
Tuesday I found it hard to leave as everyone at the hotel had been lovely and kind and the weather was warm and sunny and Marrakech was beautiful but when we finally touched down in the dark with all the Christmas lights in Gatwick we were glad to be home.
The Hotel we stayed in was in the new town - Guilez to be exact. It was built around the 50s and had a real shabby chic charm. It was also quieter in the evenings and a real island of calm after the business of the city.
So Monday morning bright (well dark actually) and early we left for the airport. We caught the 7.30 flight to Marrakech from London Gatwick.
Marrakech is in the same time zone as us which made things easier but is muuuuch warmer.
We dropped the bags at our Hotel (Du Pacha), had a brief nap and then headed out to explore. Firstly we found the tourist office who gave us recommendations of places to visit and a tour company to use and gave us a map.
Now their seasons are the same way round as ours as well so this was their winter - and everyone was going round in several layers with Djebla over the top - despite the fact that it was between 25 and 30 degrees during the day - most days! So we looked a little out of place in our ¾ trousers and thin shirts! Definitely tourists.
Thanks to Rob, Jill and Dad we had learnt the most useful phrase “Laa Shokran” - No Thank you!
We used it a lot.
So despite saying we wouldn’t head into the Medina (old town/markets/souks) on the first day, we ended up being accosted (I show you as Friend! Just Friend - no money! Berber Auction! One Day Only!) and shown into the souks. We knew it would cost us, but we also knew that a) if we accepted that, we weren’t being ripped off and b) it would probably be fun as long as we kept our guard. We were right on both counts.
We were lead into a room up some stairs (Roland went first, just in case) which was filled with carpets and throws and jackets and tagines and all manner of awesome things. We then proceeded to get the whole show.
Now we were told that Morocco is made up of 3 types of people, the Arabs in the cities, the Sahrawi in the desert and the Berber in the mountains. Most of the carpets and Jewellery and throws etc are made by the Berber people and this was a Berber Co-operative auction which was for this day only (who knows - the last might even have been true - though we both doubted it LOL). Many things in Marrakech seem to be one day only - we heard it said a lot to us and other tourists!
So as I said - we had the whole show, we drank the “Berber Whisky” (Green tea with Mint) and spent an hour or so being shown first carpets (The women’s work) and then the cactus silk throws and the camel wool throws (The mens work) and some jackets.
We then had fun deciding which we liked and which we didn’t like - they taught us a couple of Berber words (I am ashamed to say I have forgotten them) for like and dislike and we got down to 2 throws and a Jacket.
We then had more “whisky” and started haggling. He wrote down a price, We crossed his out and wrote down a price and this went on till we shook hands - though it wasn’t quite as easy as that as we nearly left (like the books said) but he agreed to our price eventually (hurrah!)
We then paid and our “Friend” offered to show us more but we declined, having spent most of the first day’s money. He then gave me a bracelet - as a present, and asked us for some money as a thank you. We expected this and gave him less than he wanted and a hand gel as a present.
Back at the hotel that evening we were treated to the first in a long line of delicious home cooked Moroccan meals, 3 courses, the first being salad, the second being chicken cooked in a Tagine and the third being a popular Moroccan desert (which we plan to adopt here) of oranges with cinnamon and sugar, which is delicious!
Pretty much every meal would be similar, sometimes with soup, or omelette for starter and twice we didn’t have the tagine but had skewers of meat (lamb I think - the menu was French and just said Viande) or a Moroccan meat patty - all delicious and served by a selection of aging Moroccan waiters who spoke little English but were all lovely.
Breakfast consisted of a piece of baguette, butter and apricot conserve and the largest, tastiest Pain-Au-Chocolat we have ever had. With orange juice and as much tea/coffee as we wanted.
Tuesday we spent the day walking around the Medina and the souks and saying Laa Shokran a lot. We also discovered a Co-Operative Craft centre Just out of the main square within the walls of the old town and had our lunch there - it was a handy place to have found as the prices there were fixed (mostly) and we could see what sort of price we should be paying before going into the souks to buy things. It was also cooler than outside but still open to the sky and quiet. In fact we found that quite a lot of the locals ate there as well - good food!
We also found some gardens to look around - including one which had an open air cyber park in it - with computers with free internet access, mostly being used by student age locals - awesome!
The Hotel was about 20 mins walk from the main square, which gave us plenty of time to look around and see all sorts - and of course learn how to cross the road. In fact we watched some of the locals giving us excellent examples of “walking out with one hand raised to stop the traffic”, “Dashing across before the motorbikes can get you” and “using your pram/pushchair as a shield to make sure cars/bikes stop” It reminded me a lot of crossing the larger roads in Birmingham - only safer!
On Wednesday we did some touristy things and visited the Palais Badi and the Saadian Tombs. The Palace is a huge ruin of a 15th C Palace which name means Incomparable Palace. It was raided for materials by a later King and is now undergoing restoration. It is huge and there are sunken orange groves, sunken gardens and huge pool, extensive guest rooms and audience chambers with a summer palace to one side which is mainly underground. Since it is now mainly a ruin there are scores of Storks nesting on top of the walls which make a eerie clacking sound with their beaks which echoes around the ruins.
Also, there are lots of cats. In fact there are lots of cats everywhere in Marrakech - everywhere - and they are for the majority, well fed and well used to human attention - some of them followed us demanding fusses!
We spent a large portion of the morning investing the ruins and fussing the kitties and enjoying the sunshine. We then went on a rather interesting walk around Marrakech, including a trip past the Royal Palace, trying to find the Saadian tombs. Eventually we found the entrance, just around the corner from the Palais Badi, hidden slightly. For an extra 40Dh we got an English speaking guide who gave us not only a history of the tombs and who was buried where but a very interesting knowledge of Sunni Islam and the art and architecture and how it encompasses all the aspects of Islam, Judaism and Christianity!
Thursday was supposed to be a day of rest. We were going to find the Jardin Majorelle, take our books and read. We got lost. Took us half the day to find the gardens after having to stop and check with a nice policeman where we actually were. Never mind we did see some really interesting architecture and scenery!
Luckily, we had packed some provisions from the bakery next to the hotel and the sweet shop down the road so munched on these when we finally found the gardens which are very interesting and now run by Yves Saint Laurent as a non profit organisation. It was cool and shaded and watery and lovely. There was also a museum of Berber artefacts/life which gave me an awful lot of ideas for my Wildfyre larp costume!
Friday saw us taking a trip outside of Marrakech. The minibus picked us up from outside our hotel after breakfast and we went for a drive along with another English couple, some German girls, some Portuguese, some Russians and some French. Our guide of course spoke most languages.
We went out into the hills and were taken round a Berber village, being warned to not give the children anything as they wouldn’t go to the school the next day if we did - and school is very important. The Local guide then took us to his Aunt’s house where we got to see round the house and the traditional way of living (although with Electricity, plumbing and TV) and be given Berber Hospitality, so the Berber “Whisky” some fresh bread and tasters of their butter (buttery and reamy), honey (v strong and lovely - from a purpose built hive in the wall) and olive oil (which actually tasted of olives!)
We then hopped back on the bus which took us to where we had an approx. 20 min camel ride - V exciting and next time we go I want to do the overnight Camel ride out into the desert!
After the Camels we were taken to an aromatic garden where they press Argan Oil. We had talks on ow it is made, what it is used for and what the other herbs are used for. We bought several packets of typically Moroccan Spice mixes - better from there than in the souks we thought!
We then had some lunch at a café near a river and were serenaded by some local minstrels using a drum and a kind of 1 string bowed banjo type instrument. We enjoyed it immensely and gave them some Dh and I had a photo taken with them. The German girls were less than impressed. The English couple declared themselves tired of Tagine and had some crisps.
After lunch we climbed a mountain and looked at some waterfalls - really impressive and there was one point where I thought if we just went round the corner then we would be where the holy grail was buried!!!
We also saw Mountain Goats.
Saturday was declared a day of rest. We had a late breakfast and read for a bit and wandered as far as the craft place. We bought a few bits and relaxed and wandered back to the hotel - via an ice-cream parlour. Well deserved we thought!
On Sunday we went to the Palais Bahia which is a collection of Riads all turned into this maze of a palace which has the most stunning architecture and carved plaster walls, before forging back into the Souks. This time we went slower and allowed the owners to show us around and try things on us - enjoying the spiel. They dressed me up in some interesting outfits (none of which I bought) and Roland up as Ali Barber (oh yeah - anyone with a beard gets called Ali Barber - All. The. Time. Roland found it funny - mostly). We haggled for a few bits in the souks and mostly got excellent prices.
The colours there are amazing. The smells are amazing. Everyone wants you to come and “Just look!” and tell you about their goods. I wanted to buy everything and in fact I could quite easily throw out my entire shoe collection and get a whole new one simply from all the different types of shoes sold there. I however limited myself to buying one pair. I also wanted all the pretty clothes and had to keep reminding myself that I would have no-where to wear them back in England! We also bought a tagine
Sunday evening dinner at the hotel gave us food heaven. All the food was good but tonight’s was something else. The name was nothing special - Tagine Pruneaux - Tagine of prunes. I had had something similar at the craft place so we thought it had the potential to be good. We weren’t expecting huge chunks of lamb, juicy prunes and a sauce made with honey and prune juice and sesame seeds and pure unadulterated yum! I MUST work out how to cook this for myself.
Monday was our last day and we wanted to see the main square once after dark so we stayed in the hotel, sat in the garden/courtyard and read till late morning (I also discovered that they had a tortoise!). We left the hotel and headed back into the old town. We explored the bits we hadn’t seen over the other days and got our last few purchases, heading back out to the craft place for lunch and to pick up one last thing and then around 4 headed back to the main square. We took a slow wander around and then sat in the metal workers quarter watching them make lamps and light fittings and wishing we had more space to take things home - and planning our next visit. Oh and fussing the cats…
Nightfall is around 6 and the temperature really drops and so we headed to the main square which was indeed transforming. All the stalls which are there in the day slowly transform into eateries! The first to come out were the snail sellers (no we didn’t - they are SNAILS!) and then the other food stalls slowly came to life. Snake charmers and monkey trainers and dancers and storytellers and comedians and musicians and all sorts came out to ply their trade. I got given a Henna tattoo (For good luck - pay me what you want! We paid her the equivalent of £3 as we didn’t have much choice in the painting!) and we drank in the sights before heading back to the hotel for dinner and to finish packing our goods.
Tuesday I found it hard to leave as everyone at the hotel had been lovely and kind and the weather was warm and sunny and Marrakech was beautiful but when we finally touched down in the dark with all the Christmas lights in Gatwick we were glad to be home.