Morocco Day 14

Breakfast on the terrace was delicious again, but oh so windy and cool.

We left Essaouira at about 9 AM for the 3 hour drive to Marrakech. We have 2 vans today instead of our beautiful large bus.

Once we arrived in town we made a relatively short stop at the Menara Gardens. It is a place a lot of people like to come with their families. The focal point is a lovely pavilion with a large man-made lake to the side. The reflection of the building in the lake is quite beautiful.

You can see the Koutoubia Mosque in the distance. No building in the city of Marrakech is allowed to be taller than the mosque.

After that, it was lunch time and we ate chicken pastille on the terrace at a nice restaurant near the square.

Our next stop was the famous Marjorelle Gardens. Designed by Yves St. Laurent, it is a beautiful respite from the hectic activity of Marrakech. The temperature here today is considerably different from Essaouira – 37 C and sunny. Thank goodness for the shade of the wonderful bamboo trees in the gardens!

There are many plants in pots of yellow, orange and the most heavenly shade of blue you ever saw!

There are also a lot of cacti growing. I enjoyed photographing not only the flowers, but lines, angles, shadows, and close-ups.

That was all the touring on the agenda today and we headed back to the same hotel we were in the last time. I tried to check in for our flights tomorrow but the booking reservation number isn’t working for some strange reason. Oh well! It’s snowing and cold back home. What’s the rush? Haha!

Abdellah took us for our last supper together as a group down many roads and alleyways.

We were amazed at the splendor inside the restaurant.

The service was fantastic, as were the many courses of food served for us.

There was even a belly dancer who convinced a few of the group to join her! Oh how I wish I could dance like her.

We had good conversation, a few speeches and promises to keep in touch.

It’s been a wonderful two weeks with a great group and leader!!!

Morocco Day 13

Breakfast was on the hotel terrace and what a gorgeous view! We are so close to the ocean and also to the ramparts of the city, after which this hotel is named.

After experiencing the strong cool winds at breakfast, I went back to my room for a change of clothing – pants instead of capris, my hoodie and windbreaker, and socks with my sandals. Yes, I know how weird that looks! Fortunately I don’t care, haha.

  

Our start was 9:30 AM and it was only a short walk over to the ramparts for an expansive view of the ocean. The waves really slam into the rocks below. It is so strange to look to the west and think about just how much water there is between here and the next piece of land again.

We wandered down to the fishing boats and fish markets. It was a real hubbub of activity.

The gulls were screeching and fighting over the fish entrails. Vehicles were moving about and pedestrians were trying to stay out of the way while gawking and taking photos of the boats, and the views.

We then toured the souks for a bit and went to a museum in the midst of the shops. It was hard to follow Abdellah with so many enticing wares to look at!

He took us to an artisan section where we saw students learning the craft of jewelry making. Their prices were great and I found a gorgeous filigree silver ring. It was too loose and they said they would make it smaller for free. That was quite interesting to watch the process of resizing it right before my eyes. First it was cut, then resoldered, then cooled, buffed and polished.

Next door was a thuya wood craftsman with some wonderful pieces and he gave us some really good deals. I found the wooden snake-in-the-box we had seen in one of our stops a few days ago. It’s kind of corny but I like it

Lunch was at a small restaurant we found ourselves near. The food looked good so we said let’s go for it! We had to climb a super narrow staircase to the 4^th floor in order to all sit together. I had a falafel platter with Coca Zero.

Our restaurant was next door to a CD store with wonderful music coming from it so we headed there afterwards. Abdellah has been playing wonderful Moroccan music on the bus for us and it has been so relaxing and unique, I just have to bring some of it home with me!

After lunch, we went our separate ways including Mike, who wanted to shop with others. I wanted to shop and take photos as well so that was fine with me. I enjoyed wandering on my own for a change, up and down the souks, as well as in and out of art galleries. I found all kinds of neat things: a rug for my entryway, some earrings, a light jacket and some gift items.

The prices aren’t fixed here either, but I think I am getting better at bargaining although it is still difficult for me.

Around 6PM I dropped off my parcels back at the hotel and went up to the terrace for some photos. The winds are amazingly strong up there! I could see a beach in the distance so I decided to find it and collect some Essaouira sand. 

It was quite a nice little walk and a change from the uneven cobblestone path of the souks. There weren’t many tourists in the beach area at all, mostly locals. Like Agadir, it is a wide expansive beach. This place is known for its wind surfing and now I know why.

After the sun set, I searched out a place to grab a bite to eat. I didn’t want a sit-down full service (slow service) restaurant, just fast food. I found a nice little place with good prices, some decent seating and ordered a Moroccan salad and a chicken schwarma. 

There are cats galore here and so many of them are calico. People think nothing of feeding stray cats when they wander uninvited into a restaurant, so I did my part to keep at least one cat in Morocco well fed! I should have had fish here in Essaouira but maybe next time. For dessert, I couldn’t find the gelato place, however I did locate a Nutella crepe place and that finished my meal off very nicely. Back at the hotel, I enjoyed a glass of wine in my room while I typed and downloaded photos – what a treat!