Morocco - Part 3 Marrakech

I have decided to do a blog post entirely devoted to the Majorelle Gardens because, quite frankly, they deserve it and are just too beautiful to be scrummed together with another post. The French artist Jacques Majorelle designed they gardens during the colonial period, when Morocco was a protectorate of France. Later, Yves Saint Laurent bought the garden after finding that it was a place he could enjoy peace, calm and beauty amongst the busy streets of the city. There is now a memorial to Yves Saint Laurent in the gardens which attracts faithful fashionistas in their hundreds. These botanical gardens provide a green and lush area that we do not associate with Morocco, the whole space literally is an oasis in the middle of a desert. Clever planting of bamboos and cactus creates walls of beautiful and fresh vegetation that shades the heat of the morning sun and brightly painted urns contrast refreshingly with the rich green backdrop. However, the real impact is made he with the bright cobalt blue accents, including the walls, which illuminate the gardens and just form such a simple and classic place to be. 

We spent several lazy hours meandering the gardens, shaded by leafy palms and soothed with the flow and tinkle of flowing water. The garden literally surrounds you at several points, with flowers blooming overhead and tall bamboos creating corridors leading to deep blue pools of water and life. The memorial is worth a moments pause and reflection, whether you are a fashion follower on not. Just being in the garden is enough to feel an overwhelming love for art, beauty and creative minds. 

The small courtyard garden cafe is worth a stop and provides the perfect viewpoint of the garden. Shaded by immense sails you can enjoy a homemade ice tea or rich fruit cocktail whilst watching the passing visitors wandering the gardens and listening to the silent peace of the garden. 

In my opinion, the Majorelle gardens were my personal highlight in Marrakech, I just cannot imagine a nicer place to spend a morning. I will definitely be back! 

Mood - In need of a calming place 

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Morocco - Part 2 Marrakech

Day two in Marrakech and we were woken early by morning calls to prayer and fresh orange juice on the roof top terrace. Hannah's cooking featured an array of flurry, sweet pancakes smothered in honey and home made jam and certainly set us up for a busy day of exploring. 

We decided that it was best to tackle the sprawling maze of souks on a full stomach and so set off into an Aladdin's cave of goods, sweet treats and trinkets. The walls narrow and the light dims as shop after shop are piled almost of top of each other, each claiming their place to do a bustling trade. It's amazing that donkeys are squeezed amongst traders, shoppers, bikers and animals roaming the lanes creating a condensed form a the mayhem that exists in the streets. Everything you could image you wanted to buy is sold in the markets, even live tortoises, steelworkers and fried bugs. We sniffed our way to the food souks where we emerged into a fragrant courtyard, slightly misty with the aroma of freshly cooked treats and spices. 

For dinner we visited the Place Jemaa el Fna in the centre of the city to see where everything happens, the centre of city life as it were. We had been told that at the end of the day the slick, cheeky traders clear away their carts piled high with trinkets to make way for hundreds of street food stalls that together create the biggest barbecue in the world. Needless to say I was sold, despite feeling a little watched due to my blonde hair and pale skin, the atmosphere was lively and festive with a mix of tourists and Moroccans alike. We had been informed by Mustafa that stalls 1, 12 and 14 were the places to be in terms of delicious and safe food and we quickly made a bee-line to them. I was please to see that there was not a tourist in sight around these stalls as the food looked slightly too risky for most european palates. We muscled our way onto the benches and called out our order to the cook who quickly pilled the table high with dish after dish of fresh fried fish, aubergine, potatoes, spicy sauce and yes, arabic coke! We left completely full, fingers crossed not to have food poisoning and only a few Dirham shorter. 

Mood - Feeling proud for surviving Moroccan street feed without a problem! 

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Morocco - Part 1 Marrakech

This summer Papa T, Mamma T and I packed up our rucksacks, grabbed the map and headed to Africa for a road trip around Morocco. Armed with an itinerary, a road map and a family playlist we hit the road and drove a total of 1,500km to discover the beaten tracks of Maroc. 

Our adventure started in the incredibly dreamy city of Marrakech, where we spent 3 days wandering the streets and getting lost. We stayed in the most beautiful riad Dar Habiba where we were welcomed by Mustafa and Hanna into their glorious oasis of calm in the midst of the bustling town. The small guesthouse was so quiet and peaceful and just oozed peace, complete with the delicate aroma of incense and Hanna's home cooking. 

Over the three days we spent time exploring the city, visiting the Palace and the Royal Tombs as well as the Koutoubia, the main Mosque in the city. I found it incredible, the more we discovered, to feel how calm and tranquil areas of the city were compared to the chaos and craziness that occurs in most of the city streets. These narrow little alleys are used by donkeys, mopeds, pedestrians, cars, cats, carts and bicycles creating, what seemed to me, absolute mayhem. I was expecting the Palace to be grand, ornate and covered in gold however I was surprised at the simple elegance that replaced ostentatious displays of grandeur. Wood and mosaic replaced precious metal and were ornately craved and crafted to create a stunning, open and charming palace that focussed around a lush and beautiful garden courtyard. 

The Koutoubia is the tallest building in Marrakech because no other building is permitted to be taller, allowing the Koutoubia to dominate the city sky-line and to stand proud for all to see. The dominance of religion in the country is very prominent and religious places are sacred and honoured. The respect that the people have for their landmarks is, in my opinion, very admirable and retains an element of secrecy and uniqueness to their buildings. I would have loved to see inside a mosque, rather than just hearing its calls to prayer in the early hours of the morning but sadly only Muslims are allowed in, which I greatly admire and respect. 

Marrakech didn't stop surprising me and around every corner we found a pretty little spot which was too good not to photograph and to remember. As much as its is true that everyone takes the same photos I find that each person has a unique way of capturing scenes, different things they want to remember and alternative opinions about what they find beautiful and worth of a photo. I also think that sometimes we get caught up in trying to take photos that we forget to look, to really see, to create mental images and memories. Part of the reason I write this blog is to have a record, a memory and a store for all the things I want to keep and look back on. So please excuse the amount of photos, I realise they are not interesting for everybody but I think its important to remember why we write and to get back to the personal roots behind the blog. 

Mood - Inspired

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