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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The Perfect Picnic

During my time at the chateau we decided that we needed to visit the local town and obviously the best day for this was market day! I love a good French market, the cheese, the saucisson, the fresh bread and the wine pre-11am. SP, DH, AH and I hopped into the car with hungry tummies and an empty picnic basket and drove into a little town nestled in the burgundian hills.

So, without much further ado, here is my recipe for the perfect picnic. 

1)  Find some friends to picnic with you, they must be able to carry heavy picnic baskets full of food and have good taste when choosing a picnic spot.

2) Visit a local market to pick up your produce. Small local markets are the best so that you are buying from local farmers with produce that hasn't traveled miles and is therefore fresh as a daisy!

3) Pick out your produce, make sure to include more things than you can possibly eat in order to ensure the perfect picnic feeling. 

4) Drive over the hills and far far away until you come to the perfect picnic spot. This will usually involve a pretty view, local wildlife and preferably no other fellow picnickers. 

5) Tuck in, load your baguette with fresh cheese, saucisson, ham, pate, olives and other goodies. 

6) Keeping hydrated is important!

7) Lie back, think of England and enjoy the full and satisfied feeling whilst admiring the view. 

(Preferably check that you are not picnicking on private late and are not at risk of being shouted at by the local farmer!)

We had such a lovely day enjoying the French countryside for all its glory and it definitely was one of the best ways for me to round off my fabulous year in France. Merci France, merci. 

Mood- Satisfied

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