Toby and Allan in Morocco and France 2014: Oasis in Marrakech

Friday June 6 started with some cloud, but it cleared by noon and there was blue sky, sun and a 30C high. We headed out in the opposite direction of the Medina, to visit Jardin Marjorelle.

The garden was a labour of love started during the 1920s by Jacques Majorelle (1886-1962), the son of a celebrated furniture maker from Nancy, France. Jacques was a painter who first came to Marrakech in 1919. He acquired land in 1924 and began to collect plants and landscape the property. He had a painting studio on the property. He also developed a beautiful cobalt blue colour known as bleu Majorelle.

In 1947, he opened the gardens to the public. Jacques died shortly after a car accident in 1962, and the property fell into disuse. In 1980, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge bought the property and restored the gardens. After Saint Laurent died in 2008, his ashes were buried there. The property is now owned by the Fondation Pierre Berge-Yves Saint Laurent. In December 2011, the Berber Museum opened in the former painting studio of Jacques Majorelle.

We walked from our hotel through the Ville Nouvelle and into an area of Marrakech called Gueliz.
Very modern buildings and lots of traffic. Crossing the large streets are an adventure in themselves, as there are often no traffic lights and no one stops for pedestrians. It was about an hour walk back to our hotel (slightly longer getting there, as we initially went too far).

Alain en route

All the buildings are a pinkish colour and the city mandates that all new buildings be built in this colour. We also learned that the mayor of Marrakech is a woman (a first!).

Modern buildings and carved wood sculptures on one street

The Majorelle garden is 2 1/2 acres and contains 300 plant species from five continents. There are over 15 bird species living there. As we walked towards the garden entrance we passed a locked gate to what was Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge's home, which is not open to the public.

One of the streets around the garden is now named after Saint Laurent.

We entered and immediately were transformed into another world. It took Majorelle over 30 years to complete his garden. The landscaping was incredible, and there are many different pathways, fountains and places to enjoy the plants (some of which are identified in plaques). There are an incredible variety of cacti and a small bamboo forest.

Entrance with fountain

The start of the cacti part of the garden

Varieties from Mexico, South America, Africa and North America

Flowering cactus

This captures the flavour of the landscaping

More beauties

Lots of flowers and palm trees

One of my favourites- the Yuca luminosa (not sure I got the name right)

Alain on the walkway in front of cacti

Bleu majorelle water detail

View of studio, now Berber Museum

In front of the lily pond

Bamboo forest

The Berber Museum (formerly studio)

We walked along the pathways with views of the plants. The plants are well protected and there are lots of staff-- one offered to take our picture ( no request for money to take pics here).

Enjoying the garden

There is one part of the garden with a memorial to Yves Saint Laurent.

Memorial to Yves Saint Laurent (1936-2008)

Gazebo

Water feature

Cacti grouping

Gorgeous flowering cacti

The garden reminded us of our visits to the botanical gardens in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona. We have photos from our visit to the Desert Museum in Phoenix where Dale Chihuly's brilliant glass works were interspersed with the plants. That concept would work very well here, as Majorelle and the present gardeners' landscaping is so beautiful.

One can either buy tickets to visit the garden and/or the Berber Museum. We did both and stopped and toured Saint Laurent and Berge's incredible collection of Berber jewellery, clothing, and objects. The museum was very well done, but one could not take pictures. A fascinating snapshot of a 9000 year old culture.

Berber Jewellery at the museum- an image from the internet

Afterwards we checked out the boutique. There was also a small room with posters of the "Love" cards that Yves Saint Laurent created each New Years (from around the late 1980s) for his friends- usually collages. The last one was done in 2007.

We then went for a late lunch at the Cafe Bousafsaf in the Jardin. It was a beautiful setting and the food was excellent. Alain and I shared a beautiful couscous and mint tea. We had learned from our last guide, Abdul, that Friday was the day that wives usually went to the Hammam and then prepared a special couscous. Couscous was the daily special at the cafe.

Friday is couscous day

Alain in the Cafe- ready for his couscous

Happy cat in the cafe

Seville orange tree in cafe ( lots of these in Morocco)

Across from the Garden, were a few shops including a very modern concept store called 33 Rue Majorelle. It had some beautiful jewellery, bags and clothes- very chic, like Colette in Paris (though not quite as pricy). We looked, but didn't buy.

Outside the store

Very modern interior

Interesting bags

As well as taxis outside the museum, there were a number of caleches for hire. Needless to say, we walked back to our hotel.

Horse and carriage

We made one stop at a pastry store recommended by our last local guide. Chez Madame Alami has been in operation since 1986, and has beautiful Moroccan pastries. We bought a small selection.