Winding down in Marrakech

Monday June 9 was wonderful weather- blue sky, 30C and no humidity.  There is always a breeze in Marrakech.   Michel, from the cooking school, told us that as long as the temperature is below about 35C, it has a bit of a cooling effect.  We have really picked the perfect week to be here, as the temperature starts to heat up after Wednesday (getting to 40C ).

We had decided to visit the Badi Palace, which dates back to the 16th century.  It is located near the Mellah, the old Jewish part of the Medina.

I first took some photos from our hotel balcony to show the huge boulevard and hotels in our area of Marrakech called the Hivernage.  Every building is the same ochre colour (mandated by the city).  This part of Marrakech reminds us a bit of Scottsdale, Arizona.  However, we are only a 25 minute walk from the Medina (old City).

View from our balcony- always a French flag flying

View looking up the street

We walked towards the Koutoubia Mosque (still one of our favourites), and stopped in at La Mamounia to check out some of the boutiques (lovely, but very expensive), and explore the hotel further.  It had reopened in September 2009, after a three year renovation project.  A Parisien, Jacques Garcia, was the interior designer.  Apparently, in 1943, Winston Churchill commented to Franklin Delano Roosevelt that "Marrakech is the most lovely spot in the whole world".  He frequently stayed at La Mamounia during the winter.

Another beautiful hallway

Enjoying the beautiful decorations

In the reception area was a huge plate of fresh dates, with a box of napkins beside them.  Delicious!

We walked over to the beautiful gardens behind the Koutoubia Mosque where we sat for a while.  The gardens are tended constantly and it is a wonderful, peaceful oasis, just minutes from the Medina and the bustle of the main square.

Koutoubia Mosque

Gardens-- public, well-kept with  lots of roses

We walked to the Badi Palace, and found out that it was closed from June 7-15 for a festival.  That was a disappointment, as it sounded like a interesting place to visit.

At the Badi Palace- closed for a week

We decided to wander a bit in the adjacent Mellah (old Jewish quarter).   A number of the street kids wanted to take us to the one synagogue that is still open to the public, but they always demand money and they were pointing to a maze of small alleys.  One is never sure if you will end up where you want to go.  Instead, we wandered around for a while but as we didn't want to get lost, we slowly headed back to have a late lunch at a Cafe near the closed Palais El Badi.

We passed a lovely Riad en route (turns out to be Riad Al Baraka, once home to the pasha)

A very lovely street

We have learned to always keep to the right in the tiny alleys, as motor scooters can come out of nowhere.

Lots of scooters in alleys

Watermelon season

We ended up at Cafe Terrasse Palais el Badia, an older spot in the area.  We shared one fixed menu of a lovely Moroccan salad plate, vegetarian couscous, a plate of watermelon, cookies and mint tea  (all for about $15.00).

Moroccan salads

There was a view of the Palais Badi and the streets of the Mellah below.  

More storks on top of the Palais

Lovely wrought iron terrace at restaurant

View of street below

We walked back to the hotel and found a lovely bowl of roses in our room.  

Roses in our room

We then went down to the pool and I did twenty lengths.  Most of the guests at our hotel are French or Spanish, though there are also some Arabic speaking travellers as well.

 We have had an amazing time in Morocco.  We would recommend going to a number of cities and seeing all the different aspects of the country.  

Our favourite things (not in any particular order):

• the greenery and flowers at this time of year (those Romans knew how to irrigate)
• the food, the food, the food, and, of course, the cooking class at Faim D'epices (just outside Marrakesh)
• favourite restaurant- Al Fassia in Marrakech
• Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech (one of the most creative gardens we have ever seen)
• learning about the history of Morocco and Berber culture (Berbers make up around 67% of the Moroccan population)
• the drive from Fez to Marrakech- seeing the contrasts between the towns we passed through
• the Roman ruins at Volubilis and the Roman and Berber ruins at Chellah (near Rabat)
• Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca (grandeur and beauty) on the ocean
• Jewish Museum in Casablanca suburb (only one in the Islam world)
• the Kasbah in Rabat (beautiful blue and white buildings)
• watching street life unfold in the souks, markets and Medinas
• the Moroccan sense of humour and smiles and the habit of greeting friends with a joke
• Moroccan tiles, cedar ceiling and the simplicity and beauty of their design in all the museums and monuments we visited

Least favourite things:

• traffic in Marrakech ( a truly frightening experience- few lights and fast traffic)
• lack of street signs
• lack of assistance when seeking street directions

We fly to Marseille later today (June 10) for the next part of our trip.  I will most likely be posting next on June 12.   

The adventure continues!