Marrakech, Morocco

We were so welcome in Morocco that our hotel sent two drivers to get us from the airport (which didn’t make up for both of them being very late, but at least we got where we needed to be). The Riad Malika (http://www.riadmalika.com/) was a fantastic place - a renovated traditional Moroccan house (riad), decorated with an art deco twist. The black-and-white striped pool was the perfect place to escape the afternoon heat (32 degrees C), and meals in the cool, green garden were a treat (tagines taste even better in Morocco).

On our journeys from the Riad we visited the souqs, the Djema al-Fna (main square) and other places of interest (museos and gardens) within the medina (old town). Smith was particularly taken with the views over the city from the Saadian Tombs and wished he was a stork so he could get some prime real estate. Guild was a little fanatical about the tiling at the Ali ben Youssef Medersa and has some ideas for her next quilts.

We might be okay at navigating in the hills, but Marrakech defeated us promptly and then again at least twice per foray from the Riad. This made the bazaars seem endless with enough meat, metalwork, leather and pottery shops to cater for the locals (and tourists) many times over.

Once we escaped the souqs (no mean feat – there are a lot of people in there that really, truly just want to talk to you, but maybe you would like to just have a look at his Aladdin’s Cave of carpets, leathergoods…), we made our way to the main square. Moustafa the snail man sold us some of his fare and it was washed down with an orange juice or two. We ate with the locals (rule number one of travel food) and enjoyed great, cheap sausages in oven-warm bread, smothered in fresh tomato and herb sauce. Yum. The din of the swarming, buzzing crowd around the stalls, the street performers and snake charmers, the aromas of meat grilling over open fires, and then the call of the mezzuin from the nearby Koutoubia Mosque…this place feels very alive.

It is onto the hills tomorrow.