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Today was always going to be a day of shopping.  We started off at the Complexe D’Artisanat in Rue de la Kasbah.  This is one of the few places in Morocco that you don’t barter.  The prices are fixed and for some that is a real help.  Personally I love a good bit of barter banter. Leaving surprisingly empty handed we headed to, via a coffee stop of course, to the Ensemble Artisanal on Avenue Mohammed V.

 This is where June had seen a hat before and today was decision day.  Having watched how the hats are made a purchase was completed.

From there we headed off to the Photographic museum and back to their roof top restaurant. Today was so much clearer than our last visit so much so we could easily see the beautiful snow covered High Atlas to the south..

In the afternoon we managed to tick all off the shopping list but were still on the look out for a pair of ear rings to match the neckless June bought on the `kasbah trip.  One of the guys in the souks, on hearing what we were looking for,  took us for a hike (probably a bit longer than we needed) to one of his mates.  He didn’t have what we were looking for so he took a neckless apart to make a pair.  Not sure we would get that level of service in the UK.

During one of todays wanders through the main square we saw this a guy wearing pink wings and selling toys.  So the next time you think your job could be better just remember the photo of this lad.

Today was another day to just wander around this glorious city. We started off by heading towards Jewish quarter.  We dropped by Dar Si Siad which is former palace / royal house that now houses Moroccan arts.  The building itself is along the same theme inside as the Kasbah at Telouet and the Alahambra with ornate stucco that the crafts men carve while still wet. The design are very detailed and must take an age to complete.

After a quick coffee we wandered around the old Jewish Section, While trying to find the entrance to the El Badi Palace we bumped into Mustapha, a 19 year old who is studying to become a motor mechanic.  He started to take us to the palace when we realised that it would closed in a shortwhile.  Mustapah then offered us tea at his house.  We took him up on the offer and although the tea wasn’t the best we have experienced but it was a little different.  We never did get to see the view of the palace from his house that we were told was ‘very very good’.  We dropped him a few Dirham for his time and headed off to the Kasbah Cafe, which was nearby, for lunch.

It was only a short walk…well about 3 km, to our next venue.  The Jardin Menara.  We had seen a few photos of the lake there with the High Atlas in the distance.  Ever the keen photographers we aimed to recreate this image. Well the view of the snow covered mountains was stunning but sadly the lake was a little choppy to get the reflections we had hoped for.

Back to the main square for a bit of people watching while we drank mint tea…  well this time our eyes were caught by a couple of 5 or 6 years olds who were busy trying to sell cakes. There clearly was a bit of a turf war between them and it was a little sad to see young children, the same age as my grandchildren, having their childhood stolen.

This evening we returned to the square to eat at stall 118.  Abdul recognised us straight away.  The  guys who are enticing potential customers to pick thier stall are all real characters with all the patter and banter.  If you join in the whole experience is more enjoyable and they really don’t mind if you say no. It is a very similar scene to that of parts of France, Spain and Greece….but with more humour and fun.

An early start today as we were heading over the a High Atlas and back again in a day; luckily we were not driving but were able to book a car and driver for the day at a very reasonable rate.  Younes from Ecovoyages Marrakech arrived promptly and by 7.30am we were clear of the city traffic and heading towards the mountains.  A quick stop for coffee after a couple of hours before we hit the Tizi-n-Tichka pass, the highest pass over the High Atlas.

Our first destination was Kasbah Telouet and a real gem of a place and well worth the long drive along a road which in parts lacks any Tarmac.  At first the place looked nothing more than a pile of ruins (the whole site is actually three kasbahs in various stages of decay) but there was a surprise awaiting in the form of four rooms almost exactly as they were the Kasbah was built in the 19th century.  Our guide Rasheed was very knowledgeable and well worth his tip as he explained the history of the site.  The family who lived here made their fortunes from the caravans passing through from the south to Marrakech, exchanging salt for gold and sugar for marble.

From there we continued along the same road following the Oued Mellah (literally translated as river of salt. Lesson learned today was that Morocco had salt mines!) and on to Ait Benhaddou whose claim to fame is to have appeared in numerous Hollywood films: Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth and Gladiator but to name a few.  We didn’t have a guide, despite their best efforts for us to hire them, and were happy to wander around the place on our own.

Ait Benhaddou

Ait Benhaddou

Ait Benhaddou

People still live in the kasbahs which make up the area and to get to the highest point you have to run the gauntlet of several shop owners trying to entice you to view their wares.  We did give in on the way back down and took tea with Hachim whilst negotiating on the price of a silver necklace and an “antique” wooden spoon…..  Bob retained his reputation of bartering like a Berber and we were all happy in the end!

Then began the long drive home and this is where the 20,000 photos comes in.  Having got a new toy after a last trip here (thank you Colin!), Bob had attached his GoPro to the outside of the vehicle and recorded time lapse photos of the routes we were taking. The plan was now to record the journey back over the Tizi-n-Tichka pass. The camera stayed in place but we won’t be able to post the short video until getting home to the UK.

The long day ended with a spectacular view of the sunset in the mountains and home to Jamila’s wonderful cooking…

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Having visited most of the major sites in a Marrakech during previous visits, today we decided just to walk and see where we ended up whilst heading generally towards the east of the city. Things didn’t quite go to plan when we got lost in the souks but as there always seems to be a sign pointing towards the main square we followed one of them to get our bearings and start again!  This time we got it right (eventually…) and arrived at the Museum of Marrakech.  Not the largest museum we’ve been to but being located in a restored palace makes it worth a visit.

From there it was a very short walk to the Medersa Ben Youssef (combined admission with the museum of 60Dh each – under £5 at today’s rate) which was a former religious school.  To quote from our guidebook “It displays all the fine decorative detailing that characterises what was the golden age of Moroccan architecture.” and that pretty much sums it up! If you like architecture head here.  Point to note here, we were approached by a young man who was trying to get us to visit the tanneries and told us that the Medersa was closed due to a religious holiday – it wasn’t!

A lot of walking usually involves geocaching for us, and although there are not too many caches in Morocco, we were not too far from one so it was off down the alleyways in search of it. The Moroccans are born traders and (sorry, spoiler alert) what better way of getting someone into your shop than by putting the cache there! Worth pointing out though that there was no pressure for us to buy anything and we had a very friendly chat with the shop owner.

As we mentioned we were off the main tourist track today so our next stop was the Maison de la Photographie de Marrakech, which houses a collection of photographs of early 20th century Moroccan life. Entry was 40Dh (£2.80 ish) but we can visit as often as we like which given the great little cafe on the roof terrace we will probably take advantage of!

Being on the east side of the city and despite what we told the young man earlier, we had always intended to visit the tanneries. We were approached by a “guide”  who offered to show us around and despite being a little sceptics it was actually quite interesting! However having visited the tanneries at Fez, the ones in Marrakech were a little disappointing and of course the visit ended up in a shop which sold a variety of leather goods.

In desperate need of coffee (no surprise there!) we made our way back to the main square and one of the many roof terraces providing the best places just to sit and watch the world go by.  Feeling suitably refreshed it was time to head back home but managed to take the wrong turn again which also happened when we came back in for dinner and then on the way back again….. By the end of the week we’ll have it all worked out…..we hope!

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Having stopped at the Gatwick Hilton, with no free wifi in the room I may add, it was an early start to Marrakech taking off at 8.00. Made good time though arriving at 10.50, ahead of schedule.

Through passport control and onto Dar Romarra, the Riad we had used for a long weekend in October. We felt that with June’s arm recovering we needed a little haven in a mad mad city….

At 14 C it was a little cooler than last time….but warmer than the freezing UK we had left behind.

After a bit of a kip we wandered through the souks to the main square, Jamaa El Fna. It was far busier than October and a real hive of activity.

A quick coffee on a roof top terrace gave Bob a chance for a bit of timelapse ( will be posted once we get home). Then down to the food stalls. We were bombarded with requests to eat here and here….. they all knew too much about our TV adverts. Quotes like, ‘ this isn’t just any food…it’s Marks and Spencers food’ and ‘cheaper than Morrisons’ were everywhere. One of the guys thought from something June had said she was from Scotland and then started quoting East Enders. He knew more about the story line than either of us.

There are more photos in the Morocco 2014 Album

Having been to Morocco twice before we were both really looking forward to returning with our friends Sarah and Colin.  We had found a Riad called Dar Rocmarra in the Marrakech Medina that had some brilliant comments on Trip Advisor and ticked a lot of boxes for us.

Leaving early doors on Thursday with Easy Jet we arrived at Marrakesh just after 10.00 where transport booked via the Riad was patiently waiting after a few more minutes than we expected in passport control.  Being British we took part in an orderly queue while those  around us jumped barriers, pushed in and generally tried to get in before us.

As we were driven to the Riad we realised that the driving had not changed since we were last here in May 2013.  It is manic. Having said that though everyone seems to get along with each other, giving way seems to be a natural way of life.  Yes the horns are sounded but I really got the impression they were not meant in anger.  More of a ‘watch out mate’ than a ‘get out of my way’.

The driver got us as close as possible and after a few minutes walk along narrow alley ways we arrived at  Dar Rocmarra 29 Derb el Halfaoui.

Once inside we realised we had hit a real gem and the reviews were right. It was beautiful!  We had been in touch with Jamilla, who manages the day to day running of the riad as well as cooking the wonderful food, before we arrived and before lunch she gave us a brief about locations of places we may like to visit and offered to book a driver and car for any days trips we wanted.

After catching up on sleep we walked into the center.  The souks, as we had experienced previously, were an assault on all senses….  the smells, the colours and the noise are very special to us.  Some feel unsafe, but I have to say, I feel as safe in Morocco as I do in London, and like in any big city with lots of people, it’s just a case of keeping your eyes open and wits about you.  Having had little sleep the previous night and a good lunch when we arrived, we found a small cafe with a rooftop terrace overlooking Jamma El Fna for a light meal before heading home for an early night.

Friday started with a breakfast on the roof… and then off to Cascades d’Ouzoud Waterfalls.  Jamilla arranged a car and driver for the day at about £103 all in for the 4 of us.  Although we could have booked an organised tour, at least this way we had total control over where and when we stopped. On the way we went through the town of Ait Taguella where there was a festival going on in a field next to  the road.  There were groups of horsemen in traditional clothing riding from one end of the field to the other while firing rifles in the air.  It was a really stunning event to stumble on.

On to the beautiful Cascades d’Ouzoud.  There is a large car park at the top and as you walk towards them you can either take to the right of the buildings and go to the top or to the left and walk down the lanes past the stalls to the bottom.  There are numerous places to eat…the more expensive ones have direct views of the falls (although by expensive we mean around £10 a head for a 3 course set meal!) .  The falls stunning, yes I know that I use that a lot but have run out of superlatives.  Have a look at our Morocco 2014 album to see more…

Saturday was a bimble around Marrakech  sort of day.  We love the souks, the smells, colours and sounds are really unique.  I know some folk find this environment threatening or uncomfortable but I think the art is to accept that the traders do not mind you not buying or saying no. Ultimately you have control of your wallet and if you buy something, does it really matter that much if you find it cheaper on another stall.  I guess you were happy with the price or you wouldn’t have bought it.  I feel no more concerned in Marrakech than I do in some parts of London. I enjoy the banter and bartering.  Many times have I walked away to the stall holder saying ‘good bye my friend. You are a good man and I like your smile’   But that is me at 6’4″…height always an advantage I feel 🙂

Having said all that we did have a bit of a ‘do’.  Colin had a GoPro….more about that later, and wanted a few photos of the snakes in the main square.  The problem was we didn’t agree a price before…top tip always agree a price…for everything 🙂  After some photos the guys asked for £20!!   They were never going to get that much..  They were offered £10 and refused…after a few words they were given about a fiver and off we walked .

In the evening we decide to eat at one of the many stalls in Jamma El Fna, the main square.  The previous night we had wandered through and one of the stall owners had approached us saying ‘ One Zero Zero always the hero’ referring to the stall number.  Well we had to find that one didn’t we?  The main square is somewhere  Bob had always wanted to eat. Just feeling that it would be good to absorb some of the hustle and bustle.  Hannin, our waiter, suggested we had a Meze type selection and of course the obligatory photo at the end.  We had noticed young lads firing a small device into the air that gave off a blue light as it drifted down.  These were visible all above the square… It was a toy that Bob didn’t have and was determined to get.  As we walked through the square a couple of boys offered these for sale.  Starting at 20 Dhirham he eventually got one for 5 (about 40p)  He was happy.

Sunday was a visit to Essaouira  which is on the coast and very Mediterranean in appearance.  Again Jamilla arranged a driver and car for the day for about £107 this time. The last time we drove from Marrakesh to Essaouira in 2009 the road was under major repair and it took us ages in the motorhome, traveling at no more that 40mph for most of the way and at 10mph for a very long section.  Drive times in Morocco always seem a little longer that here in the UK, mainly due to the road conditions, speed limits and cops with speed cameras.  On the whole the roads are OK but the speed limits are often lower that you would get in the UK.  There seemed to be, on this trip, a huge increase police checks, the more cynical might note how negotiable the fines are and wonder how much reaches official police coffers…..  Some with a speed camera, often on a tripod and others where there are ‘stingers (a spiked device across half the road that can be pulled covering the whole road to stop vehicles that didn’t fancy being checked).

The harbour area of Essaouira  was as beautiful as the last time we visited.

After lunch we wandered the lanes and then out to the beach. It can be very windy here, albeit not on this visit, and often the beach is full of surfers kite flyers and the like.

Our flight back was late Monday afternoon so we had plenty of time to visit Majorelle Gardens and more.  The gardens are beautiful and an oasis of calm in the madness that is Marrakesh.

Leaving the gardens we grabbed a Caleche, horse and trap  and were taken for spin around the city.  We turned down the  offer of visiting a pharmacy as we had experienced watching a demonstration before and then being put through the sales pitch. I think we still have some magic potions left over from that visit despite Bob using them daily to maintain his youth.

Back in Jamma El Fna the girls needed to get some cash while the boys met a young lad selling some packets of tissues.  Through Bob’s bad French it seemed he was 10 and sold the tissues daily around the square.  Bob asked why he didn’t go to school, the bank doorman smiled and said ‘this is his school’ as he pointed to Jamma El Fna. A very fair point!  The lad was a real character but we found he didn’t like the ginger sweets that Bob had been carrying around all weekend.  But then few did.

It was a brilliant weekend and one that involved quite a few Selfie on a stick photos as both Colin and Bob had one!  I am sure we will see more Selfie on a stick photos appearing in this blog.