Sophieg

Great Thread and cool images, I`m doing my research to visit Morocco, This would be great help.!!

progol

Thanks, Sophieg! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

xyz99

Wow, Marrakesh is really something! And that court yard....it looked like there weren't a lot of visitors, surprising after seeing the super crowded market photos.

progol

Our guide then took us through the medina, where we walked through a few of the souks, stopping so that Michael can purchase a pair of the ubiquitous leather shoes.









We even stopped to have some of the the wonderful fava bean soup called bessara. It was just before he closed up, so he scraped together one bowl for us - very tasty!



And then, to continue on our music-making theme, we passed a small music shop which Michael wandered into and, once again, shared musical moments.

progol

After a break at our hotel, we went out for our afternoon exploring - this time, the weather was very sunny and quite warm - a considerable change from our morning walk. Thanks to a recommendation by yestravel, we visited the Dar el Bacha museum, a fabulous home of Thami el Glaoui, one of the most famous Pasha of Morocco. A very glamorous home that saw some very glamorous and important folks, including Winston Churchill. It also hosted a very interesting exhibition, Shared Sacred sites, a display of art and artifacts from the 3 monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It has been on tour in different locations around the world, and we actually discovered a component of it at the NY Public library sometime after we returned.

It's a beautiful structure, and surprisingly, not crowded at all.











Details and closeups







(*weird, I sized these all the same!)

The fountain


And a "taste" of the exhibition

progol

Finally, a necessary respite in the afternoon heat, we walked to Le Jardin Secret, a recently renovated garden in Marrakech, with extensive plantings and a very thorough explanation of how the water flows to and through the complex. We were pretty tired by the end of the day, so a place to just chill out and enjoy the ambience was all we needed!

tripplanner001

Still loving it all. The gardens look like a perfect place to relax with a cup of tea after all the sightseeing.

annhig

More stunning places, Progol. I love them both. You are really selling Morocco to me in a way that no-one else has managed. I wonder what Marrakesh is like in February.

progol

Thanks so much, tp & annhig! I'm really pleased that you're enjoying this still! I have to admit that it's fun to organize this into a thread and relive my trip. It's probably the closes I'll come to blogging any time soon!

<<I wonder what Marrakesh is like in February.>>
annhig, now you know you'll need to go to Marrakech in February and report back!

More to come, though the end of the trip is in sight!

yestravel

annhig - I looked into going in Feb one year. The south including the desert is nice. Lots of people prefer the desert in the winter -- pleasant days, but cold at night. The north which is more mountainous can be cold in the winter.

xyz99

Still following and loving it. I'm so sad we had to cancel our trip, but I really want to make it happen someday. TRs like this are a huge incentive. Thank you, progol!

progol

So glad you're here and still enjoying the TR, xyz! Morocco is not going anywhere, so I'm sure you'll get another opportunity to go, and besides, now that you've seen the places you'd visit, you don't really have to actually go!
Thanks for still following and letting me know, though - it's much appreciated.

xyz99

LOL, you are sooo wrong. Now that I've seen the places I'd visit, I REALLY have to go!

annhig

same here, xyz99.

progol

xyz & annhig,
Yeah, I'd feel the same way! I just thought I'd try to give you a chance to have one less place you HAVE to visit!

Sophieg

Very authentic Photo Collection. Love the colors ! Thank you for sharing

progol

I'm glad you're still following this TR and enjoying the photos, SophieG! Thank you so much for posting and letting me know.

progol

Salem picked us up bright and early for our trip to Essaouira, a roughly 2 1/2 - 3 hour trip from Marrakech. The day was pleasant - comfortable, and not too hot. We made a few stops along the way, including an Argan oil product factory/shop. And of course, we passed the "goats in the tree" phenomenon. There were, not surprisingly, a couple of tourist buses. And, it was explained to us, that while this is a real occurrence - the goats climb the Argan tree to eat the fruit, but the nuts within, which are then excreted (details to be read on your own!, are then used in the processing of the Argan oil products. HOWEVER, many of the goats that are seen in the trees are often tied to the branches or, at the very least, coaxed into the trees by the farmers as a tourist attraction. When people stop to take pictures, someone will come running out and ask for a tip. We didn't stop - this is a shot as we passed by.

If you're interested, this seems a good article on the phenomenon:
https://theculturetrip.com/africa/mo...ts-of-morocco/




We then stopped at the Argan oil factory, where we were shown the "tradition process" with women in the front using stones to grind the kernels. This is simply to draw people in to the shop, as the process is generally automated. An article on the Argan oil cooperatives (thanks, Tim Cullis - this is from a 2015 post on TA): https://saadiaorganics.com/blogs/all...e-unbelievable

Of course, I did go through the shop and look at the products and was vaguely considering purchasing something, but changed my mind. After leaving the shop, I walked across the parking lot and over to a long row of cabins containing the toilets; while inside the toilet stall, I hear a banging at the door. And when I opened it, the sales woman was there, ready to drag me back to the shop, after telling me that I could have a reduction in price! That's the first time anyone chased me to the toilet to get me to buy.

The requisite shot of a woman grinding and processing the Argan nut

progol

At last, we arrived in Essaouira, and it charmed us immediately. A lovely balance of tourism and "real life", a busy working port, a lovely open square, a good sized medina that caters to both tourists and locals, and quiet back streets where you might be alone. And of course, strolling along the ramparts. It's an easy town to chill out in.

The Medina





Loved these little "fig" pastries

Place Moulay Hassan, a large square within the walls


The thriving port

The fish grill at the very end of the fish market, where you purchase your fish and it's grilled for you right there. Wonderfully fresh!

Fish market






The blue boats

progol

The Jewish community
Essaouira once had the largest community of Jews in Morocco, but the majority of Jews left the country after the founding of Israel. There was a Jewish presence under the Romans as early as 2500 years ago, but by the 1980s, only 2500 or so remain in Morocco, and only a few actually remain in Essaouira. We visited one of the synagogues, Slat Lkahal, under restoration in the Mellah.

https://www.wmf.org/project/jewish-quarter-essaouira
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-2...israel/9879638