Where did the blog go?

The trouble is the blogger left the empty Sunday afternoon lifestyle behind when she left Syama over a year ago!

And there I was thinking that I could simply update everyone when I was at home over the summer, but it seems that no-one has an empty Sunday afternoon lifestyle any more - except for Uncle Trev who we all left behind at Syama!

So, before I get posting pics on the happy events that took me back home - I'm going to take you on a journey through the rest of my travels in '09.

As luck would have it when Paul cancelled our wine-touring weekend in favour of a fun run (!?!), I found myself freed up to join Miss Jane on another international women of mystery tour - this time en Maroc!


Djemaa el-Fna

First stop, a sunset stroll to possibly the most famous town square in North Africa, where the story tellers and the snake charmers and the...


orange juice men

... and the ...


dried fruit vendors

... and the ...


medicine men

... all gather in a sight that a traveller can only marvel at! A sight that has been visited by travellers and merchants for ten centuries, and seems to have stood still while the generations of visitors simply pass through like a saharan wind.


Food stalls

After sunset the food traders move into the square and start dishing up tagines, barbeques and trays of mechoui lamb for all those brave enough to pull up a seat and indulge - what could be better?


Date palm

In my usual style, not too much was planned before I headed off (talked with Jane on Sunday, booked my flight on Monday, boarded a plane on Friday), so how lucky did I feel when Hassan told us that we had arrived at the height of the date season? Honestly I couldn't have done better if I tried.


Hassan's pick!

Hassan (Jane's friend and our unbelievably generous and patient host) told me not to go crazy in the Djemaa el-Fna, that he had a source of dates that was of far superior quality and he didn't want us eating any second rate fruit. So, as any good host would, he arrived one morning with 2 kilos of the most astonishingly juicy, flavoursome, texturally perfect dates - AND - now that I live in Europe, the quarantine situation allowed me to enjoy the last of these little beauties for several days after my return from exotic northern Africa! Oh happiness!


Our terrasse

Jane had managed to find an apartment to rent for the week with a stunning terrasse, bigger than my Parisian living room in fact, where we indulged in some serious catching up and relaxing, whilst enjoying ...


Our view

... out across the palm wasteland at the end of town (if you look hard you can see the lushness vanishing from the palm tops in the background) - curious!


Arch

But no matter, as we had a medina to explore!


Dans les rues


Choosing headwear

And as women will, we had to find a few accessories appropriate for our stay - in my rushed preparation for the adventure can you believe I forgot to pack a hat? Unacceptable for an Aussie chick really - but, look at this funky number!


Barbouche du jour?

And Jane fell in love with these surprisingly comfortable, bling evening shoes!


Medina alley

Shopping and wandering the alleyways of the medina takes a toll, and it's nice to stop and take stock every now and then.


Riad tea garden

I love these internal courtyards, a fabulous architectural triumph to bring to the world. Inside the walls should always be a place of calm à mon avis!


Light my way

Honestly, it's all a little overwhelming. Jane and I have both been to markets in Africa and they are always slightly wild and frenetic. I read recently that the human brain has trouble making a choice when presented with more than 7 or so options, so how do you manage when confronted with the souqs of Marrakech that have dozens, nay, hundreds of shops, all selling similar products, all shouting similar promises of great bargains to be had?

Take a photo, find a cup of mint tea and clear your head!

Hassan had a real treat in store for us one evening, we'd seen an enormous palatial building, it's tiles sparkling in the sunshine, on the outskirts of town as we arrived in Marrakech on the train from Casablanca. Turns out that this building - a modern example of old-fashioned Moroccan regal architecture - was in fact ...


(Spicy) Chez Ali!

That's right folks, Chez Ali - home of the all-singing, all-dancing, gun-toting, horseback-riding cavalry, 1001 nights of Arabia dinner and spéctacle!


Settle in on that banquette Miss Jane!

We ate a sumptuous five course feast and discovered to our dismay, that velvet banquettes are not, in fact, the perfect place of repose in 37 degree heat!


Uulation please!

It was truly amazing, it has to be seen to be believed, especially the 21-gun salutes and the flying carpet finalé - go!


Petit dejeuner et thé à la menthe

Naturellement we trialed a traditional breakfast, and always interested in local flavours, we saddled up for a day of food shopping and cooking in the souqs. Jane had found us a cooking class that began with a tour of the street markets, buying the ingredients for a lunch feast that we would prepare over the course of the day.


In the souq

Look out, this is going to be fun!


Ah, oui oui oui

The grand épicerie at last! A few lessons from our spice trader in how to spot real versus fake saffron, amongst other things, and a bit of information about the use of different spices for different purposes (cuisine, medicine, household). It was like being with an old-time apothacary.


Pomegranate bounty

Then there were the other important ingredients to be found.


Market fresh


Tagine anyone?

And cooking equipment to inspect.


Cooking class

The course underway, we discussed and sampled about 10 different chermoulas for our 6 salads, two tagines and both savoury and sweet pastry creations - who knew you could chop parsley and coriander so fine?


How to chop an onion

And forget about it - onions, finely diced! So now I'm a complete convert - but do tend to use a safer technique when I get to the bottom of the bulb, necessary for me as clumsiness seems to be a family trait!


Salad fiesta

So, the verdict in? The zahlouk (aubergine and tomato) salad was my hands-down favourite (aubergines in this part of the world taste different ... better, definitely - I'm obsessed). Sadly the team are tired of doing that recipe although it's invariably the favourite with every group that comes through.


Riad Relaxo

And after all that? A tea break of course!


McArabia?

From one extreme to another! Why does everyone want a McDonalds in their country? And no, we didn't sample the tagine-flavoured (!) McArabia, although there was some interest from one or two other tourists we met - if you are on a mission to eat your way around the world, then I guess ...

On our last night we dined at El Fassia, the restaurant that continues to get the nod from the foodies in the know in Marrakech. Like any good place, it's hard to get a booking but we got lucky, and after all the lamb and chicken tagines, royal couscous and Moroccan salads, it was a real treat to taste at last the ...


Pigeon pastilla - part I


Pigeon pastilla - part II

Yes, that is a dusting of icing sugar and cinnamon on top of that deep-fried, pastry-encased mélange of pigeon meat, nuts, spices and dried fruit - joyous!


The grand minaret from the Mellah

So as the sunset over the medina ...


Champagne Jane

... and I contemplated what the future might bring for us as re-located Aussies with a thirst for travel and cultural exchange, as we said goodbye - for now at least - to a magical experience in a truly exotic place.


Secret passage