We move to another riad which is a little more rustic than our fancy one but it’s still lovely.
It’s Riad Chorfa, on the other side of the medina by a different bab (that’s a gate) – Bab Laksour so we have other streets to explore.
The guy at the riad is super nice and gives us lots of information and suggestions of things to do for the next few days. There are 4 tiny turtles roaming around…
We check out our new digs and then set off to visit “Le Jardin Secret”, the secret garden. It’s an elegant, ornate 19th-century palace (I would use that term lightly!) with traditional Islamic gardens, plus a shop & cafe. It’s certainly a calm oasis away from the souks.
Next we head to the photography museum, but unfortunately it’s closed for refurbishment as it had some damage from the earthquake. Some interesting streets and buildings as we wander around.
Locals keep telling us the museum is closed and suggesting we go to the market as the Berber women are here for one day only …. I’m pretty sure we were told the same thing yesterday!!
We pass the Mausoleum of Sidi Abou Faris Abdelaziz Tebbaa. Oh and the pomegranate juice being sold on most corners is delicious.
We ramble through the souks again and go to the Marrakesh museum. It’s housed in a former palace so the building itself is very nice.
It’s a manageable size to get around in an hour.
Back to the riad to relax by the pool which is nicely shaded, so we can make plans for the rest of the evening.
We decide we’ll try “mechoui” which is the famous slow-roasted whole lamb or mutton that is cooked in underground clay pits. There are a few restaurants in a row and we chose Chez Lamine Hadi Mustapha – apparently they are all family run and this one has a photo of Gordon Ramsey outside!
The lamb is served with bread although later we realise we could have ordered salad and chips with it but we were so excited when the waiter pointed us to a seat and said “lamb yes!” we just agreed and were happy to get what we were given!
A tour passes by and the chef opens the whole in the ground to show the tourists – there’s a bit of commotion so I sneak over for a look and it turns out the guides sunglasses, which were sitting on the top of his head when he looked in, have fallen into the pit!!
Hocine (our guide from the tour) had told us that the square will be more “animated” at night so we take a walk around sussing out the entertainment and all the food options for tomorrow night. It certainly is a very animated square!!
Next morning I’m not feeling very well… not sure if I overdid it on the fatty bits of the lamb or if the two weeks have just caught up with me. I try to sleep it off as I don’t want to miss out on the cooking lesson we’ve planned for today.
We head for Moussine square (which happens to be right by our original riad where we stayed!) and meet Chef Leila who takes us to her home for a lesson and lunch.
There are two other couples and we all help prepare the food. It’s great fun and we pick up a few tips for some nice Moroccon dishes. The spices look so colourful and everything is so fresh.
No surprise his lordship is a dab hand at all the tasks he’s asked to do!
We make three delicious salads – tomato, aubergine and cucumber.
We make two different mains – lemon chicken and a vegetable tagine. The lemon has preserved lemons which they keep in a huge plastic “bin”… they add to them for months and they’re so tasty in the dish.
We also make a simple desert of yogurt and pomegranate seeds and each couple gets a tagine to bring home – hooray! That’s coming home with me! I’ve really enjoyed the afternoon and was able to eat a bit of lunch but I’m still not 100% so we have a quiet evening and hope to be fighting fit tomorrow.
Next morning I’m feeling a lot better so we head off for more exploring. We want to visit the cemetery and then head out of the medina to the new city. We walk through the Jewish quarter where it appears most of the damage from the earthquake took place.
Most of the places we want to visit today are closed. We walk to the Jewish cemetery which isn’t open on a Saturday. Bad luck. We continue around the Koutoubia mosque and come upon the Muslim cemetery. There is a sign above the gate, saying restricted area and no photographs, obviously we comply with the rules.
Love the toilet sign.
We stop for lunch in a little bakery that has lots of delicious looking treats. We settle for some pastisse that look like samosas of chicken and veg. I love watching the locals pop in to buy bread and pastries.
Passing Bab Nkob which was created during the French protectorate to connect the old city with the new district of Guéliz, we walk to the new town, which is approximately 3 km away.
The heat is brutal, but we’re trying to stay in the shade. It’s a very different vibe over this side of the city. Obviously modern but still has a Moroccon feel.
We are heading for Musée Macma which is a private art & culture museum celebrating the work of contemporary & historic Moroccan artists. I’ve also read it has some excellent photos.
It has some unusual artworks including motorcycles and lots of drawings with musical notation… not really what we were expecting but interesting all the same.
We walk back to the medina through Cyber Parc Arsat Moulay Abdeslam.
It’s a lovely park away from the busy main streets.
Some relaxing pool time before we head to a rooftop bar for a final sunset.
They have cocktails so we have a very nice mojito – so much fresh mint you can’t go wrong.
It’s time for our final meal in Jemaa El Fnaa square. There are so many stalls, mostly serving the same food – all look colourful and inviting. Every stall has someone trying to entice you in but we’ve decided on no.54 as we chatted to the guy last night and we liked the cut of his jib!!
We order skewers of meat and salads and of course accompanying bread and olives. It’s all cooked there at the stalls and is very nice. No booze here – water and soft drinks only.
Shane also has some type of lamb stew poured from a tanjia…. Now he’s happy!
A spot of local entertainment to finish off the evening.
Next morning it’s an early start as we leave a quiet medina – I can’t imagine it’ll stay like this for much longer… maybe an hour or so!!
We get a local taxi to the train station and head to Casablanca for our outbound flights – Shane to Sydney and me to Nashville (through Miami). We have loved Morocco – I have to say a better experience than I had ever anticipated. I hope to get back someday.
odohertyelaine 